EDAN | The Emergence of Domestic Animals in the Netherlands

The Emergence of Domesticated Animals in the Netherlands (EDAN) is a 3-year project funded by the Dutch Research Council (NWO) and based at the University of Groningen. The central aim of this project is to shed new light on the biocultural, economic, and chronological aspects of early animal husbandry in the Netherlands (c. 5000 - 3500 cal BC).

The evolution of animal husbandry was pivotal to the trajectory of human history. Yet the nature of this development in the Dutch wetlands is still poorly understood. This project analyses the remains of cattle and pigs in their archaeological and palaeoenvironmental contexts using a combination of techniques: zooarchaeology, palaeogenomics, stable isotopic analysis, and high-precision radiocarbon chronology via Bayesian modelling. Through these innovative analyses, and especially the combination thereof, the EDAN project explores the complex and fascinating processes that led to the emergence of domesticated animals in the Netherlands.