Deep History of Human Past

Our research group consists of an international and multidisciplinary team that aims to examine the deep human past, spanning a time window from the late Miocene to the Anthropocene—over the last 10 million years.

Middle Awash research team surveying in Afar, Ethiopia

A view from the survey in Afar, Ethiopia (Copyright Ferhat Kaya)

Research group information

Unit and faculty

History, Culture and Communication Studies

Faculty of Humanities

Contact information

Research group leader

Academy Fellow

Ferhat Kaya

Other members of the research group

Research group description

Our research into multiple dimensions of human prehistory emphasizes archaeological and paleontological field and laboratory studies aimed at acquiring new data on the deep history of the human past, spanning from the Neogene to the Anthropocene in the Old World. The primary mission of this research initiative is to generate archaeological, paleoanthropological, and paleobiological data on the evolution and adaptations of past hominins, non-hominin species, and their environments through field- and laboratory-based research. Additionally, this initiative seeks to mobilize these paleobiological data to inform contemporary biological, ecological, and conservation issues in the face of climate change. Ongoing research includes archaeological, paleontological, and geological fieldwork in Turkey and Ethiopia, as well as laboratory studies in both countries.