2019-12-18, 3*58 PM Ancient DNA is a powerful tool for studying the past – when archaeologists and geneticists work together Page 1 of 8 https://theconversation.com/ancient-dna-is-a-powerful-tool-for-studying-the-past-when-archaeologists-and-geneticists-work-together-111127 Authors Elizabeth Sawchuk Postdoctoral Fellow and Research Assistant Professor of Anthropology, Stony Brook University (The State University of New York) Mary Prendergast Professor of Anthropology, Saint Louis Academic rigour, journalistic flair DNA has moved beyond esoteric science and into the center of everyday conversations about identity, culture and politics. It’s also reshaping stories about the past as advances allow scientists to extract ancient DNA (aDNA) from skeletons found at archaeological sites. With each ancient genetic sequence, scientists learn new information about how people moved around and interacted in the ancient world. In some cases, this has helped overturn theories and resolve age-old debates. But the aDNA “revolution” has also caused friction among geneticists, archaeologists and others over how this research is done. As archaeologists who collaborate on aDNA projects, we’ve witnessed these tensions firsthand. What lies at the heart of this rift, and how can these disciplines work together to better research humanity’s past? New technology means accessing new information from ancient human remains, some which have been in collections for decades. Duckworth Laboratory, CC BY-NC-ND Ancient DNA is a powerful tool for studying the past – when archaeologists and geneticists work together March 11, 2019 1.10pm SAST