Assignment of biological sex to skeletal remains is critical in the accurate reconstruction of the past. Analysis of sex-chromosome encoded AMELX and AMELY peptides from the enamel protein... Show moreAssignment of biological sex to skeletal remains is critical in the accurate reconstruction of the past. Analysis of sex-chromosome encoded AMELX and AMELY peptides from the enamel protein amelogenin underpins a minimally destructive mass spectrometry (MS)method for sex determination of human remains. However, access to such specialist approaches limits applicability. As a convenient alternative, we generated antibodies that distinguish human AMELX and AMELY. Purified antibodies demonstrated high selectivity and quantitative detection against synthetic peptides by ELISA. Using acid etches of enamel from post-medieval skeletons, antibody determinations corrected osteological uncertainties and matched parallel MS, and for Bronze Age samples where only enamel was preserved, also matched MS analyses. Toward improved throughput, automated stations were applied to analyze 19th-century teeth where sex of individuals was documented, confirming MS can be bypassed. Our immunological tools should underpin development of routine, economical, high-throughput methods for sex determination, potentially even in a field setting. Show less
Skeletal remains discovered in Simon’s Town, South Africa, were hypothesised as being associated with a former Dutch East India Company (VOC) hospital. We report a novel combined osteological and... Show moreSkeletal remains discovered in Simon’s Town, South Africa, were hypothesised as being associated with a former Dutch East India Company (VOC) hospital. We report a novel combined osteological and biochemical approach to these poorly-preserved remains. A combined strontium (87Sr/86Sr), oxygen (δ18OVPDB) and carbon (δ13CVPDB) isotope analysis informed possible childhood origins and diet, while sex-specific amelogenin enamel peptides revealed biological sex. Osteological analyses presented evidence of residual rickets, a healed trauma, dental pathological conditions, and pipe notches. The combined isotope analyses yielded results for 43 individuals which suggested a diverse range of geological origins, including at least 16% of the population being non-local. The inclusion of δ13CVPDB had intriguing implications for three individuals who likely did not have origins in the Cape Town region nor in Europe. Peptide analysis on the dental enamel of 25 tested individuals confirmed they were all biologically male. We suggest that isolated enamel may provide crucial information about individuals’ pathological conditions, geographical origins, diet, and biological sex. These data further demonstrated that a combined approach using multiple osteological and biochemical methods is advantageous for human remains which are poorly preserved and can contextualise a site with little direct evidence. Show less
Rationale Strontium isotope (Sr-87/Sr-86) analysis of skeletal remains has become a powerful tool in archaeological studies of human migration and mobility. Owing to its resistance to post-mortem... Show moreRationale Strontium isotope (Sr-87/Sr-86) analysis of skeletal remains has become a powerful tool in archaeological studies of human migration and mobility. Owing to its resistance to post-mortem alteration, dental enamel is the preferred sampling material used for Sr-87/Sr-86 analysis in bioarchaeological provenance research, although recent studies have demonstrated that cremated bone is also generally resistant to diagenesis. This paper presents the results of a pilot study exploring the potential of unburnt petrous bone (pars petrosa) as a reservoir of biogenic (diagenetically unaltered) strontium, as the otic capsule or bony labyrinth within the petrous bone is extremely dense and is thought to be unable to remodel after early childhood, potentially providing an alternative for dental enamel. Methods From an individual from a colonial-era (18th century) site on the island of Saba in the Caribbean for whom previous enamel Sr-87/Sr-86 results had indicated non-local origins, multiple locations (n = 4) on the petrous were sampled and measured for strontium isotope composition. Saba (13 km(2)) has been extensively mapped for baseline strontium isotopes (n = 50) with Sr-87/Sr-86 varying from ca 0.7065 to 0.7090, whereas enamel Sr-87/Sr-86 (n = 3) ranged from 0.7104 to 0.7112. Results All four petrous Sr-87/Sr-86 ratios (0.7111-0.7122) are consistently and considerably higher than the local bioavailable range, and very similar to the enamel Sr-87/Sr-86. These results provide initial evidence that unburnt petrous bones may preserve biogenic strontium, at least in this specific burial context. Conclusions While more research in diverse burial conditions is needed to validate this observation, if confirmed, it would have broader implications for sample selection strategies in bioarchaeological studies using the strontium isotope method. Show less
Velde, H.M. van der; Altena, E.; D'Hollosy, M.; Kootker, L.M.; Pijpelink, A.; Geerts, R.C.A.; Veldman, H.A.P. 2022
