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BIRTH is a 5 year research project financed by the European Research Conucil and led by Professor Sofija Stefanović at the BioSense Institute in Novi Sad, Serbia. The BIRTH project will investigate the key biological and cultural mechanisms affecting fertility rates resulting in the Neolithic Demographic Transition, the major demographic shift in human evolution. We integrate skeletal markers with micro-nutritional and macro-scaled cultural effects on fertility rates during the Early-Middle Holocene (10000-5000 BC) in the Central Balkans. Human, animal and plant remains, will be analysed using methods from bioarchaeological, forensic, chemical sciences in order to:
Physical anthropologist, coordinates the project and investigates skeletal paleoobstetric evidence, neonatal growth and development, and the role of macro and micro nutrients in reproductive success and health. Furthermore, she is exploring possible archaeological indicators of prehistoric community concern for birthing and baby care.
Archaeozoologist, coordinates analysis of animal remains and investigates different aspects of the significance of animals for human communities during the early stages of animal domestication.
Archaeologist, coordinates the reconstruction of population dynamics and develops methods for the reconstruction of demographic aspects of prehistoric populations based on skeletal and other kinds of archaeological evidence.
Paediatric dentist, investigates dental aspects of health and nutrition through the analysis of bite marks, characterization of bone and dental tissues, simulation of interactions between these structures and elemental analysis using SEM, EDX and nanoindentation techniques.
Archaeobotanist, investigates the use of plants, their role in the diet and economy, and the scale and intensity of crop cultivation at the time of the emergence and spread of agriculture.
Archaeologist; investigates
organic residue (lipids) from
Neolithic pottery, as a way of
reconstructing human diet and the
relationship between humans and
their environment at the beginning of
farming and sedentary lifestyle.
Physical anthropologist, investigates skeletal evidence of health and nutrition and paleoobstetric data through the analysis of female pelvic bones and neonatal bones by 3D reconstruction.
Archaeozoologist, investigates macro and micronutritive potential of diet, especially the role and effects of an aquatic diet on human health and fertility.
Archaeologist, investigates skeletal evidence of fertility through the analysis of irregularities in the tooth cementum which occurs in pregnancy, namely the width and degree of mineralization of incremental lines.
Archaeologist, reconstructs population dynamics using the method of summed radiocarbon probability distributions.
Archaeologist, involved in geopositioning of archaeological sites investigated within the project. He is also involved in 3D photography of archaeological material analyzed within the project using photogrammerty and 3D visualization.
Master of Power, Electronic and Telecommunication Engineering with wide expertise in characterization techniques (SEM, 3D profile Microscopy, Optical Microscopy, Nanoindentation techniques) used in Micro and Nano Electronic, Bio-medicine and Dentistry and Data Base forming and maintenance. For BIRTH project in-charged for all kinds of Microscopy, Nanoindentation and Data Base forming.
Archaeologist, assists in database systematization and sample preparation.
Collaborating on the extraction and analyses of organic residues (lipids) from archaeological pot-shards from four Neolithic sites in the Balkan Peninsula. This should give us an insight into the diet of the people in prehistory, the function of the different pots, as well as the introduction and consumption of milk and dairy products at this early stage of farming.
BIRTH project collaborates with AnđelkaPutica on various topics, including research on the Early Neolithic sites of Magareći mlin and Topole-Bač (archaeological background, the analysis of the pottery assemblages, providing access to the osteological material for anthropological and archaeozoological analyses and pottery for lipid analyses).
BIRTH project collaborates with archaeozoologist Darko Radmanović on the analysis of faunal remains from the Early Neolithic site of Golokut-Vizić.
BA in archaeology (University “St. Cyril and Methodius”, Faculty of Philosophy in Skopje), Master in archaeometry (“St. Clement of Ohrid”, Faculty of History in Sofia)
BIRTH project collaborates with Ms Aneta Fidanoska on the archaeozoological study of the Early Neolithic site Govrlevo.
Collaboration on the Tooth cementum annulation analyses
Collaboration on the Tooth cementum annulation analyses
BIRTH project collaborates with dr Marie Balasse on the analysis of stable nitrogen and carbon isotope compositions (δ15N and δ13C) of dentine collagen from cattle in order to determine their weaning stages and seasonality in diet; as well as on the analysis of stable carbon and oxygen isotope compositions (δ13C and δ18O) of enamel bioapatite from cattle molars in order to determine their birth seasonality and gain a better understanding of the landscape.
BIRTH project collaborates with Goce Naumov on the research on Early Neolithic sites in the Republic of Macedonia. This mainly includes the research on the site of Vrbjanska Čuka, but also collaborations with other museum institutions in the Republic of Macedonia (City Museum Skopje, Institute and Museum Štip, Institute and Museum –Prilep, Institute and Museum Bitola). Dr Goce Naumov specializes in Neolithic settlement archaeology, pottery and figurines.
