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Cucina A, Schmidt AL, Di Gianvincenzo F, Mackie M, Dove C, Jakobsen AR, Grønnow B, Appelt M, Cappellini E. Paleoproteomic identification of the species used in fourteenth century gut-skin garments from the archaeological site of Nuulliit, Greenland. Sci Rep 2024; 14:13431. [PMID: 38862633 PMCID: PMC11166976 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-63243-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2024] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Until recently, the identification of the species of origin for skin and fur materials used in the production of archaeological clothing has been based on the analysis of macro- and microscopic morphological features and on the traditional knowledge of Indigenous groups. This approach, however, is not always applicable due to the deterioration of the archaeological objects. Paleoproteomics was used as an alternative approach to identify the species of origin of fifteen samples of various tissues from approximately 600-year-old garments found in Nuulliit, northern Greenland. Proteomics revealed that a limited group of marine and terrestrial mammals were used for clothing production. The results obtained from the analysis of multiple types of clothing and elements, such as sinew thread and gut skin, suggest that their applications were based on their properties. When conclusive assignment of a sample to a species via proteomics was not possible, the observation by transmitted light microscopy of feather and hair micromorphology, if not affected by diagenesis, was used to improve the identification. The proteomic characterization of animal materials used for clothing production in the Nuulliit archaeological context provides an insight into the practical knowledge and the strategies adopted by the local Indigenous community to exploit natural resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annamaria Cucina
- Department of Chemical Sciences, Organic Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, University of Catania, Via S. Sofia 64, 95123, Catania, Italy.
- CQRC- Ospedali Riuniti Villa Sofia- Cervello, Palermo, Via del Vespro 133, 90127, Palermo, Italy.
| | - Anne Lisbeth Schmidt
- The National Museum of Denmark, Research, Collections and Conservation, I.C. Modewegsvej, 2800 Kgs, Lyngby, Denmark.
| | - Fabiana Di Gianvincenzo
- Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Øster Farimagsgade 5, 1353, Copenhagen K, Denmark.
- Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, University of Ljubljana, Večna Pot 113, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
| | - Meaghan Mackie
- Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Øster Farimagsgade 5, 1353, Copenhagen K, Denmark
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Research, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, 2200, Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Carla Dove
- National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, 20560, USA
| | - Aviâja Rosing Jakobsen
- Nunatta Katersugaasivia Allagaateqarfialu, Greenland National Museum & Archives, Hans Egedesvej 8, Boks 145, 3900, Nuuk, Greenland
| | - Bjarne Grønnow
- The National Museum of Denmark, Modern History and World Cultures, Frederiksholms Kanal 12, 1220, Copenhagen K, Denmark
| | - Martin Appelt
- The National Museum of Denmark, Modern History and World Cultures, Frederiksholms Kanal 12, 1220, Copenhagen K, Denmark
| | - Enrico Cappellini
- Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Øster Farimagsgade 5, 1353, Copenhagen K, Denmark
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Behavioural biology of South American domestic camelids: An overview from a welfare perspective. Small Rumin Res 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.smallrumres.2023.106918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
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Abstract
Paleoproteomics, the study of ancient proteins, is a rapidly growing field at the intersection of molecular biology, paleontology, archaeology, paleoecology, and history. Paleoproteomics research leverages the longevity and diversity of proteins to explore fundamental questions about the past. While its origins predate the characterization of DNA, it was only with the advent of soft ionization mass spectrometry that the study of ancient proteins became truly feasible. Technological gains over the past 20 years have allowed increasing opportunities to better understand preservation, degradation, and recovery of the rich bioarchive of ancient proteins found in the archaeological and paleontological records. Growing from a handful of studies in the 1990s on individual highly abundant ancient proteins, paleoproteomics today is an expanding field with diverse applications ranging from the taxonomic identification of highly fragmented bones and shells and the phylogenetic resolution of extinct species to the exploration of past cuisines from dental calculus and pottery food crusts and the characterization of past diseases. More broadly, these studies have opened new doors in understanding past human-animal interactions, the reconstruction of past environments and environmental changes, the expansion of the hominin fossil record through large scale screening of nondiagnostic bone fragments, and the phylogenetic resolution of the vertebrate fossil record. Even with these advances, much of the ancient proteomic record still remains unexplored. Here we provide an overview of the history of the field, a summary of the major methods and applications currently in use, and a critical evaluation of current challenges. We conclude by looking to the future, for which innovative solutions and emerging technology will play an important role in enabling us to access the still unexplored "dark" proteome, allowing for a fuller understanding of the role ancient proteins can play in the interpretation of the past.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Warinner
- Department
of Anthropology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, United States
- Department of Archaeogenetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig 04103, Germany
| | - Kristine Korzow Richter
- Department
of Anthropology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, United States
| | - Matthew J. Collins
- Department
of Archaeology, Cambridge University, Cambridge CB2 3DZ, United Kingdom
- Section
for Evolutionary Genomics, Globe Institute,
University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen 1350, Denmark
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Abstract
Archaeological and paleontological records offer tremendous yet often untapped potential for examining long-term biodiversity trends and the impact of climate change and human activity on ecosystems. Yet, zooarchaeological and fossil remains suffer various limitations, including that they are often highly fragmented and morphologically unidentifiable, preventing them from being optimally leveraged for addressing fundamental research questions in archaeology, paleontology, and conservation paleobiology. Here, we explore the potential of palaeoproteomics—the study of ancient proteins—to serve as a critical tool for creating richer, more informative datasets about biodiversity change that can be leveraged to generate more realistic, constructive, and effective conservation and restoration strategies into the future.
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Welker F. Editorial. J Proteomics 2021; 253:104460. [PMID: 34955453 DOI: 10.1016/j.jprot.2021.104460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Frido Welker
- GLOBE Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
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