Ancient DNA, lipid biomarkers and palaeoecological evidence reveals construction and life on early medieval lake settlements

Abstract Direct evidence of ancient human occupation is typically established through archaeological excavation. Excavations are costly and destructive, practically impossible in some lake wetland environments. We present here an alternative approach, providing direct from sediments using DNA metabarcoding, steroid lipid biomarkers (bile acids) traditional environmental analyses. Applied to early Medieval Celtic settlement Ireland (a crannog) this approach provides a site chronology occupation, crops, animal farming on-site slaughtering. This the first independently-dated, continuous molecular archive activity archeological site, demonstrating link between husbandry, food resources, island use. These sites under threat but preserve in-situ so can be used, with or without excavation, produce robust full provide use plants animals, activities such as butchery.