News and Events
new aDNA project starting!
Our lab is initiating a new research project on aDNA through a collaboration with Dr. Katerina Guschanski of Uppsala University. The project, applies innovative techniques based on the analysis of aDNA from dental calculus in Roman and post-classical skeletal collections.
We plan to characterise microbial and pathogenic communities preserved in the dental calculus of human skeletal collections using aDNA analysis, to investigate diet and health status of human populations.
The comparison of aDNA data with morphological data from bones and teeth obtained from the same individuals to investigate their health status.
Sapienza ranked first among Italian universities for ERC Advanced Grants 2019
The European Research Council (ERC), the organism that funds projects of excellence on frontier research, has approved three Advanced Grants, for a total value of € 5,744.775 million, making Sapienza the Italian university with the greatest number of ERC grants. The winners are Michela Rosellini of the Department of Ancient World Studies, Fabio Sciarrino of the Department of Physics, and Mary Anne Tafuri of the Department of Environmental Biology.
ANCESTORS - Mary Anne Tafuri, professor of Anthropology at the Department of Enviromental Biology
Project ANCESTORS is based on an osteobiographic approach which integrates skeletal, isotopic and genetic analysis on a great number of human remains specimens which date back to Prehistoric Italy.
The research project will allow to evaluate the Italian protohistoric and prehistoric ancestors, their family systems and social relationships through a chronological focus covering over 4000 years - Neolithic Age, Bronze Age and Iron Age. Health, diet, and mobility dynamics will be analyzed in order to achieve these results.
ANCESTORS is coordinated by Cambridge University and Sapienza as co-beneficiary. The research team, led by Mary Anne Tafuri, will focus on the human skeletal remains analysis. ANCESTORS had a total budget of € 1,943,547.50. For the project, Sapienza will have a funding of € 383,400.00.
ArchaeOrganics 2019
1st Italian Workshop on the Analysis of
Archaeological Organic Remains
Rome, 20th – 21st June 2019
Aula Odeion, Facoltà di Lettere e Filosofia
Sapienza, Università di Roma
ArchaeOrganics aims to bring together all scholars involved in archaeological sciences focusing on the analysis of organic materials from various backgrounds. The conference theme covers all analytical techniques applied in archaeological investigations, such as stable isotope analysis, aDNA, residue analysis, dating, archaeobotany and zooarchaeology.
The first meeting will be held in Rome (Italy) with a special focus on the sampling, treatment and analysis of organic remains from archaeological contexts in Italy. We call for papers dealing with all methodologies and covering all archaeological phases, from early prehistory to the post-classical world. Please send an abstract (max 200 words) by 31 March 2019 at archaeorganics@gmail.com. Students are encouraged to send an abstract proposal for the poster session.
