What DNA found on a 20,000-year-old bone pendant reveals
The prowess here is exceptional. A 20,000-year-old pendant has just revealed his owner’s DNA thanks to the perspiration he was impregnated with. It is precisely “a single pearl found in the cave of Denisova, Siberia”, explains Marie Soressi, a French archeologist working at the University of Leiden (Netherlands), to the microphone of RTL.
“We conducted a somewhat trendy investigation of current judicial practices. The DNA of the person who carried or touched this object 20,000 years ago has been sought,’ continues the co-leader of the research. “This pearl is made of a tooth, it’s a deer tooth and the teeth are made of bone. Bone has a wonderful property: it stores and captures DNA. It’s porous.”
How do you extract DNA? ‘This is a method that corresponds more or less to the principle of the washing machine,’ explains Marie Soressi. This object is placed in a series of baths, then the temperature is raised.”
She adds: ‘The DNA is very well preserved. We were able to determine the biological sex of the owner. This pearl was carried by a woman, belonging to a very ancient population of northern Asia.” Do we have any idea of his looks? “No,” says the archeologist. “But maybe in the future, yes. At the moment, it is extremely difficult to establish skin color.”
What does this discovery bring? ‘In very ancient prehistory, you can link an object and a specific person for the first time […]. Thanks to these DNA analyzes, we will be able to better understand the structures of these very ancient societies, the role and status of individuals,’ concludes Marie Soressi.
