Theme:
Museums and the challenges of archaeological outreach in the 21st century
Session format:
Session, made up of a combination of papers, max. 15 minutes each
Title:
Archaeological biomolecules from museum specimens: striking a balance between curation and destructive sampling
Content:
Archaeological specimens curated by museums have the potential to answer longstanding questions on human demography, paleoenvironments, and plant and animal domestication through analyses of ancient DNA, proteins, and other biomolecules. For example, ancient DNA recovered from the Neanderthal type specimen helped refine our understanding of hominin evolutionary relationships. Importantly, this study was only possible because excavated skeletal remains were protected in a museum for over a century. While such projects highlight the role museums play in archaeological research, these cutting-edge biomolecular investigations may lead to damage to irreplaceable ancient and historic specimens. In order to generate new dialogue between museum curators, archaeologists, and other researchers, this session will provide a venue to discuss how museum collections can contribute to pioneering examinations of ancient biomolecules. Speakers will explore the theme from several angles, including 1) case studies of DNA, RNA, protein, and lipid analyses of museum specimens, 2) examination of curatorial practices that can enhance or diminish long-term survival of biomolecules, 3) discussion of differential preservation due to tissue type, such as particular skeletal elements, and 4) strategizing how to mitigate the impact of destructive sampling, such as with 3D digitization. By weighing the tradeoffs of destructive sampling, researchers and museum curators can maximize the scientific potential of specimens and minimize the chance that precious specimens are destroyed for little gain. In these ways, this session aims to publicize museums’ active role in archaeological research and further missions of stewardship and public outreach.
Keywords:
Biomolecules, DNA, protein, curation, preservation
Session associated with MERC:
no
Session associated with CIfA:
no
Session associated with SAfA:
no
Main organiser:
Nathan Wales (United States) 1
Co-organisers:
Oliver Smith (Denmark) 2
Affiliations:
1. University of California, Berkeley
2. University of Copenhagen
THIS SESSION CAN NOT BE SELECTED AT THIS MOMENT