The sedaDNA revolution and archaeology: Progress, challenges, and a research agenda

Abstract

The uptake of sedimentary ancient DNA (sedaDNA) in archaeology appears to be rather behind that in areas such as palaeoecology, palaeolimnology and Quaternary sciences in general, and in contrast to the on-going revolution in palaeogenomics from skeletal material. From our experience of a high level of requests for sedaDNA analyses and general enquiries, we ascribe this so a knowledge-gap in the bioarchaeology and environmental archaeology sub-disciplines. This paper aims to address this by; providing a review of sedaDNA research in archaeology including taphonomic considerations by environmental context types, sampling and analytical considerations, quality control and authentication, and combined analysis with other proxies. Key areas of emerging archaeological application include a much deeper understanding of hunter-gatherer landscape interactions, the environments of early agriculture, domestication, disease and pandemics, field systems and agricultural revolutions. The high taxonomic precision of sedaDNA metabarcoding also provides new approaches to human migration since people migrate with their food cultures. It is hoped that this will encourage archaeological scientists to enter this research field, which is currently short of trained personnel. The paper also sets out the major challenges that are faced in the further application of sedaDNA, and potentially sedaRNA, in archaeology and also possible solutions and avenues for fruitful research. It is argued that sedaDNA, although immensely powerful, is still at present best used in combination with traditional areas of archaeobotany and archaeozoology. However, the emerging possibilities of both palaeo-phylogenetics and functional palaeogenetics are sign-posts to a deeper application that could constitute a revolution in archaeological science.