Congratulations to Tomos Proffitt, awarded a prestigious ERC Consolidator Grant for his project “Western Rift Archaeology and Palaeoenvironment Project (WRAP)”! This marks the 6th ERC-funded project for ICArEHB.
The Western Rift Archaeological and Paleoenvironment (WRAP) Project seeks to deepen our understanding of human evolution by investigating a fundamental question: how and when did early humans adapt to the diverse environments of the Western Rift compared to the drier landscapes of the East African Rift? While traditional views often tie early human success to open savanna grasslands, recent research paints a more complex picture of adaptation to diverse habitats. To shed light on this complexity, the WRAP Project is focusing on the Albertine Rift in Uganda—a region largely overlooked in archaeological studies. This area, a biodiversity hotspot, lies at the crossroads of Central African tropical forests and East African savannas, providing a unique setting to study early human life.
Using cutting-edge techniques like remote sensing, systematic surveys, and targeted excavations this international team consisting of researchers from Uganda, Portugal, Spain, The United Kingdom and the USA will search for new archaeological sites in the Albertine Rift, an understudied area compared to better known East African Rift Valley East and Southern Africa. By doing so, WRAP aims to reveal how and when early humans lived, adapted, and thrived in this ecologically rich region. Ultimately, the findings will broaden the scope of evolutionary research and challenge long-standing ideas about the environments that shaped human adaptability.
Dr. Tomos Proffitt, originally from the United Kingdom and previously affiliated with some of the most prestigious institutions, joined ICArEHB in 2023, drawn by its academic freedom and the quality of the research team. His ERC Consolidator Grant represents the 6th such award for ICArEHB in under four years, showcasing the ability of Portuguese and Algarvian research institutions to attract top talent and contribute to global scientific innovation.
This is ICArEHB’s third ERC-funded project focusing on human evolution in Africa, adding to a legacy of support from FCT, National Geographic Society, the Leakey Foundation, and Wenner-Gren Foundation. It reinforces the center’s leading role in advancing our understanding of human origins while fostering capacity building for museums, students, and researchers across Africa.
Dr. Proffitt’s project was among the 14.2% of successful applications, alongside two other projects led by researchers at Portuguese institutions.
See full results here: ERC Consolidator Grants 2024 Results.
