Multiple Deeply Divergent Denisovan Ancestries in Papuans

Genome sequences are known for two archaic hominins—Neanderthals and Denisovans—which interbred with anatomically modern humans as they dispersed out of Africa. We identified high-confidence archaic haplotypes in 161 new genomes spanning 14 island groups in Island Southeast Asia and New Guinea and found large stretches of DNA that are inconsistent with a single introgressing Denisovan origin. Instead, modern Papuans carry hundreds of gene variants from two deeply divergent Denisovan lineages that separated over 350 thousand years ago. Spatial and temporal structure among these lineages suggest that introgression from one of these Denisovan groups predominantly took place east of the Wallace line and continued until near the end of the Pleistocene. A third Denisovan lineage occurs in modern East Asians. This regional mosaic suggests considerable complexity in archaic contact, with modern humans interbreeding with multiple Denisovan groups that were geographically isolated from each other over deep evolutionary time

Ancient genomes show social and reproductive behavior of early Upper Palaeolithic foragers

Present-day hunter-gatherers (HGs) live in multilevel social groups essential to sustain a population structure characterized by limited levels of within-band relatedness and inbreeding. When these wider social networks evolved among HGs is unknown. Here, we investigate whether the contemporary HG strategy was already present in the Upper Paleolithic (UP), using complete genome sequences from Sunghir, a site dated to ~34 thousand years BP (kya) containing multiple anatomically modern human (AMH) individuals. Wedemonstrate that individuals at Sunghir derive from a population of small effective size, with limited kinship and levels of inbreeding similar to HG populations. Our findings suggest that UP social organization was similar to that of living HGs, with limited relatedness within residential groups embedded in a larger mating network

Scientific analysis of a preserved head of hair at Romsey Abbey, UK

This paper presents the results of a scientific investigation on a preserved head of hair, discovered in 1839 inside a lead coffin beneath the Norman Abbey of Romsey (Hampshire, UK). Accelerator mass 30 spectrometry (AMS) radiocarbon dating, modelled to account for dietary marine protein intake indicated by stable isotope analysis (δ13C and δ15N), suggests that this individual died between 895- 1123calAD (95.4% probability). A wooden ‘pillow’ found supporting the hair produced a date of 895- 1016calAD (95.4% probability). These results suggest that this burial dates from the end of the ninth century to the early twelfth century, placing it in the late Saxon or immediately post-Conquest era. 35 Analysis by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) of residue adhering to the hair surface indicates the presence of Pinacea resin, deriving either from funerary ritual or hair care during life

The Middle and Upper Palaeolithic at La Crouzade cave (Gruissan, Aude, France): New excavations and a chronostratigraphic framework

This paper presents new archaeological material and first dates on Upper Pleistocene layers at the site of La Crouzade cave (Gruissan, Aude, France). The site was first excavated by T. and P. Héléna at the beginning of the twentieth century, and the excavations were recently completed during three years (2016–2018) of systematic campaigns. We obtained dates from Middle Palaeolithic layers using two methods: AMS 14C dates were obtained from bone and charcoal, and combined ESR-U series dating was undertaken on horse teeth. Together, these methods allowed us to date this Mousterian sequence to 49,776–44805 cal BP for the deepest level (layer C8) and from 42,000 ± 3000 years BP for the top (layer C6). The Upper Palaeolithic layers are preserved only as patches in the actual excavation area, but a date was obtained from a piece of charcoal collected from a small hearth preserved in the first layer (C5) above Middle Palaeolithic deposits, which indicates an age similar to that of a modern human maxillary previously analysed and re-dated here from 36,014 to 34402 cal BP, confirming its stratigraphic attribution. The Middle Palaeolithic lithics at the site were first described as para-Charentian cultural facies following typological analyses. The revision of the earlier collection supplemented with the new material, using a technological approach, allow to identify two layers dominated by Levallois production followed by discoid production (Layers C8 and C6) surrounding an original assemblage (layer C7), characterised by a dominant Levallois production completed by three secondary production systems of equal importance, including discoid, SSDA and a Quina-like production. The faunal spectrum predominantly comprises an assemblage of Pleistocene large mammals, and biochronological studies corroborate the dates obtained.</p

Analytical pyrolysis with in situ thermally assisted derivatisation, Py(HMDS)-GC/MS, for the chemical characterization of archaeological birch bark tar

An analytical method based on pyrolysis in the presence of hexamethyldisilazane followed by gas chromatographic/mass spectrometric analysis, Py(HMDS)-GC/MS, was used for the first time to study birch bark tar, an adhesive that has been used since the Palaeolithic period. Py(HMDS)-GC/MS enabled us to obtain information simultaneously both on polymerised and solvent soluble fractions of birch bark tar. A very particular chromatographic pattern was obtained, which was mainly characterised by the presence of homologous series of linear saturated and unsaturated monocaboxylic fatty acids, and homologous series of straight-chain alkenes and alkanes. The pattern can be linked to suberin and suberan, which are known to be present in birch barks. In addition, lupane-type triterpenoids were also revealed. Py(HMDS)-GC/MS was initially applied to a reference material, and was then used to study the archaeological adhesives from a wooden spindle recovered in a Gallo-Roman burial (3rd century AD) and from the golden sheath of a Thracian dagger (8th-7th centuries BC) recovered in Belogradets (Bulgaria). (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Nitrogen content variation in archaeological bone and its implications for stable isotope analysis and radiocarbon dating

