Project title: Life and Death in Iron Age Latvia (5th – 12th centuries CE): a Bioarchaeological Study

Project No.: lzp-2025/1-0051

Period: 1 January 2026 – 31 December 2028

Project costs: 300 000,00 EUR

Coordinator: University of Latvia

Principal Investigator BMC: Dr. biol. Renāte Ranka

Project summary:

The aim of the project is to study the quality of life and the internal organisation of cemeteries in Iron Age Latvia (5th – 12th centuries AD) using bioarchaeological data. We will use sufficiently preserved archaeological and osteological material from cemeteries in various locations. The study of the quality of life and living conditions will be based on palaeopathological, dietary stable isotope and microbiome analyses. We will compare data between individuals of different gender, sex, and age groups within and between cemeteries. Alongside using archaeological methods to study burial traditions, we will apply innovative approach to decipher the internal organisation of selected cemeteries with biomolecular (DNA) and biogeochemical (stable isotopes, peptides) methods. DNA analysis will be used to study the genetic makeup, including kinship and ancestry, of individuals, burial groups, and cemetery populations. Isotope analysis will highlight differences in diet between individuals and burial groups, as well as their mobility. The results will be disseminated in international scientific conferences and journals, including Q1/Q2, and OpenAccess. The use of state-of-the-art technologies and methods will promote the development of the field of archaeology in Latvia. The results of the project will generate comparable data for researchers in Latvia and abroad, thus revealing new information about similarities and differences in the history of the Baltic and European countries.

Information published 05.01.2026.