scholarly journals Pre-Clovis occupation of the Americas identified by human fecal biomarkers in coprolites from Paisley Caves, Oregon

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (29) ◽  
pp. eaba6404 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa-Marie Shillito ◽  
Helen L. Whelton ◽  
John C. Blong ◽  
Dennis L. Jenkins ◽  
Thomas J. Connolly ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ancient Dna ◽  
Skeletal Remains ◽  
Lipid Biomarkers ◽  
Radiocarbon Date ◽  
Human Occupation ◽  
Human Skeletal Remains ◽  
People First ◽  
Alternative Sources ◽  
Lithic Artifacts ◽  
Fecal Biomarkers

When and how people first settled in the Americas is an ongoing area of research and debate. The earliest sites typically only contain lithic artifacts that cannot be directly dated. The lack of human skeletal remains in these early contexts means that alternative sources of evidence are needed. Coprolites, and the DNA contained within them, are one such source, but unresolved issues concerning ancient DNA taphonomy and potential for contamination make this approach problematic. Here, we use fecal lipid biomarkers to demonstrate unequivocally that three coprolites dated to pre-Clovis are human, raise questions over the reliance on DNA methods, and present a new radiocarbon date on basketry further supporting pre-Clovis human occupation.

Reconstructing population size in a Romano-British colonia: the case of Eboracum

2015 ◽  
Vol 28 ◽  
pp. 413-429 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren J. McIntyre
Keyword(s):  
Population Size ◽  
Census Data ◽  
Size Structure ◽  
Skeletal Remains ◽  
Radiocarbon Date ◽  
Human Populations ◽  
Demographic Analysis ◽  
Human Skeletal Remains ◽  
Proxy Data

The field of demography addresses the composition of human populations, their size, structure and development. The sources with which to conduct demographic analysis in archaeology can incorporate proxy data from areas of settlements, historical or ethnographic sources such as census data or parish burial registers, radiocarbon date densities, or human skeletal remains. The present study aims to use data from human skeletal remains to address questions relating to the size of the population of Roman York.

scholarly journals The Sequence of Human Occupation in the Atacama Oases, Chile: A Radiocarbon Chronology Based on Human Skeletal Remains

2013 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 330-344 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina Torres-Rouff ◽  
Mark Hubbe
Keyword(s):  
Human Development ◽  
Skeletal Remains ◽  
Archaeological Research ◽  
Human Occupation ◽  
Human Skeletal Remains ◽  
South Central ◽  
San Pedro ◽  
New Information ◽  
Radiocarbon Chronology ◽  
Future Work

The San Pedro de Atacama oases have been permanently occupied since ca. 2500 B.P. and over this time developed a rich culture that was intertwined with social developments in the south-central Andes. However, despite decades of archaeological research, the region still lacks a strong chronological framework based on absolute dates. Here we present 53 new AMS 14C dates from osteological remains from San Pedro de Atacama, in order to contribute to an understanding of the Atacameño cultural sequence. These dates suggest that some cemeteries were occupied for long periods, frequently transcending cultural phases, and that in fact a number of cemeteries within the same ayllu were in use concurrently. We also show that, not surprisingly, population displacement through time primarily follows oscillations in the sources of water. The new information presented here suggests that future work in the region should emphasize detailed analyses that consider intra-ayllu variability, given that diversity within periods is masked by the uniform use of cultural phases to describe human development.

scholarly journals Ancient DNA: a review of its past, present and future potential in archaeology

1993 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Linda M. Gibbs
Keyword(s):  
Nucleic Acids ◽  
Ancient Dna ◽  
Deoxyribonucleic Acid ◽  
Skeletal Remains ◽  
Extensive Review ◽  
Human Skeletal Remains ◽  
Archaeological Material ◽  
Future Potential ◽  
Biomolecular Analysis

This paper provides an extensive review of past and current research involving the biomolecular analysis of nucleic acids. In particular, it focuses on deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) or ancient DNA that can be recovered from historic and prehistoric human skeletal remains and other archaeological material remains. It also critically assesses the problems that any investigation of ancient DNA poses and points to specific areas for future investigation.

