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

从考古发掘的个体中提取的古DNA（aDNA）分析已成为提高对过去人群及其文化的理解的宝贵工具。这项研究项目将使用aDNA作为一种工具，以描绘生物亲属关系，目前，如果有的话，在个人之间出土的汉书II埋葬组1的后陶木嘎墓地在达？中国吉林省集安市对抽样个体之间的遗传相关性进行分析将确定埋葬在Houtaomuga的个体是否具有生物学上的相关性，如果是，则确定亲属关系在墓地内是否有社会分层。由于这一文化标志着社会从畜牧经济向混合农业生存过渡的时期，因此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DNA实验室的崔银奎博士的指导下进行，并与吉林大学中国边疆考古中心合作。在这一时期，个体被埋葬在合葬墓或单葬土葬墓中，表明个体之间的社会分层。拟议的项目将分析从两种类型的墓葬中挖掘出的个体中提取的DNA，以揭示墓葬中生物亲缘关系的可能性，以及高地位和低地位墓葬中埋葬的个体之间的生物关系。 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回收率足够，还将进行双亲常染色体遗传标记分析。迄今为止，还没有对中国青铜时代汉书二代文化时期的遗骸进行过血缘关系的遗传学分析。因此，这个项目将有助于在经济上重要的社会转型时期更细致地了解韩束II文化。该NSF EAPSI奖支持美国研究生的研究，并与中国科技部合作资助。

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.