Engaging with palaeogenomics beyond the lab

Abstract

As ancient DNA (aDNA) science enters a new phase of computational and institutional power, what should social scientists and humanities scholars focus on? This article identifies questions that examine the relationships between scientists, research participants, communities and publics, and how these groups engage with, appropriate or resist palaeogenomic accounts of the past. We outline four areas for research: the social relations underlying data generation, interpretation and dissemination; community engagement beyond harm-centred ethical frameworks; the diverse publics with stakes in aDNA science; and the politics of constructing genetic pasts, both deep and recent. This agenda is designed to engage with researchers and communities finding new ways to narrate pasts, presents and futures through genetic science.