Investigating the Material Evidence of Therapeutic Practices in Prehistoric Societies: Techno-Functional, Biomolecular and Experimental Approaches

The research activity will focus on the study of material culture associated with therapeutic and healing practices in prehistoric European societies, with particular emphasis on Mesolithic and Neolithic contexts. The project will involve techno-functional and use-wear analyses of lithic and osseous artefacts, organic residue analysis, experimental archaeology, and the integration of archaeological and bioarchaeological datasets. Particular attention will be devoted to the development of experimental reference collections for the interpretation of use-wear traces and residues, as well as to the application of innovative approaches for the characterization of organic and biomolecular residues, including SEM-EDX, FTIR, and palaeoproteomic analyses. The aim is to reconstruct the role of tools, technologies, and substances employed in prehistoric therapeutic practices within the framework of the FIS-funded PreMED project.