Institute of Evolutionary Biology

This Institute in Barcelona will conduct the study on citizens of Tauste of the 8th century

The Islamic necropolis in Tauste is to take part in the study of the genomic history on the Iberian Peninsula in the Northern Islamic burial sites.

Renowned palaeontologist, Carles Lalueza Fox, of the Institute of Evolutionary Biology of Barcelona (CSIC – Pompeu Fabra University) has expressed his interest in the human remains exhumed during the excavations in 2013, dated between the 8^th and 11^th century by carbon-14 test since these might contribute to the project regarding the genomic history on the Iberian peninsula on which he is currently working. The necropolis of Tauste could be included in it.

Carles Lalueza Fox is a researcher specializing in the study of human evolution based on nuclear and mitochondrial DNA. With his finds, he contributed to obtaining the Neanderthal genome and took part in the discovery of mitochondrial DNA in two fossils of Cro-Magnon man, among many of his scientific achievements.

He is also interested in the new techniques used to recover DNA from ancient remains as well as in human phylogenetic reconstruction. Not only is he one of the most internationally renowned Spanish researchers in his field, but Mr Lalueza has also become an important science communicator by publishing numerous books and articles.

OANIT

Anthropologist, Miriam Pina, a director of the programme called “Anthropological observatory of the Islamic necropolis in Tauste” (OANIT) has been a liaison between the El Patiaz Association and professionals on scientific forums.

She is also in charge of drawing up anthropology reports and writing scientific articles that publish the results of the conducted studies and analyses. The programme was created in 2015 by El Patiaz to channel all these undertakings.

Shortly, this study might be joined with the ones conducted earlier by the researcher Iranzu Guede from the University of the Basque Country. In them, she analysed the movement and diet of different populations from Medieval ages in the North of the Iberian Peninsula using the laser ablation technique on tooth samples.

In the pictures, Miriam Pina and Miriam Gracia, forensic anthropologist, take samples of the remains found in Tauste that are currently located in Zaragoza Provincial Museum to transport them to the premises of the above-mentioned institute for their further analysis.

Here, at El Patiaz, we are glad to see this happen because it proves that our communication campaign across congresses and institutions has been successful and that we managed to raise awareness among the scientific community of the importance of the Islamic necropolis in Tauste.   

Acknowledgement