Call for applications
Interdisciplinary Summer School 2024
“Bridging Archaeogenetics and Medieval Studies: Using aDNA as a source for migration, demographics, kinship and pathology”
Date: September 23-27, 2024
Venue: Berlin-Brandenburgische Akademie der Wissenschaften, Jägerstr. 22-23, 10117 Berlin (with a day trip to MPI EVA, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, on 25 September)
Conveners: Center for Medieval Studies at Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities (BBAW) & Department of Archaeogenetics at Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig (MPI EVA)
Organizers: Dr. Jörg Feuchter (BBAW) and Dr. Stephan Schiffels (MPI EVA)
Application deadline: April 30, 2024
Target group: M.A. students and junior PhD/doctoral students from History, Biology, Archaeology and other Natural Sciences and Humanities
Teaching language: English
Concept: In the age of the „ancientDNA-revolution“, archaeogenetic research institutes are nowadays routinely analysing samples from all periods of the human past, not the least from medieval times. Sometimes the scientific objective of the analysis resides primarily in the realm of History/Archaeology; sometimes the questions asked are of a biological nature; in other instances there is a mix of both. A rapidly growing and highly promising field of more or less intertwined genetic, historical, and archaeological knowledge production is developing, and the Middle Ages have become relevant to Genetics, as well as vice versa. Yet, true interdisciplinary cooperation remains rare, and there is much mutual distrust, misunderstanding and lack of knowledge. The Interdisciplinary Summer School „Bridging Archaeogenetics and Medieval Studies“ will bring together students from History, Biology, Archaeology and other relevant disciplines in order to familiarize them with the use of a(ncient)DNA as a source for migration, demographics, kinship and pathology in the Middle Ages. The Summer School will provide a general introduction to the scientific methods, both in theory and practice. In addition, participants will be given the opportunity to learn about a particular ongoing research project, „Migration and Urban Demographics in the Berlin-Brandenburg Area during the High Middle Ages“, in which many among the teaching staff are involved. Participants will be able to learn how the methods are applied to a concrete case study, to discuss with scientists cooperating in an ongoing research project, and to participate in interdisciplinary exchanges around specific problems. This interaction will help to develop critical engagement with the sometimes fundamentally different general approaches of scientists and scholars in the humanities.
Fees: There is no fee for participation. However, participants must cover their own accommodation and travel expenses for travelling to and from Berlin, as well as for the day trip to Leipzig. A number of inexpensive accommodations are available at the guesthouse of Humboldt University. They can be booked through the organizers.
Application details: Your application should include the following:
- Letter of motivation (one page, outlining why you are interested in participating in the Summer School and what you are expecting from it)
- Curriculum Vitae (one page)
- Scan of B.A. or M.A. diploma (or equivalent)
All three elements must be merged into a single PDF document
Please let us know in your application if you are interested in residing at the guesthouse of Humboldt University during the Summer School (single bedrooms with shared bathroom facilities, cost: about 300 EUR for six nights from September 22 to 27)
Please send your application to medieval.summerschool@bbaw.de.
Preliminary Program:
Some of the topics to be taught at the Summer School:
Introduction to population genetics
Detecting migration and kinship through aDNA;
Introduction to the questions and methods of medieval history and to the challenges of interdisciplinary research on the Middle Ages
Introduction to the archaeology of migration, kinship and gender
Field trip to excavation site in Berlin
Detecting pathogens through aDNA
Speakers include:
Jörg Feuchter (BBAW, https://www.bbaw.de/die-akademie/mitarbeiterinnen-mitarbeiter/feuchter-joerg)
Patrick Geary (Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton; https://www.ias.edu/scholars/geary)
Claudia M. Melisch (Melisch Archäologie, Berlin; https://melisch-arch.de/ueber-mich)
Michael Nothnagel (University of Cologne, https://ccg.uni-koeln.de/research/statistical-genetics-and-bioinformatics-group/group-members/prof-dr-michael-nothnagel)
Stephan Schiffels (MPI EVA; https://www.eva.mpg.de/archaeogenetics/staff/stephan-schiffels)
The Summer School will begin on September 23, 9.30 a.m. and end on September 27, 3 p.m.
Contact: medieval.summerschool@bbaw.de
Web: https://www.bbaw.de/die-akademie/mitarbeiterinnen-mitarbeiter/feuchter-joerg/summer-school
