Archaeology meets Environmental Genomics: implementing sedaDNA in the study of the human past

Abstract

Sedimentary ancient DNA (sedaDNA) has become one of the standard applications in the field of paleogenomics in recent years. It has been used for paleoenvironmental reconstructions, detecting the presence of prehistoric species in the absence of macro remains and even investigating the evolutionary history of a few species. However, its application in archaeology has been limited and primarily focused on humans. This article argues that sedaDNA holds a significant potential in addressing key archaeological questions concerning the origins, lifestyles and environments of past human populations. Our aim is to facilitate the integration of sedaDNA into the standard workflows in archaeology as a transformative tool and thereby unleashing its full potential for studying the human past. Ultimately, we not only underscore the challenges inherent in the sedaDNA field but also provide a research agenda for essential enhancements needed for implementing sedaDNA into the standard workflows of archaeologists.

Sediment DNA can revolutionize archaeology—if it is used the right way

“…SedaDNA can thus go beyond standard archaeogenetic research rooted in fossils, which is necessarily a death assemblage. It may instead present a life assemblage ( 13 ), reflecting on aspects of human site use, population dynamics, and structuring of domestic spaces ( 14 ). But to transcend the question of “who was here,” we need to develop and employ analytical approaches that acknowledge and take advantage of the highly variable sedimentary record.…”