EAA 2026 - Session #256. COLLAPSE, MOBILITY, AND RENEWAL: RETHINKING THE CHALCOLITHIC–BRONZE AGE TRANSITION IN SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE AND THE BLACK SEA REGION

Session #256COLLAPSE, MOBILITY, AND RENEWAL: RETHINKING THE CHALCOLITHIC–BRONZE AGE TRANSITION IN SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE AND THE BLACK SEA REGION Theme:5. Changing worlds and environments in the past, present and future Organizers:Ana García-Vázquez (Romania) - ArchaeoScience Platform. Research Institute of the University of BucharestRobert Hofmann (Germany) - Institute of Prehistoric and Protohistoric Archaeology, University of KielLiudmyla Shatilo (Ukraine) - Institute of Archaeology of the National Academy of Science of Ukraine From the end of the 5th millennium BC through the 4th millennium BC, the transition from the Late Neolithic and Chalcolithic to the Early Bronze Age in Southeastern Europe and around the Black Sea marks one of the most dynamic and debated periods inEurasian prehistory. Across this geographical area, a dramatic decline in the density of archaeological evidence occurred: long-lived settlements were abandoned, new types of material culture appeared, and population movements—both local and longdistance—reshaped social and economic networks. This session aims to explore what triggered these transformations and how they unfolded in different regions. We invite contributions employing a wide range of analytical, contextual, and interpretative approaches to investigate this crucial turning point: refined chronologies through radiocarbon dating; bioarchaeological, isotopic, and ancient DNA data to tracepopulation mobility, diet, and provenance; studies of ceramic residues and environmental proxies (pollen, sediments, fauna) to reconstruct subsistence strategies and landscape change; as well as archaeological, zooarchaeological, and anthropological perspectives addressing material culture, settlement patterns, and social organisation. By integrating these diverse datasets, the session seeks to address fundamental questions: Was there a demographic replacement, or rather an adaptation of existinggroups to new cultural paradigms and economic lifeways? What role did climate fluctuations play in settlement reorganisation and mobility? And how can interdisciplinary research help to build a more nuanced picture of this transformative era? The Romanian contribution to this session was supported by a grant from the Romanian Ministry of Education and Research, CNCS-UEFISCDI, project number PN-IV-P1-PCE-2023-1899 (BioArhSteppe). Keywords: Chalcolithic–Bronze Age transition, Southeastern Europe, bioarchaeology, interdisciplinary archaeology,population dynamics