Biological Remains

Code: BIO14695M

3 ECTS

Duration: 15 weeks/78 hours

Scientific Area: Biological Sciences

Teaching languages: Portuguese

Languages of tutoring support: Portuguese, English

Regime de Frequência: Presencial

Presentation

This curricular unit addresses the characteristics of the most frequent biological materials in archaeological contexts and their informative potential.

Sustainable Development Goals

Educação de qualidade - Assegurar a educação inclusiva, e equitativa e de qualidade, e promover oportunidades de aprendizagem ao longo da vida para todos.

Trabalho digno e crescimento económico - Promover o crescimento económico sustentado, inclusivo e sustentável, emprego pleno e produtivo, e trabalho decente para todos.

Reduzir as desigualdades - Reduzir as desigualdades dentro dos países e entre eles.

Proteger a vida terrestre - Proteger, recuperar e promover o uso sustentável dos ecossistemas terrestres, gerir de forma sustentável as florestas, combater a desertificação, deter e reverter a degradação da Terra e deter a perda da biodiversidade.

Learning Goals

Students are expected to:
1. Make contact with the most frequently found biological materials in an archaeological context;
2. Know the possibilities and limitations of biological materials;
3. Acquire/strengthen advantages of transdisciplinary approaches in researching past populations.

Identification and interpretation of archaeological plant remains: pollen, phytoliths, starch grains.
The origins of plant cultivation and domestication.
Foraging and farming practices (subsistence strategies).
The fuel sources used: an anthracological approaches.
Palynology: pollen morphology (diagnostic characters). Pollen indicators of environmental transformations and anthropic impact.
Concepts of botanical classification and groups of terrestrial plants.
Collecting samples to search for and identify parasites.
Methodologies to be used for the appropriate collection of DNA and other biological materials (e.g. proteins).
Seminars of varying content, which are intended to cover subjects such as Paleoparasitology, Paleohistology, Proteomics and ancient DNA.

Teaching Methods

The TP classes will be face-to-face, and expository, using audio-visual support and the Moodle platform. The TP classes will have valuable reference collections such as the collection of the Herbarium, the Seed Bank, and the Palynology Collection of the University of Évora. The S classes will take place with the participation of international researchers.

Assessment

The evaluation will consist of a theoretical-practical test (40%), a monograph on one of the topics (40%) and exercises based on the analysis of scientific articles or concrete problems (20%). Students will have access to a final assessment, consisting of a final exam, in accordance with the stipulations of the University of Évora's Academic Regulations.