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Humanities and the arts
- Archaeology of the Low countries or Belgium
- Prehistoric archaeology
The Neolithic era, pivotal in human history, introduced agriculture and sedentary living. Neolithic societies, shaped by intricate movement and exchange, exhibit significant biological and cultural variation. In the Meuse basin, limited knowledge exists about the cultural landscape and connectivity due to a lack of settlement sites and scarce archaeological finds. Despite a rich skeletal record, the Neolithic people from the Meuse Basin remain inadequately explored, hindering their placement in the broader narrative of Neolithic Europe. The dissociated and mixed (commingled) state of remains has impeded bioarchaeological research for decades. With current developments in biomolecular and macroscopic methods, PROXIMEUSE can break through the limitations posed by commingled human remains. Integrating insights from isotopic diet and mobility studies, novel proteomic sex, and micro-CT-scan-based age estimations, PROXIMEUSE provides pioneering insights into Neolithic lifeways and social dynamics. Through non-destructive biodistance analysis of skulls and teeth, PROXIMEUSE deciphers genetic affinity between groups in the Meuse Basin and with prior and coeval groups in Northwestern Europe. The project unravels Neolithic connectivity in the Meuse Basin and beyond, addressing critical gaps in genetic, mobility, cultural, and demographic aspects, significantly contributing to both local and broader European narratives of the Neolithic period.