Monitoring DNA Contamination in Handled vs. Directly Excavated Ancient Human Skeletal Remains

Monitoring DNA Contamination in Handled vs. Directly Excavated Ancient Human Skeletal Remains

Bones, teeth and hair are often the only physical evidence of human or animal presence at an archaeological site; they are also the most widely used sources of samples for ancient DNA (aDNA) analysis. Unfortunately, the DNA extracted from ancient samples, already scarce and highly degraded, is widely susceptible to exogenous contaminations that can affect the reliability of aDNA studies. We eva...

Authenticating DNA Extracted From Ancient Skeletal Remains

The survival of DNA, the most informative biological molecule, for periods of at least several thousand years in bone was demonstrated more than four years ago. However, difficulties with authenticating ancient DNA have made diagenetic studies problematic. It is therefore essential that these problems be overcome before the question of DNA survival can be addressed. Here we describe our work wi...

DNA preservation: a microsatellite-DNA study on ancient skeletal remains.

To determine the effect of environmental factors on the preservation of DNA, archeological teeth of approximately similar age but greatly differing site milieu were examined for DNA content. The complex relational system of locational milieu of the samples was reduced to its essential and, at the same time, easily measurable factors. These are temperature, humidity, pH value, the geochemical pr...

Extraction and Analysis of Ancient DNA from Human Remains of Masjede Kabood Burial Site

Bioarchaeology: Scientific Studies of Archaeological Human Skeletal Remains

Bioarchaeology is an interdisciplinary academic specialty, which through the scientific analysis and interpretation of archaeological human skeletal remains, bridges the link between the biological sciences, medicine, anthropology and social sciences. The cornerstone of bioarchaeology is the interaction between culture and human biology. Since the study of people and ancient societies is one of...