archaeogenomic
AR-kee-oh-jee-noh-mik
Definition
Relating to the study of ancient biological samples through the analysis of their genomic sequences.
Etymology
Derived from the Greek 'archaios' meaning ancient, combined with 'genome' (from 'gene' and the suffix '-ome') and the suffix '-ic'. It describes the branch of science that applies modern DNA sequencing technology to archaeological specimens.
In the news
The article uses the term to suggest that future, more advanced studies focusing on DNA sequences should be conducted to verify if other ancient pottery residues contain cacao.
Ancient cacao DNA has been recovered from two pottery fragments dug out of eleventh and twelfth century feasting pits at Etowah in Georgia, reported as the first clear evidence that cacao consumption was part of the Mississippian world
Read the full article ↗ScienceBlog.com