Kin and Connection: bodies and relations in archaeology and ancient genetics

In conjunction with more precise absolute dating, biomolecular data (ie, aDNA, stable isotopes) have fundamentally changed the practice of archaeology, the questions archaeologists ask, and the possibilities for interpretation on the scale of an individual’s lifetime. Increasingly affordable and precise ancient biomolecular analyses are challenging traditional archaeological interpretations emergent from material culture studies and landscape investigation. In this paper, I will explore the tensions between genetic data concerning relatedness and social stories of kin connection, and suggest avenue through which these might be productively bridged. Through a careful reading of recent archaeological and genetic narratives of kin and connection, I will build outwards from the inherent tension between the fluid world of social kin-making and the biomolecular data increasingly used to categorise past people and their relationships in order to outline paths for future research and collaboration.

Join in-person or via zoom: https://anu.zoom.us/j/88146439813?pwd=WEROTFZVQjRueHBDZUJNTDgvc2RSQT09

Meeting ID: 881 4643 9813
Password: 615192