Multidisciplinary research approach to the Swiss Oberbipp dolmen in the context of the Neolithic revolution in Central Europe

对中欧和北方古人类遗骸的分子分析的最新进展表明，在大约7500年前的新石器时代开始引入农业之后，欧洲的人口发生了大规模的流动。有人进一步提出，在大约4500年前的新石器时代末期，第二波移民从东北欧抵达，导致今天欧洲几乎所有人口的三重祖先。中欧，特别是阿尔卑斯山以北地区，在这些人口混合事件中发挥了关键作用，成为东欧、西欧和南欧移民的走廊。因此，该地区的新石器时代人类遗骸和考古遗址对于试图了解导致现代欧洲目前人口结构的过程具有重要意义。在这个项目中，来自Oberbipp的独特的5500-5000年前的瑞士支石墓将用于多学科研究，以深入了解遗传结构，新石器时代早期农业人口的文化习俗和生活史。尖端技术的应用，如稳定同位素研究或基因组-广泛的下一代DNA测序将与详细的考古遗址研究相结合，在自然科学和人文科学之间进行经验交叉。碳、氮、硫、氢、氧、锶和铅等元素的稳定同位素将揭示Oberbipp个体生活史的细节，例如营养和迁移模式。古代DNA将被用来确定这个新石器时代群体的个体之间的亲属关系，以及与其他古代和现代欧洲人口的遗传关系。遗传数据也可用于检测这一古老人群中的人类病原体，并确认在骨骼形态学中观察到的病理学。古代DNA还将使我们能够重建表型特征，例如消化牛奶或淀粉的能力，或者埋葬在Oberbipp遗址的早期农民的眼睛，皮肤和头发色素沉着。经典人类学分析将为我们提供生活史和健康状况的进一步指示。瑞士、法国东部和德国西南部墓葬的考古背景将把上比普人编织成一个超区域的时空框架。 研究结果将在其他当代欧洲考古遗址的背景下进行评估，以了解新石器时代人口的生物和文化关系以及遗传混合对现代欧洲人口结构的影响。

Recent advances in molecular analysis of ancient human remains from Central and Northern Europe showed a large population turnover in Europe after the introduction of farming at the beginning of the Neolithic period around 7500 years ago.Ancient indigenous European hunter-gatherers genetically admixed with incoming farmers from the Near East. It was further suggested that towards the end of the Neolithic around 4500 years ago a second wave of migrants arrived from NortheasternEurope, resulting in a triplicate ancestry of almost all human populations in Europe today. Central Europe and particularly the region north of the Alps played a key role for those population admixture events, serving as a corridor for migratingpopulations from and to Eastern, Western and Southern Europe. Neolithic human remains and archaeological sites from this region are therefore of great importance in attempting to understand the processes that lead to the current population structureof modern Europe. In this project the unique 5500-5000 year old Swiss dolmen burials from Oberbipp will be used for a multidisciplinary study in order to gain insights into the genetic structure, cultural practices and life history of this Neolithic early farming population.The application of cutting-edge technologies such as stable isotope research or genome-wide next generation DNA sequencing will be combined with a detailed archaeological site study in an empiric cross-over between natural sciences andhumanities. Stable isotopes of the elements carbon, nitrogen, sulphur, hydrogen, oxygen, strontium and lead will shed light on details of the life history, e.g. nutrition and migration patterns, of the Oberbipp individuals. Ancient DNA will be used to determinekinship among the individuals of this particular Neolithic group as well as genetic relationship to other ancient and modern European populations. Genetic data can also be used to detect human pathogens in this ancient population and confirmpaleopathologies observed in the skeletal morphology. Ancient DNA will also allow us to reconstruct phenotypic traits such as the ability to digest milk or starch or eye, skin and hair pigmentation of those early farmers buried at the Oberbipp site. Classicalanthropological analysis will provide us with further indications for the life history and health status. The archaeological context of burials in Switzerland, Eastern France and Southwestern Germany will weave the Oberbipp population into a supra-regionalframework of time and space. The results will be assessed in the context of other contemporary Europeanarchaeological sites in order to understand the biological and cultural relationship of Neolithic populations and the influence of genetic admixture on the population structure of modern European populations.