Biomolecular Archaeology

Biomolecular archaeology is the study of ancient biomolecules, proteins, and DNA from archaeological samples. It is a relatively new field that combines the techniques of molecular biology and archaeology. The aim of biomolecular archaeology is to reconstruct the history of human evolution and migration, as well as the history of plants and animals.

One of the most important discoveries in biomolecular archaeology was made in 1991 by a team led by Svante Pääbo. The team was able to extract DNA from a Neanderthal bone found in a cave in Croatia. This was the first time that DNA had been extracted from an extinct species. The discovery proved that Neanderthals were genetically distinct from modern humans and that they lived in Europe until at least 30,000 years ago.

Since then, there have been many other important discoveries made using biomolecular archaeological techniques. For example, in 2009, researchers used DNA analysis to show that Native Americans are descended from two separate groups: the ancestors of present-day Central and South Americans, and the ancestors of present-day Alaskans and Siberians. In 2012, another group of researchers used ancient DNA to show that dogs were domesticated twice: once in Asia, and once in Europe or Africa.

The potential for future discoveries using biomolecular archaeological techniques is immense. As more samples are analyzed, we will gain a better understanding not only of human evolution and migration, but also of how plants and animals have changed over time.