Press Release: As part of the "United by Crisis?" project led by the Center for Museum Collection Sciences, two classes from the New Middle School Asparn/Zaya participated for a length of three school years.

The transdisciplinary research project "United by Crisis?" seeks clues about the background of a violent conflict at the archaeological site of Asparn/Schletz over 7,000 years ago. It is led by the Center for Museum Collection Sciences at the University for Continuing Education Krems. For three years, students from the New Middle School Asparn/Zaya were involved and learned how to answer research questions using scientific methods.

The Neolithic settlement of Asparn/Schletz in Lower Austria is an internationally renowned excavation sites. The large number of human remains found suggests that the inhabitants fell victim to a hostile attack during the late Linear Pottery culture, around 7,000 years ago. The size and fortifications of the settlement leads to the assumption that Schletz was a central settlement amidst a cluster of smaller settlements. By researching these surrounding settlements, new clues about the background of the attack and the origins of the individuals who perished in Schletz are expected to be found.

Learning by doing

From the beginning, the project design aimed for significant involvement by citizen scientists. Over three school levels, students from two classes of the New Middle School Asparn/Zaya participated in the transdisciplinary research project. The University for Continuing Education Krems organized excursions to the museum (restoration workshop, depot, open-air area) and the famous excavation site to familiarize the children with the broader context and research questions. In a workshop on Neolithic nutrition, the young citizen scientists learned how the intake of food and water from a specific geological region can be detected in tooth enamel using a chemical fingerprint.

Practical Science

The University of Leoben taught the necessary scientific methods, explaining the workings of the mass spectrometer and the concept of isotopes. The students also learned how to properly collect soil samples. They applied this knowledge independently in their home communities, collecting soil samples carefully documented with origin, a sample protocol, and GPS coordinates. More than 100 soil samples from the surroundings of Asparn/Schletz were gathered, dried at the school, and subsequently processed at the laboratory of the Institute of Soil Research at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences in Tulln. Here, the drying, division, and sieving of the soil samples were carried out in the coarse laboratory, followed by sample analysis in the fine laboratory under protective clothing. The samples, partly processed by the students themselves, were extracted in ammonium nitrate, pipetted, filtered, and subsequently analyzed in a mass spectrometer. An "isoscape," a chemical map of the region, will be created from these analyses, providing insights into the possible origins of the individuals who perished in Schletz.

"The collaboration with the two school classes worked wonderfully in both directions. On the one hand, the samples collected by the children are fundamental to answering our research questions. On the other hand, the students experienced all project steps from theory development to interpreting analysis results – it was great to see how active and enthusiastic many of them were," said project leader Mag. Jakob Maurer from the University for Continuing Education Krems.

Peer-Learning with „Steinzeitstream“

Alongside the research project, the video project „Steinzeitstream“, was created through the University for Continuing Education Krems, funded by the Science Class research project funding program. The students involved in the "United by Crisis?" project prepared information on the methods used in the project, such as isotope chemistry, anthropology, field surveys, and 3D documentation. The explanatory videos they filmed and edited themselves are aimed at peers, providing an additional benefit to the students. Teaching knowledge ensures a deeper understanding for oneself.

Successful Outcome

The cooperation project with the school is exceptional, particularly regarding the scope and duration of the collaboration over three school levels. Besides successfully imparting knowledge, the project also managed to increase the children's interest in each interaction, according to internal school evaluations. "I observed that my students' interest continuously grew stronger. I attribute this mainly to the fact that it is a real scientific project. This sparked enthusiasm for science, especially among girls. This is particularly important to me, given the prevailing gender stereotypes about STEM professions and subjects," said Johann Keintzel, BEd, MA, principal of the Asparn/Zaya School Center. The students' project results and the "Stone Age Stream" videos were presented on June 20, 2024, at a graduation celebration at MAMUZ Asparn/Zaya. In addition to the University for Continuing Education Krems, the "United by Crisis?" project involves the State Collections of Lower Austria, the University of Leoben, the Institute of Soil Research at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences in Tulln, and the Natural History Museum in Vienna. The project is funded by the Society for Research Promotion Lower Austria (GFF NÖ).