Bioarchaeological Practice and the Curation of Human Skeletal Remains in a Greek Context: The Phaleron Cemetery

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 60-67 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eleni-Anna Prevedorou ◽  
Jane E. Buikstra
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Interdisciplinary Collaboration ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Skeletal Remains ◽  
Human Occupation ◽  
Human Skeletal Remains ◽  
Long Time ◽  
History Of ◽  
Insufficient Time ◽  
Human Burials

ABSTRACTHuman skeletal remains constitute remarkably informative finds, both biologically and socioculturally. Their recovery, preservation, conservation, storage, and analysis are complex issues that need to be addressed within any given biocultural context. Given the country's geography and the long history of human occupation, Greek field archaeology is intense and ongoing, with both rescue and systematic excavations. Human burials are thus frequently encountered in excavations throughout Greece, resulting in the accumulation of osteological material. Some of the common challenges of bioarchaeological research in Greece consist of insufficient time, funding, and documentation in the field; unmet conservation needs and lack of storage space; as well as the long time-gap between excavation and analysis. Here, we give a brief overview of excavation, curation, and bioarchaeological practice within a Greek archaeological framework. We focus on the newly launched Phaleron Bioarchaeological Project on a vast necropolis from the wider Athens region in order to present our methodological approach. Finally, we consider the role of interdisciplinary collaboration in managing large-scale bioarchaeological projects and serving long-term heritage preservation goals.

Comparison of Two Methods for Isolating DNA from Human Skeletal Remains for STR Analysis

2011 ◽  
Vol 57 (3) ◽  
pp. 706-712 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cynthia Rucinski ◽  
Ayda L. Malaver ◽  
Emilio J. Yunis ◽  
Juan J. Yunis
Keyword(s):  
Skeletal Remains ◽  
Human Skeletal Remains ◽  
Str Analysis

scholarly journals The elusive parasite: comparing macroscopic, immunological, and genomic approaches to identifying malaria in human skeletal remains from Sayala, Egypt (third to sixth centuries AD)

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alvie Loufouma Mbouaka ◽  
Michelle Gamble ◽  
Christina Wurst ◽  
Heidi Yoko Jäger ◽  
Frank Maixner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Diagnostic Tests ◽  
Sample Selection ◽  
Human Remains ◽  
Rapid Diagnostic Tests ◽  
Skeletal Remains ◽  
Pathological Changes ◽  
Human Skeletal Remains ◽  
The Past ◽  
A Site ◽  
Capture Sequencing

AbstractAlthough malaria is one of the oldest and most widely distributed diseases affecting humans, identifying and characterizing its presence in ancient human remains continue to challenge researchers. We attempted to establish a reliable approach to detecting malaria in human skeletons using multiple avenues of analysis: macroscopic observations, rapid diagnostic tests, and shotgun-capture sequencing techniques, to identify pathological changes, Plasmodium antigens, and Plasmodium DNA, respectively. Bone and tooth samples from ten individuals who displayed skeletal lesions associated with anaemia, from a site in southern Egypt (third to sixth centuries AD), were selected. Plasmodium antigens were detected in five of the ten bone samples, and traces of Plasmodium aDNA were detected in six of the twenty bone and tooth samples. There was relatively good synchronicity between the biomolecular findings, despite not being able to authenticate the results. This study highlights the complexity and limitations in the conclusive identification of the Plasmodium parasite in ancient human skeletons. Limitations regarding antigen and aDNA preservation and the importance of sample selection are at the forefront of the search for malaria in the past. We confirm that, currently, palaeopathological changes such as cribra orbitalia are not enough to be certain of the presence of malaria. While biomolecular methods are likely the best chance for conclusive identification, we were unable to obtain results which correspond to the current authentication criteria of biomolecules. This study represents an important contribution in the refinement of biomolecular techniques used; also, it raises new insight regarding the consistency of combining several approaches in the identification of malaria in past populations.

scholarly journals Profiling of human burned bones: oxidising versus reducing conditions

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
M. P. M. Marques ◽  
D. Gonçalves ◽  
A. P. Mamede ◽  
T. Coutinho ◽  
E. Cunha ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Inelastic Neutron Scattering ◽  
Inelastic Neutron ◽  
Skeletal Remains ◽  
Anaerobic Conditions ◽  
Human Skeletal Remains ◽  
Human Bones ◽  
Reducing Conditions ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Burned Bones ◽  
Vibrational Bands

AbstractComplementary optical and neutron-based vibrational spectroscopy techniques (Infrared, Raman and inelastic neutron scattering) were applied to the study of human bones (femur and humerus) burned simultaneously under either aerobic or anaerobic conditions, in a wide range of temperatures (400 to 1000 °C). This is the first INS study of human skeletal remains heated in an oxygen-deprived atmosphere. Clear differences were observed between both types of samples, namely the absence of hydroxyapatite’s OH vibrational bands in bone burned anaerobically (in unsealed containers), coupled to the presence of cyanamide (NCNH2) and portlandite (Ca(OH)2) in these reductive conditions. These results are expected to allow a better understanding of the heat effect on bone´s constituents in distinct environmental settings, thus contributing for an accurate characterisation of both forensic and archaeological human skeletal remains found in distinct scenarios regarding oxygen availability.

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