In: M. Kohle et al. (Hrsg.), Mit Nadel und Faden: Schmuck, Tracht und Kleidung in der Eisenzeit. ... more In: M. Kohle et al. (Hrsg.), Mit Nadel und Faden: Schmuck, Tracht und Kleidung in der Eisenzeit. Beiträge der online-Tagung der AG Eisenzeit 4.-5. April 2022 (Langenweißbach 2024) 215-231.
Archäologische Ausgrabungen in Baden-Württemberg, 2022
In "Endingen am Kaiserstuhl" (Germany), three human skeletons and a complete dog skeleton from th... more In "Endingen am Kaiserstuhl" (Germany), three human skeletons and a complete dog skeleton from the Michelsberg culture were discovered in a storage pit during excavations in 2021.
Hybrids of horse and donkey, which have been valued in the Mediterranean basin since the Iron Age... more Hybrids of horse and donkey, which have been valued in the Mediterranean basin since the Iron Age, became integrated into the animal world north of the Alps in the course of Romanization. Until now, however, their true contribution to the economic and military life in the northern Roman provinces Raetia, Noricum and Upper Pannonia (southern Germany, eastern Switzerland and Austria) has remained unknown in the absence of robust identification methods based on morphometric approaches. We confronted morphological identification of 405 equid specimens collected in the Late Iron Age (Celtic) (~2nd – 1st century (c.) BCE) and Roman (~1st – 5th c.CE) archaeological contexts with their ancient DNA signatures. Our multi-method study demonstrates that although ancient DNA and morphological approaches (including standard osteomorphology and geometric morphometrics) provide overall >85% matching results, in the case of hybrid animals, the extent of overlap with ancient DNA drops to ≤52%. Out of five skeletal elements studied here (mandibular premolars and molars, metapodials, humeri and tibiae), only premolar mandibular teeth (P3, P4) provide good enough accuracy in hybrid classification (89%) based on geometric morphometrics, making it the preferred element and method in future zooarchaeological studies, when ancient DNA data is not available. Moreover, our data show that, although not yet present in the preceding Iron Age, one in six equids in Roman times is a mule, suggesting a strong Mediterranean influence on the use of equids in daily life north of the Alps.
The ancient site of Henchir Bourgou (Djerba), Tunisia, is the object of archaeological research c... more The ancient site of Henchir Bourgou (Djerba), Tunisia, is the object of archaeological research conducted jointly by the Tunisian National Heritage Institute, the Ludwigs Maximilians University Munich and the German Archaeological Institute since 2017. The reports presents an overview on the activities in Henchir Bourgou done in 2017–2019 and gives an outlook on the potential of the site with its stratigraphy covering more than thousand years of settlement history.
Horse domestication revolutionized warfare and
accelerated travel, trade, and the geographic expa... more Horse domestication revolutionized warfare and accelerated travel, trade, and the geographic expansion of languages. Here, we present the largest DNA time series for a non-human organism to date, including genome-scale data from 149 ancient animals and 129 ancient genomes (R1-fold coverage), 87 of which are new. This extensive dataset allows us to assess the modern legacy of past equestrian civilizations. We find that two extinct horse lineages existed during early domestication, one at the far western (Iberia) and the other at the far eastern range (Siberia) of Eurasia. None of these contributed significantly to modern diversity. We show that the influence of Persian-related horse lineages increased following the Islamic conquests in Europe and Asia. Multiple alleles associated with elite-racing, including at the MSTN ‘‘speed gene,’’ only rose in popularity within the last millennium. Finally, the development of modern breeding impacted genetic diversity more dramatically than the previous millennia of human management.
In: M. Kohle et al. (Hrsg.), Mit Nadel und Faden: Schmuck, Tracht und Kleidung in der Eisenzeit. ... more In: M. Kohle et al. (Hrsg.), Mit Nadel und Faden: Schmuck, Tracht und Kleidung in der Eisenzeit. Beiträge der online-Tagung der AG Eisenzeit 4.-5. April 2022 (Langenweißbach 2024) 215-231.
