Humans, animals and plants represent the biological foundation of societies and cultures both past and present. Consecutively, the knowledge and understanding about their presence, conditions, usage and interactions constitute key parameters in any attempts to reconstruct past human life and living environments. With the adoption of modern scientific methods in researching the archaeological remains of humans, animals and plants, the spectrum of information to be gained from these sources has been greatly extended in recent years. Set within their historical and archaeological context they now allow for increasingly detailed insights into environmental conditions, human adaptation, diet, subsistence strategies, social and cultural behaviour as well as health and living conditions.

Since 2016, the Austrian Archaeological Institute at the Austrian Academy of Sciences hosts a new department of bioarchaeology. Comprising biological anthropology, archaeozoology and archaeobotany, it is aimed at complementing the institute‘s existing, long-standing expertise in archaeological research in Europe and the Mediterranean region in order to conduct cutting-edge interdisciplinary investigations into life of past human populations. To celebrate the foundation of the department, the Austrian Archaeological Institute invites researchers, students as well as interested members of the public to a one-day conference at the Austrian Academy of Sciences. Talks by national and international specialists in their respective fields will cover the wide range of topics that can be addressed through the contextualised study of human, animal and plant remains from archaeological excavations and showcase the vast potential of these sources to contribute important knowledge to the reconstruction of the past.

Keynote lectures will be given by S. Deschler-Erb (University of Basel) and V. Winiwarter (AlpenAdria Universität Klagenfurt). Further confirmed speakers include J. Peters (LMU Munich), S. M. Valamotti (University of Thessaloniki), S. Eggers (Natural History Museum, Vienna), G. K. Kunst (VIAS, University of Vienna), D. Pany-Kucera (OREA, OeAW) and F. Antolín (University of Basel). A detailed program will be distributed in January 2017.

Organising committee:
Michaela Binder ⅼ Alfred Galik ⅼ Andreas G. Heiss (all Department of Bioarchaeology, Austrian Archaeological Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences)