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The Molecule Hunt Martin Jones

The Molecule Hunt By Martin Jones

The Molecule Hunt by Martin Jones


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Summary

Molecular archaeology is widely regarded as the most innovative field within contemporary archaeological science. This text offers an overview of this science, drawing on case studies and showing how dramatic developments in the tracing and decoding of DNA molecules have transformed archaeology.

The Molecule Hunt Summary

The Molecule Hunt: Archaeology and the Hunt for Ancient DNA by Martin Jones

A revolution is underway in archaeology. For the first time the molecular record of past life, emtombed for millennia in archaeological and geological material, has become widely accessible to science. Miraculous-seeming techniques now allow ancient remains to speak volumes about a past we thought lost. Working at the cutting edge of genetic and other molecular technologies, researchers have been probing the remains of the building blocks of life - DNA, proteins and fats - in sediments, fossilized plants and ancient animal remains, including human skeletons, sacrificial llamas, dinosaur bones and 26-million-year-old insects preserved in amber. The faint traces on the tip of an ancient arrowhead are now enough to reveal its intended prey. Molecular signatures abound on primitive tools and in prehistoric bodies: from the arrow's tip to the cooking pot, from the remains of an ancient meal to the hair, flesh, teeth and bones of our ancestors. As a result many stories about our history have been rewritten, and others narrated for the first time. How different are we from the Neanderthals? Who first domesticated wild horses and who were history's first farmers? When was cabbage first boiled, and who milked the first cow? How far did ancient people travel, and how were strangers received? How did humans first get to the New World, and what animals and diseases did they bring with them? Who first tackled the vast ocean journeys to remote Pacific islands? What were the rules of marriage in pre-history? How far back in time have our ancestors been plagued with terrible episodes like the Black Death? For 25 years, Martin Jones's work has involved shifting the emphasis within archaeology from inert material objects to fragments of the living, breathing past. "The Molecule Hunt" uses Jones's perspective at the forefront of bio-archaeology to show how pioneering science is rewriting human history.

Table of Contents

A different kind of past; the quest for ancient DNA; our curious cousins; final traces of life; gaining control; ending the chase; great journeys; beyond DNA; friends and relations; enemies within; the hunt goes on.

Additional information

GOR013614009
9780713994230
0713994231
The Molecule Hunt: Archaeology and the Hunt for Ancient DNA by Martin Jones
Used - Like New
Hardback
Penguin Books Ltd
2001-09-06
288
N/A
Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
The book has been read, but looks new. The book cover has no visible wear, and the dust jacket is included if applicable. No missing or damaged pages, no tears, possible very minimal creasing, no underlining or highlighting of text, and no writing in the margins

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