The SedaDNA Revolution in Archaeology? Current Progress and Future Potential

by Antony Brown FSA

In only 20 years the extraction and analysis of extra-cellular ancient DNA from sediments and soils (referred to here as sedaDNA) has gone from being an experiment approach in ecology to a practical methodology in environmental archaeology. This has paralleled the meteoric rise of archaeogenomic studies of human and animal bone and has similarly far-reaching implications for archaeological practice and theory. Although it is complimentary to traditional methods such as pollen, spores and plant macrofossils, it has the potential to go to lower taxonomic levels (species or even subspecies) and can include animals, especially the domesticates. This lecture will outline the current methodologies and present a series of archaeological examples drawn from the Mesolithic to post-medieval periods in Europe. Example site types will include crannogs, lowland hillforts, wetland sites and even agricultural terraces. Geographically these sites range from the crannogs of Scotland and Ireland to the floodplains of the Stonehenge area.

Much of the early use of sedaDNA has also been both validated and augmented by other environmental techniques ranging from biomarkers (lipids, bile acids, fecal stanols etc.) to insects. As the method develops the range of sediments that can yield useful results is widening from lakes, through wetlands, waterlogged archaeological features (including middens) to soils. This brings new problems and challenges such as leaching, intrusion and bioturbation. The concepts of extrinsic and intrinsic-authentication will also be discussed. The growing use of sedaDNA should prompt a renaissance in environmental archaeology allowing it to go far deeper into whole-ecosystems of the past, and engage with questions of profound significance concerning human-nature relations in archaeology.

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This event will be both in person at Burlington House and online. Please select the appropriate ticket below.

Attendance at Burlington House:

• Open to anyone to join, Fellows, Affiliates and General Public.
• Places in person will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.
• The event will begin at 17.00 GMT. Please arrive in plenty of time.
• Tea/Coffee is served from 16.30 GMT.
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The schedule for the evening if attending in person:

• Refreshments are served from 16.30 GMT in the council room.
• The meeting begins at 17.00 GMT with the lecture starting at approximately 17.10 GMT.
• Lectures run for approximately 45min and are followed by a short Q&A.
• Sherry is served in the Foyer following the lecture.

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