Methods
RATTUS consists of seven 'work packages', applying a range of archaeological, biological, and historical methods to understand the intertwined histories of rats and humans.
RATTUS consists of seven 'work packages', applying a range of archaeological, biological, and historical methods to understand the intertwined histories of rats and humans.
Zooarchaeology (WP1): morphological, metrical, and taphonomic analysis of rat bones from archaeological sites
Dating & ZooMS (WP2): using radiocarbon dating and proteomic analysis to confirm dates and species.
Stable isotopes (WP3): tracking changes in rat dietary ecology via stable carbon, nitrogen, and sulphur isotopes.
History (WP4): tracing the spread and impact of early modern brown rats via written sources.
Archaeogenetics (WP5): using ancient DNA to explore past rat populations, movements, and connections.
Ecological modelling (WP6): simulating dynamics of rat populations and movements between human settlements.
Synthesis (WP7): bringing it all together to understand the connections between rats and past human societies.