RESUMEN
This synthesis explores specific ethical questions that commonly arise in isotopic analysis. For more than four decades, isotope analysis has been employed in archeological studies to explore past human and animal dietary habits, mobility patterns, and the environment in which a human or animal inhabited during life. These analyses require consideration of ethical issues. While theoretical concepts are discussed, we focus on practical aspects: working with descendant communities and other rights holders, choosing methods, creating and sharing data, and working mindfully within academia. These layers of respect and care should surround our science. This paper is relevant for specialists in isotope analysis as well as those incorporating these methods into larger projects. By covering the whole of the research process, from design to output management, we appeal broadly to archaeology and provide actionable solutions that build on the discussions in the general field.
RESUMEN
This dataset presents carbon, nitrogen, oxygen (carbonates and phosphates) and strontium data from human and faunal remains from that portion of seven assemblages from Jordan and Bahrain currently curated at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History. Human remains from Bahraini assemblages include the Middle Islamic Period (c. 1,400-1,500 AD) cemetery associated with the Qal'at al-Bahrain fort (n=49) and the Early Dilmun City IIa-c Period (c. 2,350-1,800 BC) assemblages of Saar (n=31), Buri North (n=41) and Buri South (n=17). The Saar assemblage, at the time of sampling at the Smithsonian Institution, also included individuals recovered from isolated tombs outside the Saar mound field, with distinct alphanumeric or name designations. The Buri assemblage (also known as Hamad Town) also contained one individual labeled BE (Buri East). Assemblages from Jordan include Early Bronze Age IB (c. 3,550-3,150 BC) Bab edh Dhra (91 individuals selected of a total MNI of 274), the Iron Age IA (c. 1,250-1,100 BC) commingled cave burial assemblage from the Ba'Qa Valley (n=63), and the Late Roman (c. 200-300 AD) assemblage from Zabayir Zahir edh-Diyab, also known as the Queen Alia International Airport assemblage (n=69). Not all individuals from whom a bone sample was taken had a suitable tooth to sample as well. A cumulative total of 13 faunal samples (bone and teeth; cattle and sheep) were also obtained from the Bahraini assemblages, all but two from the Bronze Age assemblages. Results in general are consistent with those from other assemblages from both locations regardless of time period, but they also complement and expand what is known about long-distance migration and dietary diversity and resilience across time within marginal desert environments (e.g., [11]; [16]; [7,8]).
RESUMEN
Here we evaluate Bhattacharya et al.'s (2018) recent paper "Whole-genome sequencing of Atacama skeleton shows novel mutations linked with dysplasia" published in Genome Research. In this short report, we examine the hypothesis that the so-called "Atacama skeleton" has skeletal abnormalities indicative of dysplasia, critique the validity of the interpretations of disease based on genomic analyses, and comment on the ethics of research on this partially mummified human foetus. The current paper acts as a case study of the importance of using an anthropological approach for aDNA research on human remains. A critical evaluation of the ethically controversial paper by Bhattacharya et al. highlights how an understanding of skeletal biological processes, including normal and abnormal growth and development, taphonomic processes, environmental context, and close attention to ethical issues of dealing with human remains, is vital to scientific interpretations. To this end, close collaboration with palaeopathologists and local archaeologists through appropriate peer-reviewed journals will add to the rigour of scientific interpretation and circumvent misinterpretation.