Present-day people from England and Wales have more ancestry derived from early European farmers (EEF) than did people of the Early Bronze Age(1). To understand this, here we generated genome-wide... Show morePresent-day people from England and Wales have more ancestry derived from early European farmers (EEF) than did people of the Early Bronze Age(1). To understand this, here we generated genome-wide data from 793 individuals, increasing data from the Middle to the Late Bronze Age and Iron Age in Britain by 12-fold, and western and central Europe by 3.5-fold. Between 1000 and 875 bc, EEF ancestry increased in southern Britain (England and Wales) but not northern Britain (Scotland) due to incorporation of migrants who arrived at this time and over previous centuries, and who were genetically most similar to ancient individuals from France. These migrants contributed about half the ancestry of people of England and Wales from the Iron Age, thereby creating a plausible vector for the spread of early Celtic languages into Britain. These patterns are part of a broader trend of EEF ancestry becoming more similar across central and western Europe in the Middle to the Late Bronze Age, coincident with archaeological evidence of intensified cultural exchange(2-6). There was comparatively less gene flow from continental Europe during the Iron Age, and the independent genetic trajectory in Britain is also reflected in the rise of the allele conferring lactase persistence to approximately 50% by this time compared to approximately 7% in central Europe where it rose rapidly in frequency only a millennium later. This suggests that dairy products were used in qualitatively different ways in Britain and in central Europe over this period. Show less
Patterson, N.; Isakov, M.; Booth, T.; Büster, L.; Fischer, C.; Olalde, I.; ... ; Reich, D. 2021
Present-day people from England and Wales harbour more ancestry derived from Early European Farmers (EEF) than people of the Early Bronze Age1. To understand this, we generated genome-wide data... Show morePresent-day people from England and Wales harbour more ancestry derived from Early European Farmers (EEF) than people of the Early Bronze Age1. To understand this, we generated genome-wide data from 793 individuals, increasing data from the Middle to Late Bronze and Iron Age in Britain by 12-fold, and Western and Central Europe by 3.5-fold. Between 1000 and 875 BC, EEF ancestry increased in southern Britain (England and Wales) but not northern Britain (Scotland) due to incorporation of migrants who arrived at this time and over previous centuries, and who were genetically most similar to ancient individuals from France. These migrants contributed about half the ancestry of Iron Age people of England and Wales, thereby creating a plausible vector for the spread of early Celtic languages into Britain. These patterns are part of a broader trend of EEF ancestry becoming more similar across central and western Europe in the Middle to Late Bronze Age, coincident with archaeological evidence of intensified cultural exchange2-6. There was comparatively less gene flow from continental Europe during the Iron Age, and Britain's independent genetic trajectory is also reflected in the rise of the allele conferring lactase persistence to ~50% by this time compared to ~7% in central Europe where it rose rapidly in frequency only a millennium later. This suggests that dairy products were used in qualitatively different ways in Britain and in central Europe over this period. Show less
In the late medieval period, Holland experienced substantial socio-economic change. While the region was largely undeveloped prior to 1200 CE, the period after was characterised by extensive... Show moreIn the late medieval period, Holland experienced substantial socio-economic change. While the region was largely undeveloped prior to 1200 CE, the period after was characterised by extensive urbanisation and flourishing international trade, changes that would have impacted many aspects of life. This paper investigates the effect of these changes on diet by comparing skeletal collections from the early/central medieval rural village of Blokhuizen (800–1200 CE) to the late medieval urban town of Alkmaar (1448–1572 CE) using a combination of the prevalence and location of carious lesions (nteeth = 3475) and stable carbon and nitrogen isotope data (n = 50). Results show that the urban Alkmaar population had a significantly higher caries frequency (7.4% vs. 16.1%), starting at a younger age. Moreover, Alkmaar had significantly more approximal caries. These results point to increased consumption of cariogenic products, such as sugars and starches, by the urban citizens. Dietary differences are also demonstrated by the stable isotope data. Alkmaar individuals have significantly enriched δ15N ratios and more variable δ13C ratios compared with rural Blokhuizen. The elevated δ15N values may be due to increased consumption of fish or animals such as omnivorous pigs and chickens. The combination of caries and isotopic data points to clear changes in diet suggesting that urban individuals in the late medieval period had a substantially different diet compared with early rural inhabitants from the same area. Specifically, an increase in market dependence, availability of international trade products, and the growth of commercial fishing in the late medieval period may have contributed to this dietary shift. Future research should include a late medieval rural population to better understand the effects of late medieval socio-economic developments outside of the urban environment. This study demonstrates that the integration of palaeopathology and stable isotopic research provides a more complete understanding of dietary changes in medieval Holland. Show less
