Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
5112128 | Journal of Archaeological Science | 2017 | 11 Pages |
Abstract
This study identifies and interprets the proteins present on sherds from six ceramic mortuary vessels from a burial mound near the Heuneburg, an early Iron Age (750-400 BCE) hillfort in southwest Germany, using a novel adaptation of proteomic analysis that identified 166 proteins with high confidence. Surprisingly, among the identified proteins were peptides from Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV), a pathogen previously unknown in this geographic region and time period, as well as peptides from human blood and tissues. These results highlight the first example of a viral cause of death of at least one high-status individual from the Iron Age west-central Europe and provide the first archaeological evidence for the interment of human organs in mortuary vessels in the region. We also demonstrate the suitability and value of a proteomics approach for discovery-based residue analysis of archaeological ceramic vessels and reveal how identification of adsorbed proteins can provide insight into prehistoric mortuary practices.
Keywords
ITMSCCHFVIACRP-HPLCTFAMWCOMortuary practiceACNDTTFDRABC3-[(3-cholamidopropyl)dimethylammonio]-1-propanesulfonateLC-MS/MSm/zDe-ionized waterAcetonitrileTrifluoroacetic acidAmmonium bicarbonateResidue analysismass-to-chargedithiothreitolTCEPIon-trap mass spectrometryExsanguinationfalse discovery rateCrimean Congo hemorrhagic fever virusCrimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever VirusProteomicsCHAPSmolecular weight cut-offliquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometryreversed-phase high performance liquid chromatographyiodoacetamide
Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering
Materials Science
Materials Science (General)
Authors
Conner J. Wiktorowicz, Bettina Arnold, John E. Wiktorowicz, Matthew L. Murray, Alexander Kurosky,