Heritage Cases

Given the temporal depth of human occupation in southern Africa, ancient genome data from local archaeological contexts is extremely valuable and becoming a much sought-after resource. The ‘ancient DNA’ research niche is currently dominated by a few well-financed European laboratories, many of which have set their sights on South African contexts as sources of sedaDNA. In collaboration with researchers at the Estonian Biocentre (University of Tartu), we propose to perform the extraction, sequencing and analyses of ancient DNA derived from 22 sedimentary samples recovered at Border Cave (KwaZulu-Natal Province) (3). The sequence from which the samples derive covers a time period during which behaviourally ‘fully modern’ humans proceeded to migrate from Africa and populate the globe. Appropriate collaborative analytical arrangements have been made with the Estonian Biocentre at the University of Tartu. Our aim is to test the feasibility of extracting aDNA from ancient anthropogenic sediments derived from Border Cave dated to between 25,000 and 65,000 years ago. To achieve this aim, 22 ancient sediment samples (and one modern surface-derived control sample) spanning locations between the upper (Early LSA) and lower (Howieson’s Poort) levels will be subjected to sedaDNA extraction protocols. The analyses will be supervised by Professor Kristiina Tambets and performed by Dr. Christina Scheib. Following aDNA extraction, the CGG Illumina HiSeq 2500 sequencing platform will be used to sequence extracted aDNA. The cost of this is estimated at $ 5000.00 and will be provided for by the Estonian Biocentre.