MEMELAND ERC Synergy 2025

Molecular Ecology of Medieval European Landscapes (MEMELAND) is an ERC Synergy project running from 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2031.

Project description
MEMELAND will develop a species-level ecological history of Europe from the Roman era to the present. The project combines sedimentary ancient DNA, lipid biomarkers, archaeobotanical evidence, pollen, and climate records to investigate how medieval land use, technology, and social organisation left persistent effects on European landscapes and biodiversity.

The project studies paired lakes across northern and central Europe to compare landscapes associated with high-status medieval sites against nearby areas with less archaeological influence. This long-term perspective will support biodiversity conservation, sustainable land management, and heritage-informed restoration under climate change.

For project news and further information, visit the MEMELAND website: https://memeland.no/en/index.html.