SPIN enables high throughput species identification of archaeological bone by proteomics

Species determination based on genetic evidence is an indispensable tool in archaeology, forensics, ecology, and food authentication. Most available analytical approaches involve compromises with regard to the number of detectable species, high cost due to low throughput, or a labor-intensive manual process. Here, we introduce “Species by Proteome INvestigation” (SPIN), a shotgun proteomics workflow for analyzing archaeological bone capable of querying over 150 mammalian species by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Rapid peptide chromatography and data-independent acquisition (DIA) with throughput of 200 samples per day reduce expensive MS time, whereas streamlined sample preparation and automated data interpretation save labor costs. We confirm the successful classification of known reference bones, including domestic species and great apes, beyond the taxonomic resolution of the conventional peptide mass fingerprinting (PMF)-based Zooarchaeology by Mass Spectrometry (ZooMS) method. In a blinded study of degraded Iron-Age material from Scandinavia, SPIN produces reproducible results between replicates, which are consistent with morphological analysis. Finally, we demonstrate the high throughput capabilities of the method in a high-degradation context by analyzing more than two hundred Middle and Upper Palaeolithic bones from Southern European sites with late Neanderthal occupation. While this initial study is focused on modern and archaeological mammalian bone, SPIN will be open and expandable to other biological tissues and taxa.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The Phenomenon of primary and secondary animals within Iron Age deposits.

Animals are an integral part of deposition practices during the Danish Iron Age, and they probably represent the most common form of deposit within southern Scandinavia. Recently Gotfredsen published a volume on animals within Danish Iron Age grave contexts, but similarly comprehensive studies of animals from other contexts have not been attempted. Thus, classic sites such as Valmose, Bukkerup Langmose, and Sorte Muld still stand as the type sites for Danish Iron Age animal deposits. This article will demonstrate that there are good reasons for exploring deposits in more detail and investigate the significant variation in the treatment and quantities of sacrificial animal deposits. Furthermore, the current study has revealed a deposition pattern where a primary animal is often in the company of one or more secondary animals, the latter typically represented by a few bones. Salpetermosen Syd (MNS50010), south of Hillerød in North Zealand, Denmark is the main case study, but comparisons are made to several sites across Denmark where a similar deposition pattern has been observed