Biomolecular archaeology : an introduction / / Terry Brown and Keri Brown

• Record Nr.: UNINA9910830082903321
• Autore: Brown T. A (Terence A.)
• Pubbl/distr/stampa: United Kingdom : , : John Wiley & Sons Ltd, , [2011]; ©2011
• ISBN: 1-4443-9244-1; 9786613407955; 1-283-40795-7; 1-4443-9242-5; 1-4443-9243-3
• Descrizione fisica: 1 online resource (398 p.)
• Disciplina: 930.1
• Soggetti: Archaeological chemistry; Biomolecular archaeology; Geology
• Lingua di pubblicazione: Inglese
• Formato: Materiale a stampa
• Livello bibliografico: Monografia
• Note generali: Includes index.
• Nota di bibliografia: Includes bibliographical references and index.
• Nota di contenuto: ""Brief Contents""; ""Contents""; ""Halftitle page""; ""Title page""; ""Copyright""; ""List of Figures""; ""List of Tables""; ""Preface""; ""PART I BIOMOLECULES AND HOW THEY ARE STUDIED""; ""Chapter 1: What is Biomolecular Archaeology?""; ""1.1 The Scope of Biomolecular Archaeology""; ""1.2 Ancient and Modern Biomolecules""; ""1.3 The Challenges of Biomolecular Archaeology""; ""Chapter 2: DNA""; ""2.1 The Importance of DNA in Biomolecular Archaeology""; ""2.2 The Structure of DNA""; ""2.3 Genomes and Genes""; ""2.4 From Genomes to Organisms""; ""2.5 How Ancient DNA is Studied""; ""Chapter 3: Proteins""""3.1 The Importance of Proteins in Biomolecular Archaeology""; ""3.2 Protein Structure and Synthesis""; ""3.3 Studying Proteins by Immunological Methods""; ""3.4 Studying Proteins by Proteomic Methods""; ""Chapter 4: Lipids""; ""4.1 The Structures of Lipids""; ""4.2 Methods for Studying Ancient Lipids""; ""Chapter 5: Carbohydrates""; ""5.1 The Structure of Carbohydrates""; ""5.2 Studying Starch Grains""; ""Chapter 6: Stable Isotopes""; ""6.1 Isotopes and ; Isotopic Fractionation""; ""6.2 Carbon and Nitrogen Isotope Fractionations Enable Past Human Diets to be Studied""; ""6.3 Practical Aspects of Stable Isotope Studies""""PART II PRESERVATION AND DECAY OF BIOMOLECULES IN ARCHAEOLOGICAL SPECIMENS""; ""Chapter 7: Sources of Ancient Biomolecules""; ""7.1 Bones and Teeth""; ""7.2 Vertebrate Soft Tissues""; ""7.3 Plant Remains""; ""Chapter 8: Degradation of Ancient Biomolecules""; ""8.1 Complications in the Study of Biomolecular Degradation""; ""8.2 Degradation of Ancient DNA""; ""8.3 Degradation of Ancient Proteins""; ""8.4 Degradation of Ancient Lipids""; ""8.5 Degradation of Ancient Carbohydrates""; ""Chapter 9: The Technical Challenges of Biomolecular Archaeology""""9.1 Problems Caused by Modern DNA Contamination""; ""9.2 Problems Caused by Overinterpretation of Data""; ""PART III THE APPLICATIONS OF BIOMOLECULAR ARCHAEOLOGY""; ""Chapter 10: Identifying the Sex of Human Remains""; ""10.1 The Archaeological Context to Human Sex Identification""; ""10.2 Osteological Approaches to Sex Identification""; ""10.3 Using DNA to Identify the Sex of Archaeological Skeletons""; ""10.4 Examples of the Application of Sex Identification in Biomolecular Archaeology""; ""Chapter 11: Identifying the Kinship Relationships of Human Remains""""11.1 The Archaeological Context to Kinship Studies""; ""11.2 Using DNA to Study Kinship with Archaeological Skeletons""; ""11.3 Examples of the Application of Kinship Analysis in Biomolecular Archaeology""; ""Chapter 12: Studying the Diets of Past People""; ""12.1 The Archaeological Approach to Diet""; ""12.2 Studying Diet by Organic Residue Analysis and Stable Isotope Measurements""; ""12.3 Examples of the Use of Stable Isotope and Residue Analysis in Studies of Past Diet""; ""12.4 Using Genetics to Study Past Diets""; ""Chapter 13: Studying the Origins and Spread of Agriculture""