One of the current themes in paleoanthropological research is bridging the gap between disciplines and subfields. One study published this year does just that using a deer tooth pendant dating to 19,000-25,000 years ago from Denisova Cave in Siberia, the home of the enigmatic Denisovans, as well as humans and Neanderthals. This team used a nondestructive method to extract ancient DNA from objects to investigate the identity of the person that may have made and/or worn the object. This novel method involves gradually heating the artifact in a special solution to extract DNA that is trapped inside. From the mitochondrial genome, the team determined that the pendant wearer was a woman belonging to a known ancient Eurasian population that was previously only thought to live in eastern Siberia. The successful application of this method to objects means that researchers can bridge the gap between DNA and archaeology, linking cultural and utilitarian objects to individual people.

These findings were presented in the journal Nature on May 3rd, 2023, by Elena Essel and colleagues.