Giving and taking: negotiating responsible sampling for aDNA and multi-isotope analysis in practice

The ethics of destructive sampling of human remains has become a critical debate, in part centred on developing minimally invasive techniques that simultaneously maximize information yield. While widely adopted best-practice guidelines have been developed, the proliferation of diverse analytical techniques results in incremental damage that compounds across studies, necessitating coordinated protocols to minimize cumulative destructive impact. Here, we exemplify the complexities of developing standardized protocols to mitigate these issues in a study aimed at co-analysing multi-isotopes and aDNA analysis in individuals buried at Lochhead Quarry, an early medieval long cist cemetery in Angus, Scotland. We conclude that the most ethically appropriate approach to sampling is contingent upon anatomical representation and preservation weighted against research objectives, project capacity and curatorial context, and that standardized protocols are difficult to implement in practice. This highlights the need for active, dynamic and coordinated research designs explicitly integrating different biomolecular objectives at the outset.

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Publication Details

Journal
World Archaeology
Published
2026-07-16
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1080/00438243.2026.2698719
Primary Topic
Forensic and Genetic Research
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

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article

Giving and taking: negotiating responsible sampling for aDNA and multi-isotope analysis in practice

Linus Girdland-Flink, Pooja Swali, Alexandre Gilardet, Kate Britton et al.
World Archaeology
Forensic and Genetic Research
article

Giving and taking: negotiating responsible sampling for aDNA and multi-isotope analysis in practice

Linus Girdland-Flink, Pooja Swali, Alexandre Gilardet, Kate Britton, Monica Kelly, Frankie Tait, Marina Silva, Mia Williams, Thomas J. Booth, Orsolya Czére, Jesse McCabe, Jenna M. Dittmar, Neil Curtis, Lucy J. Koster
article en

Abstract

The ethics of destructive sampling of human remains has become a critical debate, in part centred on developing minimally invasive techniques that simultaneously maximize information yield. While widely adopted best-practice guidelines have been developed, the proliferation of diverse analytical techniques results in incremental damage that compounds across studies, necessitating coordinated protocols to minimize cumulative destructive impact. Here, we exemplify the complexities of developing standardized protocols to mitigate these issues in a study aimed at co-analysing multi-isotopes and aDNA analysis in individuals buried at Lochhead Quarry, an early medieval long cist cemetery in Angus, Scotland. We conclude that the most ethically appropriate approach to sampling is contingent upon anatomical representation and preservation weighted against research objectives, project capacity and curatorial context, and that standardized protocols are difficult to implement in practice. This highlights the need for active, dynamic and coordinated research designs explicitly integrating different biomolecular objectives at the outset.

World Archaeology
Vrije Universiteit Brussel (BE), University of Aberdeen (GB), The Francis Crick Institute (GB), Centre for Palaeogenetics (SE), University College London (GB), University of Reading (GB), Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (US)
University of Aberdeen
Openalex Percentile: Top 9%
Forensic and Genetic Research
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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