The SNSF-funded Ambizione project "bioVIstories: Living and dying in a time of transition - biomolecular histories of the long 6th century" investigates the consequences of the crises of the 6th century AD - the "Little Ice Age" in the wake of volcanic eruptions and the Justinianic Plague - for the affected populations at a local level. Various methods are combined in an innovative way. The focal areas are paleogenetics for the detection of pathogens and the reconstruction of social structure as well as stable isotope analyses for dietary reconstruction, which are supplemented by anthropological and archaeological core data. These analyses are partly carried out in addition to parallel, cooperating research projects at corresponding sites, whereby the most comprehensive possible data sets of selected individuals are to be compiled in a resource-saving manner. In total, around 300 individuals from selected sites in Europe will be examined in order to obtain a differentiated picture of the period between 450 and 650 AD.