The collagen component of ancient bones is routinely isolated for radiocarbon dating and stable isotope studies. However, it is impossible to tell the state of collagen preservation from visual inspection of bones. At the Oxford Radiocarbon Accelerator Unit (ORAU), the percent nitrogen by weight (%N) of a ∼5 mg sample of bone powder is measured on a mass spectrometer and used as a proxy for protein content. A previous study showed that samples with %N &gt; 0.76 are considered likely to produce sufficient collagen for radiocarbon dating (Brock et al., 2010b). However, the extent of variation between bone %N and collagen yield is unclear, as is the intra-bone variation in %N. Here, we report a series of tests performed on Palaeolithic bones known to have variable collagen preservation. This new study shows significant variation in %N within the same bone and that there is sometimes a lack of correlation between %N and collagen yield. These results suggest that for bone samples from difficult environments or from Pleistocene contexts, it may be worth sub-sampling for %N in different locations of the bone (if possible) and then attempting to extract collagen from marginally preserved bones (%N around 0.2–0.7%), as they may still yield sufficient collagen for isotope and dating studies

Insights into ceramic use in prehistoric Northwest China obtained from residue analysis: a pilot study on the Andersson Collection at the Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities, Stockholm

The Andersson Collection housed at the Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities holds finds from the earliest archaeological fieldwork ever conducted in northwest China. Recent years have seen an increased interest in the archaeology of that region, especially prehistoric subsistence practices and their environmental correlates. The Andersson Collection which has lain largely dormant since the 1940s provides a great opportunity for further research on this topic, especially on sites which are no longer accessible for a variety of reasons. As part of a larger project aimed at “re-excavating” these materials from museum storage and answer questions of identity and interaction along the old exchange corridor of the proto-Silk Road, this pilot study explores the potential of using molecular and isotopic characterization of organic residues from Neolithic and Bronze Age ceramic vessels to understand subsistence practices in northwest China. Organic residue analysis can aid our understanding what kinds of foodstuffs these vessels held and shed light on cooking and eating habits and how these practices change or remain consistent over time and/or space. There is some concern that long-term storage in potentially unsuitable containers, cleaning with harsh chemicals, or restauration methods deemed suitable at the time may have destroyed much of the residue. Indeed, this pilot study finds that there is a considerable amount of contaminants in all samples, however, some residue has been observed and analysed, suggesting that more advanced extraction methods combined with an investigation into museum records to find out about previous cleaning and restauration methods, may help mitigate these issues. A similar approach may also be applied to other legacy collections

The Kostënki 18 child burial and the cultural and funerary landscape of Mid Upper Palaeolithic European Russia

Palaeolithic burials are few and far between, and establishing their chronology is crucial to gaining a broader understanding of the period. A new programme of radiocarbon dating has provided a revised age estimate for the Palaeolithic burial at Kostënki 18 in European Russia (west of the Urals). This study reviews the need for redating the remains, and contextualises the age of the burial in relation to other Upper Palaeolithic funerary sites in Europe and Russia. The new date, obtained using a method that avoided the problems associated with previous samples conditioned with glue or other preservatives, is older than previous estimates, confirming Kostënki 18 as the only plausibly Gravettian burial known in Russia

Syphilis and the use of mercury

Marriage a-la-Mode No. 3 (The Inspection) belongs to a six part series of paintings by English painter, printmaker and society critic, William Hogarth. The print in the possession of the RPS Museum depicts Viscount Squanderfield and his child mistress visiting a quack. Viscount Squanderfield, who is seated and holding up a pill box to the quack doctor, is depicted with a large black spot on his neck. This spot is often interpreted as a syphilis sore and the pills are likely to be mercury pills. His child mistress holds another pill box whilst dabbing the edge of her mouth which may indicate she could be suffering from excessive salivation as a result of mercury poisoning or she could be dabbing an oozing sore. Hogarth’s Marriage a-la-Mode can be interpreted as 18th Century syphilis awareness campaign posters. Viewers are made aware of the early symptoms of the disease and the side effects of its ineffective treatments. Hogarth also hints at the mode of transmission and that it is contagious. The necrosis of the bone on the skull of a previous patient with tertiary syphilis can also be seen on the table situated next to the quack doctor in the print.</p

TGMS analysis of archaeological bone from burials of the late Roman period

The use of thermogravimetric analysis-mass spectrometry (TGMS) to study the state of preservation of archaeological bones has been investigated. As part of a collaborative multi-analytical study, bones exhumed from graves of the late Roman period in France and Italy were examined. A decrease in organic matter for the archaeological bones compared to that for new bone was confirmed, demonstrating that diagenesis of aged bones can be detected using TGMS. Different amounts of collagen were determined for bones from different graves and could, for the majority of specimens, be correlated with the visually observed preservation states