Ancient metaproteomics : a novel approach for understanding disease and diet in the archaeological record
Proteomics is increasingly being applied to archaeological samples following technological developments in mass spectrometry. This thesis explores how these developments may contribute to the characterisation of disease and diet in the archaeological record. This thesis has a three-fold aim; a) to evaluate the potential of shotgun proteomics as a method for characterising ancient disease, b) to develop the metaproteomic analysis of dental calculus as a tool for understanding both ancient oral health and patterns of individual food consumption and c) to apply these methodological developments to understanding individual lifeways of people enslaved during the 19th century transatlantic slave trade. This thesis demonstrates that ancient metaproteomics can be a powerful tool for identifying microorganisms in the archaeological record, characterising the functional profile of ancient proteomes and accessing individual patterns of food consumption with high taxonomic specificity. In particular, analysis of dental calculus may be an extremely valuable tool for understanding the aetiology of past oral diseases. Results of this study highlight the value of revisiting previous studies with more recent methodological
Hendy, Jessica
Ancient metaproteomics : a novel approach for understanding disease and diet in the archaeological record. Proteomics is increasingly being applied to archaeological samples following technological developments in mass spectrometry. This thesis explores how these developments may contribute to the characterisation of disease and diet in the archaeological record. This thesis has a three-fold aim; a) to evaluate the potential of shotgun proteomics as a method for characterising ancient disease, b) to develop the metaproteomic analysis of dental calculus as a tool for understanding both ancient oral health and patterns of individual food consumption and c) to apply these methodological developments to understanding individual lifeways of people enslaved during the 19th century transatlantic slave trade. This thesis demonstrates that ancient metaproteomics can be a powerful tool for identifying microorganisms in the archaeological record, characterising the functional profile of ancient proteomes and accessing individual patterns of food consumption with high taxonomic specificity. In particular, analysis of dental calculus may be an extremely valuable tool for understanding the aetiology of past oral diseases. Results of this study highlight the value of revisiting previous studies with more recent methodological
ancient novel disease diet archaeological_record proteomics increasingly applied archaeological sample follow technological_development mass_spectrometry explores_development may_contribute characterisation disease diet archaeological_record three_fold aim_evaluate potential proteomics method characterise ancient disease develop analysis dental calculus tool ancient oral health pattern individual food_consumption apply methodological development individual lifeways people enslave transatlantic slave_trade demonstrates ancient powerful_tool identify archaeological_record characterise functional profile ancient access individual pattern food_consumption high taxonomic specificity particular analysis dental calculus may extremely valuable tool aetiology past oral disease study_highlight value revisit previous_study recent methodological