TY - JOUR
T1 - Chronological and genetic analysis of an Upper Palaeolithic female infant burial from Borsuka Cave, Poland
AU - Fewlass, Helen
AU - Zavala, Elena I.
AU - Fagault, Yoann
AU - Tuna, Thibaut
AU - Bard, Edouard
AU - Hublin, Jean-Jacques
AU - Hajdinjak, Mateja
AU - Wilczyński, Jarosław
PY - 2023/12
Y1 - 2023/12
N2 - Six infant human teeth and 112 animal tooth pendants from Borsuka Cave were identified as the oldest burial in Poland. However, uncertainties around the dating and the association of the teeth to the pendants have precluded their association with an Upper Palaeolithic archaeological industry. Using <67 mg per tooth, we combined dating and genetic analyses of two human teeth and six herbivore tooth pendants to address these questions. Our interdisciplinary approach yielded informative results despite limited sampling material, and high levels of degradation and contamination. Our results confirm the Palaeolithic origin of the human remains and herbivore pendants, and permit us to identify the infant as female and discuss the association of the assemblage with different Palaeolithic industries. This study exemplifies the progress that has been made toward minimally destructive methods and the benefits of integrating methods to maximize data retrieval from precious but highly degraded and contaminated prehistoric material.
AB - Six infant human teeth and 112 animal tooth pendants from Borsuka Cave were identified as the oldest burial in Poland. However, uncertainties around the dating and the association of the teeth to the pendants have precluded their association with an Upper Palaeolithic archaeological industry. Using <67 mg per tooth, we combined dating and genetic analyses of two human teeth and six herbivore tooth pendants to address these questions. Our interdisciplinary approach yielded informative results despite limited sampling material, and high levels of degradation and contamination. Our results confirm the Palaeolithic origin of the human remains and herbivore pendants, and permit us to identify the infant as female and discuss the association of the assemblage with different Palaeolithic industries. This study exemplifies the progress that has been made toward minimally destructive methods and the benefits of integrating methods to maximize data retrieval from precious but highly degraded and contaminated prehistoric material.
U2 - 10.1016/j.isci.2023.108283
DO - 10.1016/j.isci.2023.108283
M3 - Journal article
SN - 2589-0042
VL - 26
JO - iScience
JF - iScience
IS - 12
M1 - 108283
ER -