Archäologische Ausgrabungen in Baden-Württemberg, 2022
In "Endingen am Kaiserstuhl" (Germany), three human skeletons and a complete dog skeleton from th... more In "Endingen am Kaiserstuhl" (Germany), three human skeletons and a complete dog skeleton from the Michelsberg culture were discovered in a storage pit during excavations in 2021.
Hybrids of horse and donkey, which have been valued in the Mediterranean basin since the Iron Age... more Hybrids of horse and donkey, which have been valued in the Mediterranean basin since the Iron Age, became integrated into the animal world north of the Alps in the course of Romanization. Until now, however, their true contribution to the economic and military life in the northern Roman provinces Raetia, Noricum and Upper Pannonia (southern Germany, eastern Switzerland and Austria) has remained unknown in the absence of robust identification methods based on morphometric approaches. We confronted morphological identification of 405 equid specimens collected in the Late Iron Age (Celtic) (~2nd – 1st century (c.) BCE) and Roman (~1st – 5th c.CE) archaeological contexts with their ancient DNA signatures. Our multi-method study demonstrates that although ancient DNA and morphological approaches (including standard osteomorphology and geometric morphometrics) provide overall >85% matching results, in the case of hybrid animals, the extent of overlap with ancient DNA drops to ≤52%. Out of five skeletal elements studied here (mandibular premolars and molars, metapodials, humeri and tibiae), only premolar mandibular teeth (P3, P4) provide good enough accuracy in hybrid classification (89%) based on geometric morphometrics, making it the preferred element and method in future zooarchaeological studies, when ancient DNA data is not available. Moreover, our data show that, although not yet present in the preceding Iron Age, one in six equids in Roman times is a mule, suggesting a strong Mediterranean influence on the use of equids in daily life north of the Alps.
The ancient site of Henchir Bourgou (Djerba), Tunisia, is the object of archaeological research c... more The ancient site of Henchir Bourgou (Djerba), Tunisia, is the object of archaeological research conducted jointly by the Tunisian National Heritage Institute, the Ludwigs Maximilians University Munich and the German Archaeological Institute since 2017. The reports presents an overview on the activities in Henchir Bourgou done in 2017–2019 and gives an outlook on the potential of the site with its stratigraphy covering more than thousand years of settlement history.
Horse domestication revolutionized warfare and
accelerated travel, trade, and the geographic expa... more Horse domestication revolutionized warfare and accelerated travel, trade, and the geographic expansion of languages. Here, we present the largest DNA time series for a non-human organism to date, including genome-scale data from 149 ancient animals and 129 ancient genomes (R1-fold coverage), 87 of which are new. This extensive dataset allows us to assess the modern legacy of past equestrian civilizations. We find that two extinct horse lineages existed during early domestication, one at the far western (Iberia) and the other at the far eastern range (Siberia) of Eurasia. None of these contributed significantly to modern diversity. We show that the influence of Persian-related horse lineages increased following the Islamic conquests in Europe and Asia. Multiple alleles associated with elite-racing, including at the MSTN ‘‘speed gene,’’ only rose in popularity within the last millennium. Finally, the development of modern breeding impacted genetic diversity more dramatically than the previous millennia of human management.
Across many regions of Europe, the Iron Age represented a period of major cultural, economic and ... more Across many regions of Europe, the Iron Age represented a period of major cultural, economic and social change: new systems of agricultural production emerged, far-reaching exchange networks were established and in several regions, such as Central Europe and Middle Italy, a strong political and economic centralisation became evident. A key source for the reconstruction of these processes are animal and human remains from Iron Age funeral and settlement contexts. As part of the DFG-funded project Animal husbandry in crisis? Archaeozoology of late La Tène cultural developments between the Danube region and the Inn Valley, our workshop Cultural transfer, mobility and networks: Osteoarchaeological perspectives on socioeconomic changes in European Iron Age societies examines the current state of osteoarchaeological research in Iron Age studies.
