Sex determination of skeletal remains of 4000 year old children and juveniles from Hoštice 1 za Hanou (Czech Republic) by ancient DNA analysisThe aim of this study was to determine the sex by means of modern molecular genetic methods of children and immature individuals from the 4000 years old Eneolithic burial site "Hoštice 1 za Hanou" of the Bell-Beaker people, in central Moravia (Czech Republic). While the anthropological approach was in this case limited either by the state of preservation of the skeletal remains or simply by absence of definite morphological traits in the children, analysis of aDNA (SRY, amelogenin) yielded results consistent with archeological grave findings and body imposition. The burial rites of the investigated culture facilitated the analysis because the gender specific imposition of adults has previously been described (man left-side, head northwards, woman right-side, head southwards) However, this approach is often limited in case of children burials. This study showed high concordance between archeological sex-determination and genetic sex, but also revealed several exceptions in children burial rite of Bell Beaker culture.
Previous studies have indicated that metal particles remain on bone after sharp force injury or gunshot and that their detection by scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (SEM-EDS) could greatly help in tool identification. However, the presence of metal particles on bone surfaces in the context of blunt force trauma has never been assessed experimentally. For this reason the present paper represents an experimental study of the behaviour of metal residues on bone following blunt force injury. Ten fresh sub-adult bovine metatarsal bones were manually cleaned of soft tissues. They were then struck by metal bars (copper, iron or aluminium) on the external surface of the mid-diaphysis. All blunt metal instruments used in this study left a sign in the form of single particles, a smear or a powder-like deposit on the bone surface. The residues of all three metal implements were detected on the bone surface, 0.3-10 mm from the fracture border. The presence of metal particles was confirmed in all samples struck with iron and copper and in two of six aluminium samples; no particles were detected on the negative control. Chemical composition of residues highly corresponded with the composition of applied bars.
The great potential of scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX) is in detection of unusual chemical elements included in ancient human dental calculus to verify hypotheses about life and burial habits of historic populations and individuals. Elemental spectra were performed from archeological samples of three chosen individuals from different time periods. The unusual presence of magnesium, aluminum, and silicon in the first sample could confirm the hypothesis of high degree of dental abrasion caused by particles from grinding stones in flour. In the second sample, presence of copper could confirm that bronze jewelery could lie near the buried body. The elemental composition of the third sample with the presence of lead and copper confirms the origin of individual to Napoleonic Wars because the damage to his teeth could be explained by the systematic utilization of the teeth for the opening of paper cartridges (a charge with a dose of gunpowder and a bullet), which were used during the 18th and the 19th century AD. All these results contribute to the reconstruction of life (first and third individual) and burial (second individual) habits of historic populations and individuals.
Methods based on the quantification of the total amount of DNA in samples are unsuitable for ancient samples as they overestimate the amount of DNA presumably due to the presence of microbial DNA. Real-time qPCR methods give undervalued results due to DNA damage and the presence of PCR inhibitors. DNA quantification methods based on fragment analysis show not only the quantity of DNA but also fragment length.
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