In close collaboration with colleagues from the GENGLOBE team (project "History of human-microbe interactions"), this project will focus on reconstructing and better understanding ancient epidemics. Both diachronic (from the metal ages to contemporary populations) and on a large geographical scale, this project will open up to a strong international development.
For example, a component will focus on the ancient populations of Corsica. Paleo-epidemiological investigations, via combined approaches of macroscopic paleopathology and paleo-microbiology, coupled with archival research, are likely to provide very rich data on island lifestyles and on ancient epidemic dynamics. This collaborative project is based on a partnership between historians and archaeologists (members of UMR 7268 ADES, the University of Corsica (UMR 6134 SPE and UMR 6240 Lisa), Inrap and island organizations (Drac Corse - SRA)). The objective is to explore the specific infectious pathologies that may have been present over the centuries in this territory, whether zoonotic, endemic or epidemic, as well as the chronic infections that may have been transmitted by frequent contact with the rest of the Mediterranean populations.
The identification of subjects suffering from infection will be the subject of publications in paleopathological and/or microbiological journals. These integrative paleo-epidemiological approaches, enriched with historical/archival data and the contribution of related disciplines in the humanities and social sciences, will lead to the dissemination of results during a colloquium (end of 2023), conferences for the general public (by 2024) and a synthesis publication depending on the positive results obtained.