WHAT IS HESCOR?

The HESCOR project at the University of Cologne pioneers a new interdisciplinary field that unites Earth system science, human system modelling, and the humanities to explore how interactions between nature and culture have shaped—and continue to shape—our world.

HESCOR, an acronym for Human & Earth System Coupled Research, encapsulates both the identity and the ambition of our initiative. By bringing together experts from climate science, archaeology, mathematics, and the humanities, the project integrates diverse perspectives and state-of-the-art methodologies to tackle some of the most fundamental questions in our field:

How have climatic shifts influenced the course of human cultural evolution?
In what ways do human decisions and societal changes impact the Earth system?
Can modern computational tools and machine learning unlock the secrets of our past?

Das Hescor-Projekt an der Universität zu Köln ebnet den Weg für ein neues interdisziplinäres Forschungsfeld, das Erd- und Umweltsystemwissenschaften, die Modellierung menschlicher Systeme und die Geisteswissenschaften vereint, um zu erforschen, wie Wechselwirkungen zwischen Natur und Kultur unsere Welt geprägt haben – und weiterhin prägen.

HESCOR bringt Experten aus der Klimaforschung, Archäologie, Mathematik und den Geisteswissenschaften zusammen. Mit Hilfe vielfältiger Perspektiven und modernster Methoden untersuchen wir grundlegende Fragestellungen:

Wie haben klimatische Verschiebungen den Verlauf der menschlichen kulturellen Evolution beeinflusst?
In welcher Weise wirken sich menschliche Entscheidungen und gesellschaftliche Veränderungen auf das Erdsystem aus?
Können moderne rechnergestützte Werkzeuge und maschinelles Lernen die Geheimnisse unserer Vergangenheit entschlüsseln?

Auf der Grundlage umfangreicher Paläoklimadaten, archäologischer Funde und innovativer Modellierungstechniken entwickelt und testet unser Team neue Hypothesen über die Migration früher Menschen und die Dynamik kulturellen Wandels. Mit einer Reihe spezialisierter Teilprojekte – von theoretischen Rahmenkonzepten bis hin zu praktischen Anwendungen im maschinellen Lernen – will HESCOR ein tieferes, integrierteres Verständnis unserer gemeinsamen Geschichte und zukünftiger Herausforderungen ermöglichen.

HESCOR basiert auf der Stärke der Zusammenarbeit. Unsere Initiative verknüpft Forscher, Postdoktoranden, Studierende und Partner aus verschiedenen Fakultäten, überwindet traditionelle akademische Silo-Denkmuster und fördert einen kreativen Dialog.

Erfahren Sie mehr über unsere Mission, die spannenden Projekte, die wir leiten, und wie Sie Teil dieser lebendigen Forschungsgemeinschaft werden können.

Drawing on rich paleoclimatic data, archaeological findings, and innovative modelling techniques, our team develops and tests new hypotheses about early human migration and the dynamics of cultural change. Through a suite of dedicated work packages—from theoretical frameworks to practical applications in machine learning—HESCOR aims to provide a deeper, more integrated understanding of our shared history and future challenges.

HESCOR is built on the strength of collaboration. Our initiative links researchers, postdoctoral fellows, students, and partners across multiple faculties, breaking down traditional academic silos to foster creative dialogue and breakthrough discoveries.

We invite you to explore our mission further, discover the exciting projects we lead, and join us in this vibrant research community.

PUBLICATIONS

PROJECT

MEMBERS

EDUCATION

BLOG

Work Package 1

HESCOR THEORY & FRAMEWORK

The first subproject of the HESCOR initiative focuses on advancing the theoretical, conceptual, and strategic aspects of Human and Earth System Coupled Research.

Work Package 2

HUMAN SYSTEM MODEL DEVELOPMENT & HUMAN LEARNING

This subproject in the HESCOR initiative is dedicated to integrating key terms from human system analyses into the broader context of human and Earth system coupling.

Work Package 3

HUMAN SYSTEM MODEL - EARTH SYSTEM MODEL COUPLING

This subproject within the HESCOR initiative centers on reconstructing paleoenvironmental and paleoclimate data from 45-15 ka BP using Earth System Modeling.

Work Package 4

PARTIAL DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS FOR DISPERSAL ON POPULATION NETWORKS

This project in the HESCOR initiative focuses on modeling human dispersal across population networks using partial differential equations (PDEs) and numerical simulations.

Work Package 5

GLOBAL ARCHAEOLOGICAL CULTURAL DATABASE

This project within the HESCOR initiative explores paleoclimate tipping points and their impact on cultural evolution.

Work Package 6

MACHINE LEARNING & CULTURE CLUSTERS

HESCOR WP6 focuses on cultural clustering and machine learning to study cultural evolution in the context of climate change.

Work Package 7

MULTIREGIONAL CULTURAL EVOLUTION IN AFRICA

This project aims to model multiregional scenarios of human culture evolution in Africa during the last 300 millennia against the backdrop of changing environmental conditions.

Work Package 8

EARLY EXPANSION & POPULATION DYNAMICS

This project focuses on modeling human expansion and population dynamics during the Palaeolithic and Neolithic periods, particularly examining the Out-of-Africa scenario and the spread of farming societies over Europe.

Work Package 9

ENVIRONMENTAL PERCEPTION THROUGH TIME

This project involves reviewing and analyzing research from various fields, including landscape archaeology, environmental history, anthropology, and literary studies, to understand how cultural perceptions have shaped human responses to past climatic changes.

Work Package 10

CLIMATE CHANGE & PUNCTUATED PRESENCE

Climatic fluctuations in the past impacted the presence and cultural development of early modern humans in Europe.

Coordination

COORDINATION

The coordination office is dedicated to the scientific coordination and management of the HESCOR project.

Data Management

DATA MANAGEMENT & WEBSITE

The project's website acts as the primary platform for sharing information.