The people behind the samples: Biographical features of Past Hunter-Gatherers from KwaZulu-Natal who yielded aDNA.

PURPOSE: Skeletons sampled for ancient human DNA analysis are sometimes complete enough to provide information about the lives of the people they represent. We focus on three Later Stone Age skeletons, ca. 2000 B.P., from coastal KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, whose ancient genomes have been sequenced (Schlebusch et al., 2017).

METHODS: Bioarchaeological approaches are integrated with aDNA information.

RESULTS: All skeletons are male. Dental development shows that the boy, with prominent cribra orbitalia, died at age 6-7 years. Two men show cranial and spinal trauma, extensive tooth wear, plus mild cribra orbitalia in one.

CONCLUSIONS: Dental wear and trauma of the adults are consistent with hunter-gatherer lives. Even partial aDNA evidence contributes to sex determination. Parasitic infection such as schistosomiasis is the best-fit cause for the child's anemia in this case.

CONTRIBUTION TO KNOWLEDGE: The convergence of genomic and bioarchaeological approaches expands our knowledge of the past lives of a boy and two men whose lives as hunter-gatherers included episodes of trauma and disease.

LIMITATIONS: The skeletons are incomplete, in variable condition, and from poorly characterized local cultural contexts.

SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH: Thorough osteobiographic analysis should accompany paleogenomic investigations. Such disciplinary collaboration enriches our understanding of the human past.