BIOMARQ Laboratory: Adaptation and Animal Exploitation Strategies in Past Societies Through Ethnoarchaeology and Biomolecular Archaeology

This project investigates the socioeconomic and ecological dynamics of the past using a multi-indicator approach based on: 1) Micromorphological analysis of soils and sediments. 2) Lipid compound analysis and their stable isotopes. 3) Proteomic analysis. 4) Multivariate geostatistics and analysis of ethnoarchaeological data.

Archaeological biomarkers (lipids and proteins) provide key data for reconstructing past environmental conditions and subsistence strategies, including seasonal management, diet, mobility, herd composition variability, and human-animal interactions. This approach also enables the preservation and appreciation of the millennia-old cultural knowledge of traditional societies, while aiding in understanding and assessing human resilience and adaptation strategies in various environments in response to climate change.

The laboratory is equipped with optical microscopy infrastructure and a dedicated space for chemical processing of sedimentary samples and other organic remains. We employ biochemical techniques and mass spectrometry for the identification and quantification of metabolites or organic compounds.