Matthew Collins

2 months ago | nature.com | Juan Rodriguez |Juan Rodríguez |Frederik V. Seersholm |Matthew Collins |Mikkel Winther Pedersen

AbstractUnderstanding the environmental and microbial processes involved in DNA degradation from archaeological remains is a fundamental part of managing bone specimens. We investigated the state of DNA preservation in 33 archaeozoological caribou (Rangifer tarandus) ribs excavated from the same excavation trench at a former Inuit hunting camp in West Greenland, separated by 43 years: 1978 and 2021.

2 months ago | biorxiv.org | Richard Hagan |Matthew Collins |Jessica Hendy

AbstractOrganic residues are a rich source of biomolecular information on ancient diets. In particular, foodcrusts, charred residues on ceramics, are commonly analysed for their lipid content and to a lesser extent protein in order to identify foods, culinary practices and material culture use in past populations. However, the composition of foodcrusts and the factors behind their formation are not well understood.