EAPSI: Using Ancient DNA to Determine Biological Kinship in a Bronze Age Cemetery, China

从考古环境中挖掘出来的个体中恢复的古代DNA （aDNA）分析已经成为提高对过去人口及其文化理解的有价值的工具。本研究项目将使用dna作为工具，来描绘从大？后田村墓地的汉书II墓葬组1中出土的个体之间存在的生物亲属关系。中国吉林省安阳市对样本个体之间的遗传关系进行分析，将确定埋葬在后田村的个体是否具有生物学上的亲属关系，如果是的话，亲属关系是否在墓地内具有社会分层。由于这种文化标志着社会从游牧经济向混合农业经济过渡的时期，这是理解社会组织的一个特别重要的研究地点。这项研究将在吉林大学古代DNA实验室的崔寅琦博士的指导下进行，并与吉林大学中国边疆考古中心合作。在这一时期，个体被埋在合葬地下墓穴或单葬土墓中，表明个体之间的社会分层。该项目将分析从两种墓葬中出土的个体提取的dna，以揭示墓葬中生物亲属关系的可能性，以及在高地位墓葬和低地位墓葬中埋葬的个体之间的生物关系（如果有的话）。将对每个个体的线粒体DNA （mtDNA）的高变区（HVRI）以及男性个体的y染色体进行测序。如果aDNA的恢复率是足够的，分析双亲常染色体遗传标记也将进行。到目前为止，还没有对中国青铜时代汉书II文化时期的遗骸进行墓地血缘关系的遗传分析。因此，这个项目将有助于在经济上重大的社会转型时期更细致地了解汉书文化。该奖项由美国国家科学基金会EAPSI与中国科技部合作资助，支持一名美国研究生的研究。

The analysis of ancient DNA (aDNA) recovered from individuals excavated from archaeological contexts has become a valuable tool for improving understanding of past populations and their cultures. This research project will use aDNA as a tool to delineate the biological kinship relationships present, if any, amongst individuals excavated from the Hanshu II Burial Group 1 of the Houtaomuga cemetery in Da?an, Jilin Province, China. Analysis of genetic relatedness between the sampled individuals will determine if individuals buried at Houtaomuga are biologically related and, if so, whether kinship is socially stratified within the cemetery. As this culture marks a period of social transition from a pastoral economy to mixed agriculture subsistence, this is a particularly important research site for understanding social organization. The research will be conducted under the advisement of Dr. Yinqui Cui at the Jilin University Ancient DNA Laboratory, in collaboration with the Chinese Center for Frontier Archaeology at Jilin University. During this period, individuals were buried in either joint burial catacomb tombs or single burial earthen graves, indicating social stratification between individuals. The proposed project will analyze aDNA extracted from individuals excavated from both tomb types to reveal the probability of biological kinship within burials, as well as the biological relationship, if any, between individuals interred in high-status and lower-status burials. The hypervariable region (HVRI) of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) will be sequenced for each individual, as well as the Y-chromosome of male individuals. If the rate of aDNA recovery is sufficient, analysis of biparental autosomal genetic markers will also be conducted. No genetic analysis of intracemetery kinship has thus far been performed on remains from the Hanshu II cultural period of Bronze Age China. Thus, this project will contribute to a more nuanced understanding of Hanshu II culture at a time of economically significant social transition. This NSF EAPSI award supports the research of a U.S. graduate student and is funded in collaboration with the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology.