Sex determination of 4000 years old children and juveniles skeletal remains from Eneolithic burial site Hoštice 1 za Hanou (Czech Republic) by ancient DNA analysis.

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Authors

VAŇHAROVÁ Michaela DROZDOVÁ Eva

Year of publication 2008
Type Article in Periodical
Magazine / Source Anthropological Review
MU Faculty or unit

Faculty of Medicine

Citation
Field Archaeology, anthropology, ethnology
Keywords amelogenin; SRY; aDNA; Bell-Beaker culture; Hoštice 1 za Hanou
Description This study characterizes sex of children and immature individuals from 4000 years old Eneolithic burial site Hoštice 1 za Hanou of culture of Bell-Beaker people, located in central Moravia (Czech Republic) by means of modern molecular genetics. While anthropological approach was in this case limited either by state of preservation of skeletal remains or simply by absence of definite morphological traits in children, analysis of aDNA (SRY, amelogenin) was performed and obtained results compared to archeological grave findings and body imposition. Burial rite of investigated culture facilitated the analysis, because gender specific imposition of adults has already been described (man left-side, head northwards, woman right-side, head southwards). However, this approach is often limited in case of children burials. This study showed high concordance between archeological sex-determination and genetic sex, but also revealed several exceptions in children burial rite of Bell Beaker culture.
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