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Biomolecular Archaeology Lab
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The lab explores the lives of people in the past through DNA and proteins preserved at archaeological sites.
AboutAbout the lab
Tracing the history of people and environments through ancient molecules.
From the standpoint of physical anthropology and bioarchaeology, the Biomolecular Archaeology Lab uses ancient DNA and proteins to study the evolution and lives of people in the past.
The lab extracts DNA and proteins from past remains to clarify aspects such as people's diet, health (physiological condition), and living environments.
Its main targets are materials from Japan, from the Paleolithic period to the Edo period, and it also works with materials from overseas, such as Peru.
The lab's website says it welcomes people who want to learn ancient molecule methods starting in graduate school, even if their undergraduate background is in a different field, such as the humanities.
Key terms
- Ancient DNA
- DNA of past organisms preserved in materials such as human remains and soil at archaeological sites
- Bioarchaeology
- The study of the lives of people in the past using biological materials, such as human remains, recovered from archaeological sites
- Microbiome
- The community of bacteria living inside the body, such as in the mouth and gut. It is closely related to health and disease
ResearchResearch themes
The lab aims to clarify how the interaction between humans and the environment has changed over time, using ancient molecules (mainly DNA, with proteins as a supplement). It also puts effort into developing new methods that use ancient molecules and into fieldwork at excavation sites.
Exploring Past Lifeways with Ancient Molecules
The lab extracts DNA and proteins from remains found at archaeological sites to study the diet, health, and living environments of people in the past. It focuses on the interaction between people and the environment in a broad sense.
New Analytical Methods for Ancient Molecules
The lab works on developing new methods that use ancient molecules. In particular, it is developing a way to extract ancient DNA from soil adhering to ancient human remains and from the surfaces of bones and teeth, in order to reconstruct the microbiome (the community of bacteria) in that person's mouth and gut.
MembersFaculty
- LecturerRikai Sawafuji
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