Rationale Strontium isotope analysis can be applied to the calcined human otic capsule in the petrous part (pars petrosa ossis temporalis; PP) to gain information on childhood mobility in... Show moreRationale Strontium isotope analysis can be applied to the calcined human otic capsule in the petrous part (pars petrosa ossis temporalis; PP) to gain information on childhood mobility in archaeological and forensic contexts. However, only a thin layer of the otic capsule, the inner cortex, demonstrates virtually no remodelling. This paper proposes an improved sampling method for the accurate sampling of the inner cortex of the otic capsule to ensure that Sr-87/Sr-86 ratios related to early childhood are obtained.Methods Calcined rib and diaphyseal fragments and PP from ten cremation deposits are sampled for strontium isotope analysis, whereby our improved sampling strategy is applied to sample the inner cortex of the otic capsule. This allows inter- and intraskeletal Sr-87/Sr-86 comparison within an Iron Age collection from Oss, The Netherlands.Results Forty percent (4/10) of the calcined PP that were evaluated for this study show marked differences in Sr-87/Sr-86 (0.00035-0.00065) between the inner cortex and the bone sample surrounding this layer, the external cortex that has higher remodelling rates. Differences in Sr-87/Sr-86 between various skeletal elements also aided in the identification of the minimum number of individuals.Conclusions Our study demonstrates the problematic nature of the external cortex and stresses the need for a precise sampling method of the correct areas of the otic capsule. This can only be obtained by cutting the calcined PP midmodiolarly to enable adequate combustion degree assessment, and the correct identification and sampling of the inner cortex of the otic capsule. Show less
There is a growing body of bioarchaeological research on eighteenth and nineteenth century colonial Cape Town, a significant node in the transportation networks of both the Indian and Atlantic... Show moreThere is a growing body of bioarchaeological research on eighteenth and nineteenth century colonial Cape Town, a significant node in the transportation networks of both the Indian and Atlantic oceanic slave trades, attempting to shed light on the lives of enslaved persons. Here, a preliminary archaeological isotopic dietary baseline for the colonial Cape is presented. It is apparent from the data that cattle tended to graze far inland from Cape Town in an arid C-3-C-4 to purely C-4 biome. Sheep/goats grazed close to the settlement or some distance away in C-3 to C-3-C-4 biomes. A qualitative comparison of the baseline data to that of enslaved persons at The Cape suggests that this population did not consume large amounts of marine protein as has been concluded in the past. The archaeological baseline data was utilised, in combination with published modern data, to create a quantitative dietary reconstruction of a subset of this population using a Bayesian multi-source diet mixing model (FRUITS). The reconstruction confirms that the Cape's enslaved did not consume much marine protein but relied predominantly on terrestrial C-3 plant protein. Show less
The individual found buried semi-cremated during the excavations at Oegstgeest was a young adult male. The combined Sr-O isotope analysis did not provide evidence for a non-local origin, although a... Show moreThe individual found buried semi-cremated during the excavations at Oegstgeest was a young adult male. The combined Sr-O isotope analysis did not provide evidence for a non-local origin, although a place of birth in a different region cannot be excluded. During the first years of his life he suffered from periods of malnutrition and/or illness. At the time of death, he suffered from a disease in the respiratory system that was contracted earlier in life. His burial was intended to be a cremation, perhaps following a bustum ritual. The cremation was not entirely effective. Burial of a semi-cremated body was the result. Show less
The Bronze Age is increasinglycharacterised as a period in which the search for and trade in metals dominatesmobility and exchange in Europe. Chiefs travelled the lands and seas anddominated the... Show moreThe Bronze Age is increasinglycharacterised as a period in which the search for and trade in metals dominatesmobility and exchange in Europe. Chiefs travelled the lands and seas anddominated the acquisition and possession of critical resources. Most researchfocuses on the provenance and distribution of metals and on the mobility ofpeople. Yet, the mobility of one the most obvious sources of social andeconomic wealth in the Bronze Age has got little attention: livestock. Thisstudy explores the possible social role of livestock of cattle and sheep, bothin the household sphere and in the sphere of exchange as a means of ‘connectingpeople’. Here, strontium isotope data is presented from 58 cattle and sheepfrom settlement contexts from Bronze Age West-Frisia (2000-800 BC), theNetherlands, with the aim to gain an isotopic perspective on the socio-economicsignificance of livestock. The data provide evidence for long-distance trade orexchange of livestock. Besides their monetary value, we suggest that livestock,and in particular cattle, may have been perceived as equal to people in termsof labour and production and as members of the household. Their mobility andexchange therefore signal more than just economic trade, it signals a socialpractice. By changing our perspective towards the social ideology of farminglife, we will move closer to understanding Bronze Age societies in more diverseand inclusive ways. Research into livestock mobility is therefore consideredfundamental for a more diverse understanding of Bronze Age farming life. Show less
