From 28-31 August 2024, the 30th Annual Meeting of the European Association of Archaeologists (EAA) took place in the heart of history itself—Rome, Italy. Of course, ENIGMA project members were there, actively participating in this exciting event!
Hosted by Sapienza University’s Department of Ancient World Studies, in collaboration with the Italian Ministry of Culture, the Municipality of Rome, and the Lazio Region, this year’s EAA meeting was monumental. With over five thousand archaeologists from around the globe, the Sapienza campus became a bustling hub of archaeological activity for four action-packed days. It was an absolute pleasure reconnecting with old friends and colleagues, sharing our latest findings, and forging new collaborations.
A highlight for ENIGMA was the presentation by our Principal Investigator (PI), who shared cutting-edge results on the preservation status and 3D image analysis of Neanderthal bone microstructures. This was part of the session titled ‘Advanced Methodologies for Life History Reconstruction in Bioarchaeology’. The session showcased cutting-edge scientific techniques used to reconstruct life histories and biocultural adaptations from human and faunal remains. Topics included high-resolution multi-isotope and multi-element analyses, histomorphometry, palaeoproteomics, and isoscapes, demonstrating how even a single sample can yield multi-faceted insights.
With such high interest, the session spanned an entire day to accommodate all the speakers, and it was an honor to contribute to such an important and well-attended programme.
In addition to our session, we joined several other fascinating discussions, including ‘The Impact of Digital Methods in Bioarchaeology and Paleoanthropology’, ‘Integrating Neanderthal Legacy’, and ‘Palaeopathology in the Age Before Antibiotics’. We also attended a session on ERC grant proposal writing, where experienced applicants shared valuable tips.
A huge thanks to the organizers for putting together such a stellar conference! We look forward to participating in the next edition.
Some familiar faces! The Enigma PI (Lemmers, on the right) crossing paths with old and new colleauges at the EAA, including Dr Ana Curto (https://dranacurto.wixsite.com/dranacurto), Ms Bianca Casa (Pisa University), Dr Clarissa Cagnato (a fellow MSCA-PF grant holder https://pric.unive.it/projects/comal/home) and Dr Giusi Sorrentino from Venice Ca’Foscari University
The Enigma PI with some of the core-team members of the Enigma project, including Prof Dr Luca Bondioli, Dr Lucia Mancini and Prof Alessia Nava – And a great encounter with our friend and colleague Carsten Witzel!