Sedimentary DNA and molecular evidence for early human occupation of the Faroe Islands
Sedimentary DNA and molecular evidence for early human occupation of the Faroe Islands
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DOI：
10.1038/s43247-021-00318-0
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发表时间：
2021-12-16
影响因子：
7.9
通讯作者：
Bakke, Jostein
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Curtin, Lorelei;D'Andrea, William J.;Bakke, Jostein
根据湖泊沉积物核心的沉积 DNA 和粪便分子生物标记，人类可能早在公元 500 年就已经在法罗群岛定居，并开始利用这片土地放牧牲畜，比之前认为的早了约 300 年。法罗群岛是挪威和冰岛之间的北大西洋群岛，公元 9 世纪中叶由维京探险家定居。然而，一些间接证据表明，不列颠群岛的人们更早地占领了法罗群岛。在这里，我们展示了来自法罗群岛一个著名考古遗址附近的湖泊沉积物核心的沉积古代 DNA 和分子粪便生物标志物证据，以确定人们到达该流域的最早日期。我们的结果显示，粪便生物标志物浓度有所增加，并且羊 DNA 首次出现于公元 500 年（95% 置信区间为公元 370-610 年），比挪威定居点早了 300 年。沉积植物 DNA 表明草类植物数量增加，木本植物消失，这可能是由于牲畜放牧所致。这为 9 世纪维京人定居之前的几个世纪，人类抵达法罗群岛和牲畜骚扰提供了明确的证据。
Humans may have settled the Faroe Islands and begun using the land for livestock grazing as early as 500 CE, around 300 years earlier than previously believed, according to sedimentary DNA and molecular fecal biomarkers from a lake sediment core.The Faroe Islands, a North Atlantic archipelago between Norway and Iceland, were settled by Viking explorers in the mid-9th century CE. However, several indirect lines of evidence suggest earlier occupation of the Faroes by people from the British Isles. Here, we present sedimentary ancient DNA and molecular fecal biomarker evidence from a lake sediment core proximal to a prominent archaeological site in the Faroe Islands to establish the earliest date for the arrival of people in the watershed. Our results reveal an increase in fecal biomarker concentrations and the first appearance of sheep DNA at 500 CE (95% confidence interval 370-610 CE), pre-dating Norse settlements by 300 years. Sedimentary plant DNA indicates an increase in grasses and the disappearance of woody plants, likely due to livestock grazing. This provides unequivocal evidence for human arrival and livestock disturbance in the Faroe Islands centuries before Viking settlement in the 9th century.