Molecular archaeology

Jehaes, E. (1998), Optimization of Methods and Procedures for the Analysis of mt-DNA Sequences and Their Applications in Molecular Archaeological and Historical Finds, Leuven Univ., Leuven. 

Nissenbaum, A. (1992), Molecular archaeology Organic geochemistry of Egyptian mummies, /. Archaeol. Sci. 19, 1-6. 

J. Connan, R.P. Evershed, L. Biek, G. Eglinton, Use and trade of bitumen in antiquity and prehistory molecular archaeology reveals secrets of past civilizations, Philosophical Transactions Biological Sciences, 354, 33 50 (1999). 

Connan, J., Nissenbaum, A. and Dessort, D. (1992). Molecular archaeology export of Dead Sea asphalt to Canaan and Egypt in the Chalcolithic-Early Bronze Age (4th 3rd Millennium BC). Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 56 2743-2759. 

JG Lawrence, H Ochman. Molecular archaeology of the Escherichia coli genome. Proc Natl Acad Sci (USA) 95 9413-9417, 1998. 

Molecular archaeology Sometimes used to refer to the organic component of archaeological chemistry and particularly to the investigation of ancient DNA in plant and animal remains, including humans. Sometimes called biomolecular archaeology. 

Oudemans, T.F.M., and J.J. Boon 1991. Molecular archaeology analysis of charred (food)... 

In light of this statement, it is easy to appreciate the restraint of the authors of their pubhcahon dealing with molecular archaeology. They determined, using Py-MS and PY-GC/MS, remains of hpids in prehistorical pottery and residues but stated that the identihcahon of original foodstuffs based on the relative distribution of free fatty acids in an archaeological sample is a difficult process. Also, they admitted that mono-, di-, or triacylglycerides could not have been detected with the pyrolysis technique uhlized. 

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