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DNA AND PROTEIN RECOVERY FROM WASHED EXPERIMENTAL STONE TOOLS *
Author(s) -
SHANKS O. C.,
KORNFELD M.,
REAM W.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
archaeometry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.716
H-Index - 67
eISSN - 1475-4754
pISSN - 0003-813X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1475-4754.2004.00181.x
Subject(s) - ammonium hydroxide , dna , ancient dna , chemistry , chromatography , biology , biochemistry , population , demography , organic chemistry , sociology
Traces of protein and DNA are preserved on stone tools used to process animals. Previous research documents the identification of protein residues from tools sonicated in 5% ammonium hydroxide, but it remains untested whether the same treatment yields useable DNA. In this study we report both DNA and protein recovery using 5% ammonium hydroxide from residues on stone tools. We extracted 13‐year‐old residues from experimentally manufactured stone tools used to butcher a single animal. We also show that surface washing procedures typically used to curate stone tools remove only a small fraction of the DNA and protein deposited during animal butchery.