Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
1
100+25 years of Homo erectus: Dmanisi and beyond
International Senckenberg Conference Tbilisi 20-‐-‐-‐24 September 2016
First Circular
Organized by:
Georgian National Museum Tbilisi Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt/Main ROCEEH Research Centre, Heidelberg Academy of Sciences and Humanities
2
100+25: History, present and future of Homo erectus research In 1991, 100 years after the 1891 discovery of Pithecanthropus erectus in Java, the International Senckenberg Conference was held in Frankfurt to review 100 years of Homo erectus research. In 2016, 25 years later, the “Homo erectus enigma” is still one of the most intriguing issues in hominin evolutionary research. At the centennial conference in Frankfurt 1991 the first hominin find from Dmanisi had its premier appearance on the international research scene. A truly extraordinary story of discoveries started in the Southern Caucasus, that has produced five skulls over the last 25 years of research. A wealth of new finds demonstrates the high diversity within the Homo erectus hypodigm as well as the presence of regional variants in Africa and Eurasia. It is mainly the Caucasus, which added crucial information to the earliest stages of Homo out of Africa. The Dmanisi hominins are crucial for our understanding of the “Homo erectus enigma” as they display a high morphological diversity, entirely unknown before. It is evident, that after 100+25 years of Homo erectus research, there is now sufficient new evidence to revisit the "Homo erectus enigma". This conference on the one hand aims to comprehend state of the art knowledge about Homo erectus and on the other, to develop new approaches and questions for future international and interdisciplinary research. The 2016 Senckenberg Conference in Tbilisi will put early evolutionary stages of the genus Homo, into an evolutionary and environmental perspective, and discuss the role of the Caucasus in early hominin development. We will highlight regional aspects of early hominin expansions in Eurasia, and reconsider aspects of Homo erectus evolution and behavior in a broad perception. Over 25 highly reputed Homo erectus specialists have already agreed to participate in the Conference, guaranteeing with their contributions a highly topical and first hand scientific program. You are invited to discuss your Homo erectus related research within this international circle of colleagues either as oral or as poster presentation. Conference proceedings will be published in Palaeobiodiversity and Palaeoenvironments, a peer-‐reviewed international journal for the publication of high-‐quality multidisciplinary original studies and comprehensive reviews in the fields of palaeobiodiversity, palaeoenvironments and palaeobiogeography in Earth’s history. This Conference is organized jointly by the Georgian National Museum, the Senckenberg Research Institute Frankfurt/Main, and the ROCEEH Project of the Heidelberg Academy of Science. The scientific sessions will take place in the lecture hall of the Georgian National Museum in Tbilisi. Accompanying the conference there will be a temporary exhibition presenting the original hominin specimens from Dmanisi in Georgia, curated in the Georgian National Museum in Tbilisi and the Sangiran hominins from the G.H.R. von Koenigswald collection, housed in the Senckenberg Research Institute in Frankfurt/Main in Germany.
3
Program outline
Tuesday, 20 September � Arrival, Registration � Icebreaker at the National Museum Wednesday, 21 September � Opening and Scientific Session -‐ Early Homo in Africa � Reception and Exhibition opening Thursday, 22 September � Scientific session -‐ Early Homo at Dmanisi Friday, 23 September � Scientific session -‐ Early Homo in Eurasia � Scientific session -‐ The Homo erectus enigma re-‐visited � Conference Dinner Saturday, 24 September � Closing session -‐ Cultural Heritage and Hominids � Excursion to Dmanisi Sunday, 25 September � Departure Scientific Contributions We would like to invite contributions (oral or poster) mainly focusing on the following topics:
• Origins and evolutionary history of Homo erectus, • Geographical variants of Homo erectus, • Life History and Way of Life of Homo erectus, and • Expansions and environmental context of Homo erectus.
Registration Please register your participation online, fill the registration form and submit your abstract (if applicable) here: www.roceeh.net/homoerectus125/registration/ Registration Deadline: 15 May 2016. The conference will have limited seats available to accommodate participants in the Georgian National Museum in Tbilisi during the scientific sessions. Therefore we can only account the participants list in the sequence of their registration date and time. Registration will be not possible after all audience seats are distributed. Conference Fee The conference fee is US Dollar 150. It includes conference abstract volume, lunch and coffee breaks, conference dinner, and the excursion to Dmanisi. The conference fee is payable either in cash at the conference, or by transfer to the following account: PALAEOGEO-‐Georgian Center for Palaeobyology and Palaeoanthropology, Niagvris st. 4a, Tbilisi TBC BANK, 1 SHOTA RUSTAVELI AVE, 0105 TBILISI IBAN: GE18 TB77 7173 6180 1000 01, SWIFT/BIC: TBCBGE22821 Payment Reference: 100+25 Conference Fee Further Information Please check the conference website for updates on the program: www.roceeh.net/homoerectus125/ Here we will also provide a list of recommended accommodation shortly. If you have any question, please feel free to contact us at [email protected] Sincerely yours David Lordkipanidze, Angela Bruch, Friedemann Schrenk, Ottmar Kullmer