Co-authored by Sami Ben Tahar, Philipp von Rummel, Karin Mansel, Heike Möller, Tomoo Mukai, Thoma... more Co-authored by Sami Ben Tahar, Philipp von Rummel, Karin Mansel, Heike Möller, Tomoo Mukai, Thomas Lappi, Joris Peters, Simon Trixl, Mekki Aoudi, Michèle Dinies and Saskia Büchner.
The ancient settlement of Henchir Bourgou/Djerba (Tunisia) has been the focus of joint research by the Tunisian Institut National du Patrimoine (INP) and the German Archaeological Institute (DAI) since 2017. The article summarizes the results of a first sondage in the centre of the settlement area. The sequence of layers and the building features from the first settlement phases in the 8th century B.C. to the last traces of intensive occupation at the highest point of the settlement area in the last half of the 2nd century A.D., together with the find pottery and accompanying scientific investigations, provide a first overview of the settlement and economic history of Henchir Bourgou.
The ancient site of Henchir Bourgou (Djerba), Tunisia, is the object of archaeological research c... more The ancient site of Henchir Bourgou (Djerba), Tunisia, is the object of archaeological research conducted jointly by the Tunisian National Heritage Institute, the Ludwigs Maximilians University Munich and the German Archaeological Institute since 2017. The reports presents an overview on the activities in Henchir Bourgou done in 2017–2019 and gives an outlook on the potential of the site with its stratigraphy covering more than thousand years of settlement history.
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Papers by Simon Trixl
accelerated travel, trade, and the geographic expansion
of languages. Here, we present the largest DNA
time series for a non-human organism to date,
including genome-scale data from 149 ancient animals
and 129 ancient genomes (R1-fold coverage),
87 of which are new. This extensive dataset allows
us to assess the modern legacy of past equestrian
civilizations. We find that two extinct horse lineages
existed during early domestication, one at the far
western (Iberia) and the other at the far eastern range
(Siberia) of Eurasia. None of these contributed significantly
to modern diversity. We show that the influence
of Persian-related horse lineages increased
following the Islamic conquests in Europe and Asia.
Multiple alleles associated with elite-racing, including
at the MSTN ‘‘speed gene,’’ only rose in popularity
within the last millennium. Finally, the development
of modern breeding impacted genetic diversity
more dramatically than the previous millennia of human
management.
accelerated travel, trade, and the geographic expansion
of languages. Here, we present the largest DNA
time series for a non-human organism to date,
including genome-scale data from 149 ancient animals
and 129 ancient genomes (R1-fold coverage),
87 of which are new. This extensive dataset allows
us to assess the modern legacy of past equestrian
civilizations. We find that two extinct horse lineages
existed during early domestication, one at the far
western (Iberia) and the other at the far eastern range
(Siberia) of Eurasia. None of these contributed significantly
to modern diversity. We show that the influence
of Persian-related horse lineages increased
following the Islamic conquests in Europe and Asia.
Multiple alleles associated with elite-racing, including
at the MSTN ‘‘speed gene,’’ only rose in popularity
within the last millennium. Finally, the development
of modern breeding impacted genetic diversity
more dramatically than the previous millennia of human
management.
The ancient settlement of Henchir Bourgou/Djerba (Tunisia) has been the focus of joint research by the Tunisian Institut National du Patrimoine (INP) and the German Archaeological Institute (DAI) since 2017. The article summarizes the results of a first sondage in the centre of the settlement area. The sequence of layers and the building features from the first settlement phases in the 8th century B.C. to the last traces of intensive occupation at the highest point of the settlement area in the last half of the 2nd century A.D., together with the find pottery and accompanying scientific investigations, provide a first overview of the settlement and economic history of Henchir Bourgou.