Mehmet Somel is a professor of biology at the Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey, and the Human Past Senior Fellow 2024-25. The abstract will follow.
Speakers: Yair Sapir, PhD of Scandinavian Languages, Senior Lecturer of Swedish, Kristianstad University Joakim Wehlin, Senior Lecturer/Associate Professor, Archaeology, Uppsala University Summary Recent archaeological studies demonstrate changes in the material culture and burial practice in Upper Dalarna around 500-750 CE. The material culture and burial practice go from a previously locally distinctive tradition with influences […]
Mattias Jakobsson is the guest at the next episode of the Uppsala University podcast series, UppTalk. Link to listen (Zoom): Vad kan forntida DNA avslöja om människans evolution? Mark your calendar! For more information, go to UppTalk: Mattias Jakobsson on the Uppsala University website
Informal CHP event with FlashTalks to allow the participants to get to know each other better and learn about their research projects.
Discussion paper: Zeng, T. C., Vyazov, L. A., Kim, A., Flegontov, P., Sirak, K., Maier, R., … & Reich, D. (2025). Ancient DNA reveals the prehistory of the Uralic and Yeniseian peoples. Nature, 1-11. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09189-3
Abstract Ilin Island, located off the southern coast of Mindoro, possesses favourable geological features, such as numerous caves and rock shelters, that enhance the preservation of archaeological materials. Recent surveys and excavations have revealed a complex settlement history, highlighting the adaptive strategies of human populations in response to climatic and environmental fluctuations. Evidence includes a […]
Abstract The study of Roman social stratification has often focused on social and legal status within society. Other dimensions of inequality have been largely sidelined, although interest in economic inequality has grown recently. Yet, methodologies to study wealth inequality that rely on house size still require significant improvement to better capture the complexity of Roman society. […]
Abstract Despite consensus on the movement of peoples from mainland Asia to Island Southeast Asia and the Pacific over the past five thousand years, the mode of dispersal and biocultural change remains highly contested. While some hypotheses posit Austronesian-speaking agriculturalists rapidly dispersing via Taiwan, other scenarios postulate, for example, additional dispersal routes, the gradual and […]
https://sprakmuseet.com/event/jakten-pa-ordens-ursprung/ (lecture in Swedish) Var kommer våra ord ifrån och vad kan de avslöja om människans förhistoria? Språkhistorikern Jenny Larsson tar oss med på en resa bakåt i tiden, där ord och språk fungerar som ledtrådar till hur människor levde, tänkte och rörde sig för tusentals år sedan. Genom att förena språkliga, arkeologiska och genetiska […]
Swedish Collegium for Advanced Study seminars
Abstract REAL (REimagining ALgorithmic futures) is a card deck designed to inspire and provoke thinking about algorithmic systems and how they shape human lives, society and potential futures. The cards aim to stimulate thinking and conversations about the values embedded in algorithmic systems, as well as their social and technological implications. They advocate for a more […]
Discussion pre-print: Delbrassine, H., Mezzavilla, M., Vallini, L. et al. Worldwide patterns in mythology echo the human expansion out of Africa, bioRxiv 2025.01.24.634692; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.01.24.634692 Abstract Similarities between geographically distant mythological and folkloric traditions have been noted for a long time. With the elaboration of large banks of data describing the presence and absence of narrative motifs around […]