Gisela Hilary Kopp

The ancient trade of nonhuman primates is a topic at the intersection of Near Eastern archaeology, Egyptology, and primatology”three fields that rarely interact due to the nature of our disciplinary silos. Yet, there is great promise to working across these subdivisions of anthropology, of merging the study of primate lifeways and afterlives. New knowledge related to primate ecology and life history can inform our understanding of ancient trade networks, whereas archaeological findings can put new light on primate population structures and behaviors. Recent years have witnessed rapid advances in both topic areas, but always in isolation of the other, and progress of knowledge integration is slow. Here, we propose a three-day workshop at the Institute for Advanced Study (Zukunftskolleg) in Konstanz, Germany. Drawing on recent discoveries in Egypt and Iran, our aims are (i) to assemble primatologists, biogeographers, and archaeologists working with primate remains at Bronze Age or Egyptian sites; and, (ii) to energize scholarly exchange and foster collaborations through formal talks, discussions, and a fieldtrip to Affenberg Salem. Our overarching objective is to take strides toward a new, integrated research program in anthropology that pivots around primates in antiquity.