Heritage Cases

We propose to sample material for aDNA extraction (and C14 dating where relevant) from human remains (in particular bone and parts of teeth), curated at the Raymond A Dart collection (University of the Witwatersrand). This forms part of a larger initiative to trace the broader population history of southern Africans This application is part of a large-scale, long-term, multi-disciplinary research project that aims to trace human population history in southern Africa through modern and ancient DNA, and to reconcile genetic data with the archaeological, palaeoanthropological and craniometric records of the region. Since 2012, members of the group have already published several papers to this effect (e.g., Breton et al. 2014; Li et al. 2014; Lombard et al. 2013; Moodley et al. 2012; Owers et al., 2017, Schlebusch & Soodyall 2013; Schlebusch et al. 2012a, 2012b, 2013, 2016, 2017). PDFs of all these publications are available on request. Importantly, the team has proven success with extracting and reconstructing full ancient genome data from both inland and coastal regions of South Africa (Schlebusch et al. 2017). Sampling the material represented in this application will have a two-pronged research purpose. First, we aim to investigate time-serial data from southern Africa, and will increase resolution regarding site-occupation history considerably. The time-serial data will provide an indication of how populations in southern Africa changed over time, and how their DNA compares with that of current southern African populations. As can be seen from Fig. 1, sampling from the north-eastern region of South Africa is limited. Samples proposed in this study would provide not only more information on the southern coastal regions, but will also include samples from less-represented areas in the northern part of the country. Secondly, we aim to investigate in particular the transition from a Stone Age hunter-gathering way of life to early farming. In previous aDNA research Iron Age remains have not received much attention. One of the questions that has been discussed is whether this transition to farming was associated with a change in the biology of people – i.e., did the Iron Age technology / farming arrive in southern Africa associated with people moving in from the north, or was it a way of life that was adopted by local inhabitants? Some of these Early Iron Age individuals (of which there are preciously few) do have morphological characteristics more commonly associated with the Khoe-San (e.g., Steyn et al. 1994). The association between culture and biology is not always clear. This research will also allow for comparison of genetic variation of the ancient populations with genetic variation in groups currently living in southern Africa, shedding light on more recent population movements. Understanding migration, changes in subsistence patterns and population movements is of course a complex endeavour, and cannot be interpreted as simple replacements. For this team the DNA work is only a starting point for continuous engagement with the historical complexities of past populations. In addition to the above long-term research aims, the dating and DNA data generated will contribute considerably to the repositories, and to the national database on both Stone and Iron Age human remains. The proposed list of skeletons to be sampled is shown in Appendix 1. Whereas much may be known about the movements of groups or families within communities of both Khoesan and other African groups, this knowledge is seldom presented in a broader demographic context. Living and aDNA studies assist in providing scientific evidence for past admixture events and the extent to which populations across the southern African landscape interacted with each other. Such research is also able to provide relative ages for admixture and can reach into deep time for which no oral traditions are known. It therefore adds important aspects to the population histories of individuals and groups.