Archaeozoology of the Baltic Region and Adjacent Areas (ABRA) Working Group
The idea of this working group grew out of the session “Past animal and human relationships around the Baltic” held at 2016 conference of the European Association of Archaeologists in Vilnius (Lithuania), initiated by Tuija Kirkinen (Helsinki, Finland). The general purpose of ABRA is to provide a platform for the exchange of academic information, personnel and research materials.
The Baltic Region is a clearly definable geographical unit possessing diverse aquatic and terrestrial habitats. In addition to environmental adaptations, the convoluted coastline with its archipelagos has facilitated both human settlement and communication during the shared history of this area since Prehistory. Archaeozoological studies in the region, however, have still been divided by borders, each country having its own language and likewise diverse research tradition. The general purpose of ABRA will be to provide a platform for the exchange of academic information, personnel and research materials within the broader region.
The 2nd meeting of the ICAZ ABRA working group was a dedicated session at the 13th International Conference of ICAZ (Ankara, Turkey) titled "Animal introduction, adaptation and exploitation around the Baltic and beyond", on 7th September 2018. The session was organized by Eve Rannamäe (University of York) and László Bartosiewicz (Stockholm University) and contained 12 presentations from seven countries.
The 3rd meeting of the ICAZ ABRA working group was a dedicated session at the 28th European Association of Archaeologists Annual Meeting (Budapest, Hungary) titled "Foreign vs Local in Medieval and Modern Age Foodways in the Baltic Sea Region", on 2nd September 2022. The session was organised by Eve Rannamäe (University of Tartu), László Bartosiewicz (Stockholm University) and Lembi Lõugas (Tallinn University). The session contained five presentations from five countries.
Present ABRA liaison to ICAZ: Eve Rannamäe, University of Tartu, Estonia, everannamae AT gmail.com.
Image credit: Skull of European elk (Alces alces) at the Osteological Research Laboratory, Stockholm. (Photo: László Bartosiewicz)
Thumbnail credit from ICAZ Working Groups page: The Baltic Sea drainage basin. Lighter shading indicates decreasing salinity (except for lakes in dark blue; Source: http://www.balticsea2020.org/english/the-baltic-seas-challanges)
This information has been contributed by Eve Rannamäe (last update: June 2023).
