NIAS-Lorentz Theme Group 2017/18: Diaspora, Migration and the Sciences: A New Integrated Perspective
The NIAS-Lorentz Theme Group Diaspora, Migration and the Sciences: A New Integrated Perspective explores human migration. The group members will carry out their intensive interdisciplinary collaboration project from 1 September 2018 until 31 January 2018.
Research Project
This theme group seeks to bridge a gap between the sciences, the social sciences, and the humanities where it concerns the study of human migrations and diasporas through evidence generated by research on ancient and modern DNA and on stable isotope data derived from archaeological contexts. These new investigative technologies have substantially enhanced, even completely transformed and revolutionized our knowledge of how modern populations relate to their ancestors. Work in this area operates on the assumption that as long as the science is done well enough, the results are not really in need of further historical and cultural interpretation and contextualization. However, this new evidence is in need of cultural and historical interpretation, particularly because these data can be abused so easily. In order to advance here, it is clear that we need to craft new, or at least better, pathways between the life sciences, social sciences, and the humanities.
Theme Group Members
Leonard Rutgers, Utrecht University
Harry Ostrer, Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Tracy Prowse, McMaster University
Workshop
The workshop Diaspora, Migration and the Sciences: A New Integrated Perspective will be held from 3 September through 7 September 2018.