Use of Proteomics\nfor Dietary Reconstruction: A Case\nStudy Using Animal Teeth from Ancient Mesopotamia

This research examines animal teeth from Early Dynastic\n(2900–2350\nBCE) Mesopotamia (Southern Iraq) to assess animal management practices\nand identify consumption patterns in animal diets. The objective to\nanswer larger questions about food management and environmental resilience\nin ancient early complex societies in the Near East was achieved by\nthe use of mass spectrometry-based proteomics for dietary reconstruction.\nDietary MS, a revolutionary new methodology applying proteomics techniques\nto archeological sample sets to reconstruct ancient animal diet. A\ndeveloped protein extraction technique followed by liquid chromatography\ntandem mass spectrometry allowed for the identification of the specific\nplant species consumed in order to highlight variable herd management\nstrategies, resource optimization, for each taxon over time. It also\nprovided information about overall health and indications of disease.\nThis is the first study to apply a full suite of analyses to the region\nand provides the foundations of a necessary long-term view of human\ninteraction within an environment, through both time and space.