Department of Chemical Sciences, Organic Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, University of Catania, Via S. Sofia 64, 95123, Catania, Italy.
CQRC- Ospedali Riuniti Villa Sofia- Cervello, Palermo, Via del Vespro 133, 90127, Palermo, Italy.
Sci Rep. 2024 Jun 11;14(1):13431. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-63243-0.
Until recently, the identification of the species of origin for skin and fur materials used in the production of archaeological clothing has been based on the analysis of macro- and microscopic morphological features and on the traditional knowledge of Indigenous groups. This approach, however, is not always applicable due to the deterioration of the archaeological objects. Paleoproteomics was used as an alternative approach to identify the species of origin of fifteen samples of various tissues from approximately 600-year-old garments found in Nuulliit, northern Greenland. Proteomics revealed that a limited group of marine and terrestrial mammals were used for clothing production. The results obtained from the analysis of multiple types of clothing and elements, such as sinew thread and gut skin, suggest that their applications were based on their properties. When conclusive assignment of a sample to a species via proteomics was not possible, the observation by transmitted light microscopy of feather and hair micromorphology, if not affected by diagenesis, was used to improve the identification. The proteomic characterization of animal materials used for clothing production in the Nuulliit archaeological context provides an insight into the practical knowledge and the strategies adopted by the local Indigenous community to exploit natural resources.
直到最近，用于制作考古服装的皮肤和毛皮材料的物种起源鉴定一直基于宏观和微观形态特征的分析以及土着群体的传统知识。然而，由于考古物体的恶化，这种方法并非总是适用。古蛋白组学被用作替代方法，以鉴定来自格陵兰岛北部努利利特发现的约 600 年前服装的十五个不同组织样本的起源物种。蛋白质组学表明，有限的一组海洋和陆地哺乳动物被用于服装生产。通过对多种类型的服装和元素（如肌腱线和肠皮）进行分析得到的结果表明，它们的应用基于其特性。如果通过蛋白质组学对样品进行物种的明确归属是不可能的，则通过透射光显微镜观察羽毛和毛发的微观形态，如果不受成岩作用的影响，则可以用于改善鉴定。努利利特考古背景下用于服装生产的动物材料的蛋白质组学特征提供了对当地土着社区利用自然资源的实际知识和采用的策略的深入了解。
