Reconciling material cultures in archaeology with genetic data: The nomenclature of clusters emerging from archaeogenomic analysis.

Sci Rep
Authors
Keywords
Abstract

Genome-wide ancient DNA analysis of skeletons retrieved from archaeological excavations has provided a powerful new tool for the investigation of past populations and migrations. An important objective for the coming years is to properly integrate ancient genomics into archaeological research. This article aims to contribute to developing a better understanding and cooperation between the two disciplines and beyond. It focuses on the question of how best to name clusters encountered when analysing the genetic makeup of past human populations. Recent studies have frequently borrowed archaeological cultural designations to name these genetic groups, while neglecting the historically problematic nature of the concept of cultures in archaeology. After reviewing current practices in naming genetic clusters, we introduce three possible nomenclature systems ('numeric system', 'mixed system (a)', 'geographic-temporal system') along with their advantages and challenges.

Year of Publication
2018
Journal
Sci Rep
Volume
8
Issue
1
Pages
13003
Date Published
2018 08 29
ISSN
2045-2322
DOI
10.1038/s41598-018-31123-z
PubMed ID
30158639
PubMed Central ID
PMC6115390
Links
Grant list
HHMI / Howard Hughes Medical Institute / United States