F01Becoming Human, Being Human

The subproject examines the scientific history of human development as a zone of distinction for human differentiation at the intersection of cultural studies and natural sciences from the 18th century to the present. By making the SFB's central category of "human" itself the subject of its investigation, it aims to create an "archaeology" of human differentiation (Foucault). 

The subproject focuses on the temporality, spatiality, and relationality of such human differentiations, which are explored through the four working units of taxonomy, conviviality, representation, and narrativity in the historical understanding of becoming human and being human. 

The focus is on the history of the disciplines that have distinguished and classified pre-humans and early humans (hominini) based on fossil and material evidence, and have described their coexistence and evolutionary history. In addition to worldwide sites where hominin remains have been found, the history of museums and exhibitions, along with the historiography of humanity are equally central.