The Times Australia
The Times World News

.
Times Media

.

Who owned this Stone Age jewellery? New forensic tools offer an unprecedented answer

  • Written by Michelle Langley, Associate Professor of Archaeology, Griffith University
Who owned this Stone Age jewellery? New forensic tools offer an unprecedented answer

An international team of researchers has recovered DNA from the owner of a deer-tooth pendant that was buried inside a remote Siberian cave for tens of thousands of years.

In research published in Nature[1], Elena Essel of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Germany and colleagues detail how they developed a new technique to extract DNA left behind on an artefact.

In much the same way police solve crimes using “touch DNA” – DNA recovered from skin cells or trace bodily fluids left behind when somebody touches an object – archaeologists will now be able to recover genetic traces of ancient humans from the artefacts they left behind.

These traces will reveal the biological sex and genetic ancestry of the individual who once held or wore a particular artefact, allowing archaeologists to link genetic and cultural evidence as they attempt to unravel the deep past.

Prehistoric artefacts and touch DNA

When archaeologists find artefacts such as tools and ornaments at a site, it’s not easy to work out who used them.

Until now, we have had to rely on finding artefacts in “direct association” with buried people. That is, we could only link an individual to an ornament if we found them buried wearing it.

Even then, this funerary association isn’t always a guide to what happened in life. The dead are buried with things their community think they should have, which may not have been theirs when they were alive.

This new method of ancient DNA extraction provides a more direct way of determining who used specific items in everyday life.

A photo of a woman in clean-room gear holding a small bone object inside a perspex box.
Elena Essel working on the pierced deer tooth discovered at Denisova Cave. Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology

The method can only be used for artefacts made from bone or tooth as these materials are porous and can soak up human DNA from repeated contact with bodily fluids (sweat, blood, saliva). Luckily, the bones and teeth of animals[2] (and sometimes humans[3]) were widely used throughout the past to create everyday tools, sacred items, and personal adornment.

These osseous artefacts were held in the hand or worn against the body for extended periods, resulting in sweat and other fluids soaking into their surfaces over time. As a result, the artefact records the genetic information of the wearer.

Through experimentation with different techniques, Essel and her team found a way to recover that DNA record in a form that is intact enough to be read.

Is this yours?

Using this new method of DNA extraction, the researchers were able to extract a wealth of archaeological information from a single tooth pendant recovered from the famous archaeological site of Denisova Cave in Siberia.

The cave, tucked away in the foothills of the Altai mountains, has fascinated researchers for decades as its past inhabitants included not only Homo sapiens but also Neanderthals and another enigmatic extinct human species known as Denisovans.

A photo of the entrance to a cave in a tree-covered hill.
Over the millennia, Denisova Cave has been inhabited by Homo sapiens as well as our extinct cousins the Neanderthals and Denisovans. Richard G. Roberts

First, they were able to extract the DNA of the animal the tooth belonged to, a wapiti deer (Cervus canadensis).

They were then able to extract human DNA from the pores of the tooth and deduce that this DNA had come from a female individual whose ancestry is most similar to ancient people found further east in Siberia and with Native Americans.

They were also able to use the DNA data to estimate the date of the pendant’s creation, somewhere between 19,000 and 25,000 years ago. This date fits with previous radiocarbon dating of the layer of the cave floor sediment in which the artefact was found.

DNA found in soil, or “environmental DNA”, can also inform our understanding of who used an archaeological site such as Denisova Cave.

Without the extraction and analysis of the human DNA held in the tooth, archaeologists would have been able to tell what animal it had come from and how old it was. However, we could never have guessed the owner of this ornament. Now we can identify a specific individual.

Using the additional DNA information attached to individual artefacts, archaeologists will be able to create an understanding of past societies with a level of detail never before possible.

Read more: Dirty secrets: sediment DNA reveals a 300,000-year timeline of ancient and modern humans living in Siberia[4]

Read more https://theconversation.com/who-owned-this-stone-age-jewellery-new-forensic-tools-offer-an-unprecedented-answer-204797

The Times Features

HCF’s Healthy Hearts Roadshow Wraps Up 2024 with a Final Regional Sprint

Next week marks the final leg of the HCF Healthy Hearts Roadshow for 2024, bringing free heart health checks to some of NSW’s most vibrant regional communities. As Australia’s ...

The Budget-Friendly Traveler: How Off-Airport Car Hire Can Save You Money

When planning a trip, transportation is one of the most crucial considerations. For many, the go-to option is renting a car at the airport for convenience. But what if we told ...

Air is an overlooked source of nutrients – evidence shows we can inhale some vitamins

You know that feeling you get when you take a breath of fresh air in nature? There may be more to it than a simple lack of pollution. When we think of nutrients, we think of t...

FedEx Australia Announces Christmas Shipping Cut-Off Dates To Help Beat the Holiday Rush

With Christmas just around the corner, FedEx is advising Australian shoppers to get their presents sorted early to ensure they arrive on time for the big day. FedEx has reveale...

Will the Wage Price Index growth ease financial pressure for households?

The Wage Price Index’s quarterly increase of 0.8% has been met with mixed reactions. While Australian wages continue to increase, it was the smallest increase in two and a half...

Back-to-School Worries? 70% of Parents Fear Their Kids Aren’t Ready for Day On

Australian parents find themselves confronting a key decision: should they hold back their child on the age border for another year before starting school? Recent research from...

Times Magazine

Overview of The Prince2 Certification Exam

The Prince2 certification exam is a thorough examination created to evaluate a candidate's knowledge and comprehension of the Prince2 framework, a project management approach. It is widely acknowledged as a globally recognized project management ce...

Choosing the Right WordPress Hosting Provider in Australia

Introduction Australia’s thriving technological market has led to an increase in demand for trusted web hosting providers more than ever before, specifically for organizations and users who are utilizing WordPress to increase their online visibili...

10 Important things to know about moving to Sydney

Do you want to start a new life in the Southern Hemisphere, Sydney as a resident of Melbourne? Before moving to Sydney, hire Melbourne to Sydney removalists. Also, prepare yourself and read our list of things you need to know before moving to Syd...

Managing Your Online Reputation: Strategies for Removing Negative Content

Maintaining a positive online reputation is crucial for individuals and businesses in today's digital age. However, negative content such as negative reviews, defamatory posts, or outdated information can tarnish your reputation and harm your credi...

Samsung brings Neo QLED 8K Display to Australia

Samsung Australia has announced the expansion of its QLED display business range with the introduction of the Neo QLED 8K Display.     As businesses increasingly need larger displays to create unique brand moments, promote collaborations or req...

Elevate Your Gift-Giving Experience with Magnetic Gift Boxes

Gift-giving is an art form, and just like any form of art, presentation plays a crucial role in its impact. Whether it's for birthdays, weddings, holidays, or any other special occasion, the way you Make Your Own Gift Box and a gift is packaged can...