HRZZ IP-2022-10-8926 - Bridging the Disciplinary Gap: Integrating Animal Genetics and Archaeology in Croatia (PI: Vlatka Čubrić Čurik)

Workshop on Collaborative-integration of Genetics with Archaeology: From Aurochs to Cattle

April 2nd to 4th 2025

ZAGREB - CROATIA

VENUE: University of Zagreb Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Animal Science Svetošimunska 25, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia

Organized by Rajna Šošić Klindžić and Ino Čurik (leaders of the WP5 Integration of animal genetics with archaeological evidence)

Supervisor: Preston Miracle

Aim

In the GAbridge project, we have assembled a multidisciplinary team of scientists specializing in molecular genetics, population genomics, applied animal breeding, computer science, archaeology, and zooarchaeology. This aligns with the integrated research approaches highlighted by Stock and Burton (2011), emphasizing the importance of combining diverse disciplines to tackle complex problems. To foster interdisciplinary collaboration, we will organize a workshop introducing fundamental cattle genetic concepts to both archaeologists and animal geneticists. The workshop will feature theoretical lectures, along with presentations of key studies in a semi-Journal Club format, encouraging active participation. Reading the assigned papers beforehand will enhance engagement and discussion. This structured approach will allow attendees to trace the historical development of archaeogenetic research in cattle. This will ensure that all project members understand the current state of cattle archaeogenetics, encouraging active contribution to GAbridge-related studies. We believe that successful collaboration requires both archaeologists and geneticists to be involved in formulating research hypotheses. At the very least, the workshop will equip archaeologists with the knowledge to engage more confidently with cattle genetics literature. Additionally, dedicated sessions will focus on strengthening collaboration between archaeologists and animal geneticists, emphasizing the need for clear frameworks to achieve fully integrated research.

The full workshop program can be found at the following link: AGGA radionica