Photo: Hominin skulls (© Isabelle De Groote)

BAAC

Archaeology and building history

BAAC is an independent commercial archaeological survey firm with an experienced team consisting of archaeologists, physical geographers and materials specialists. As a accredited archaeological company, BAAC carries out more than 100 projects annually in Flanders. Their specialty is carrying out large-scale excavations and complex projects, both in and outside city centers, involving multiple parties involved. BAAC works for companies, project developers, government agencies and private individuals. BAAC has several physical anthropologists on staff and has experience in excavating both small and larger excavations with human bone material, BAAC also has the expertise for qualitative analysis and reporting of human collections.

KBIN, Dr. Katrien Van de Vijver

Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences

Katrien Van de Vijver has worked as a physical anthropologist in Flanders since 2009 and obtained a PhD in Biology from KU Leuven in 2017. Her doctoral research included an archaeo-anthropological study of the human remains excavated at St. Rombout’s cemetery in Mechelen. Since 2016 she has worked for the RBINS as an archaeo-anthropologist on the excavation and study of human remains, mainly from Brussels and Flanders, dating from pre- and protohistory to WWI. Her research focuses on the demographic reconstruction of past populations, paleopathological analyses and studies of diet to reconstruct health, lifestyle and social organization. The RBINS is a scientific institution, active in various fields such as evolution, biodiversity and ecosystems. Among them also the study of bioarchaeological material, namely animal, plant and human remains excavated from archaeological sites all over the world.

KU LEUVEN, Prof. Maarten Larmuseau en Bart Robberechts.

Research and educational institution with international appeal

For many years, KU Leuven has been the only research institution in Flanders within which ancient DNA research on human archaeological material is being conducted. The Laboratory for Human Evolutionary Genetics there focuses specifically on human evolution and population genetics through ancient DNA and genetic genealogical research. The MEMOR project will make use of Prof. Larmuseau's expertise on human remains, DNA and ethics.

Bart Robberechts is coordinator of the archeoWorks division. Until 2019, he was archaeologist-department head at the city of Mechelen. There, in the period 2009-2011 at the Sint-Romboutskerkhof the remains of more than 4,000 individuals were excavated. Not only did the excavation itself pose a challenge of magnitude, but also the further processing and permanent preservation of the remains én an appropriate public relations work around it. The experience he gained in the process, he now puts at the service of MEMOR.

PARCUM, Dr. Jonas Danckers en Julie Aerts

Museum & centre of expertise

PARCUM vzw is the museum and expertise center recognized by the Flemish government for religious art and culture. Since 2009, the Culture Department of the Flemish government recognizes our operation for movable and immaterial religious heritage. As of 2012, the expertise center also obtained this recognition from the Heritage Agency for immovable religious heritage. In 2017 the new dialogue museum PARCUM was established at Park Abbey in Leuven, which brings brings temporary themed exhibitions at the intersection of religion, art and culture. Dialogue between generations, young and old, between believers and non-believers but also with the various recognized religions and worldviews. These include Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant-evangelical, Anglican, Israëlitic and Islamic faith communities and organized liberality in Flanders. PARCUM vzw, based on its expertise with immovable religious heritage, maintains contact with managers of sites where regular archaeological research on human remains remains (e.g. churchwardens installing new heating in a church or doing works in their cemetery). It can communicate the results of this project through the dioceses to this large target group and help raise awareness about the importance of physical anthropological research. PARCUM attracts a dialogue platform with representatives of the various religions and philosophies: Here ethical questions about the handling of bone material will be discussed.

Ghent University, Prof. Isabelle De Groote en the Ghent Centre for Digital Humanities

More than 200 courses in various scientific disciplines

The Ghent CDH database experts are responsible for the implementation of Arches and the creation of the database. They also provide training and troubleshooting for the database. Prof. Isabelle De Groote is research professor in physical anthropology at the UGent. As a researcher, lecturer and curator of human remains at University College London, the Natural History Museum, Liverpool John Moores University and UGent, she has considerable experience in the ethical framing of the excavation and preservation of human remains. Her research experience has also pointed out the need for inventory. Prof. De Groote's experience working in museums and with public engagement, together with a 3D technology driven research agenda, makes her the ideal partner to coordinate the database and make it accessible. Together with the UGent, she commits to continue to do so in the future.

VUB, Dr. Barbara Veselka en Prof. Christophe Snoeck

Vrije Universiteit Brussel

Since 2012, Barbara Veselka has been working as a physical anthropologist, first as an self-employed and then in paid employment at Stichting LAB, part of Leiden University, the Netherlands. She has examined more than 2,000 human skeletons examined, both unburned and burned. She is also a member of several professional associations, such as the Dutch Association of Physical Anthropologists, Belgian Osteoarchaeology and Physical Anthropology Society, British Association for Bioanthropology and Osteoarchaeology, Paleopathology Association and American Association of Physical Anthropology. Over the years, Barbara Veselka has developed extensive expertise in all aspects of the study of human remains (including excavation and conservation, forensic and archaeological cases and ethics). In January 2019, she obtained her PhD and is currently working at the VUB within the CRUMBEL project as a postdoctoral researcher of cremated human remains. The VUB is a prominent university with extensive experience in the study of archaeological remains, in which human remains are are an important component. On behalf of the VUB, Barbara Veselka will participate as a human remains specialist will participate in the research. Christophe Snoeck is professor at the VUB and one of the Principle Investigators of the CRUMBEL project.

MEMOR shares data with other research projects, such as HOME (a project of BRAIN Belgian Science Policy). If you do not appreciate this, would you please let us know?