68 • W.W. Hauswirth, CD. Dickel, G.H. Doran, P.J. Laipis, and D.N. Dickel 



A B C D E 



Table 4. sites where brain li^ucs have been found 



Locations 



Dales 



Condition^ Reference 



Figure 9. DNA dot blot comparing amount of human Alu 

 sequences (plus pBR322 plasmid DNA) in 8000-year-old 

 DNA, nearby peat DNA, and contemporary human DNA. 

 Cloned Alu sequence (in pBR322) was nick translated and 

 hybridized to dot blot containing: lanes A and B, pBR322 

 DNA 100ng(B-l)to0.2ng(A-5);/a/it'C, lOOngofhuman 

 placental DNA; lane D, 10 |i.g of 8000-year-old DNA from 

 Skull #57-77; lane E. 10 jjig of 8000-year-old DNA from 

 peat near bone deposits. Rows 2 to 5 contain serial 2-fold 

 dilutions of sample in row 1 . 



or human ribosomal genes. The inserts from three clones 

 exhibiting weakly positive hybridization signals were se- 

 quenced. None showed significant (> 70%) homology to 

 any of the three classes of target genes nor did these inserts 

 (392 bp total) possess homology to any known DNA se- 

 quence by computer analysis of the Genetic Sequence Data 

 Bank maintained by the NIH. This may not be surprising 

 since only a small fraction (< 1 %) of the human genome has 

 been sequenced. 



An alternative approach to demonstrating the potential 

 human origin of some cloned fragments involved hybridizing 

 Southern blots of modem human brain DNA with probes 

 made from the cloned Alu inserts described above. Twelve 

 randomly selected probes were made and hybridized. In two 

 instances di.screte bands of modern human DNA hybridized 

 suggesting that at least a portion of the old brain DNA is of 

 human origin. Again, the precise identity of the sequences 

 remains obscure. 



Discussion 



The Windover site yielded preserved brain tissue of human 

 origin dating to the Early Archaic period. It is the oldest 

 human soft tissue yet analyzed at a molecular level. An inter- 

 disciplinary approach demonstrated the presence of human 



a. L artificial mummy; 2, natural mummy; 3, peat bog; 4, damp or water-saturatei 

 environment 



DNA as well as remnant cellular and anatomical structure. 

 These observations raise questions in two broad categories: 

 first, what factors resulted in the preservation at Windover 

 and second, what type of information does the presence of 

 ancient DNA make available to anthropology, molecular bi- 

 ology, and other disciplines? 



Examples of human soft tissue preservation are prevalent 

 but discovery of preserved brain material at first appeared 

 unique, since the brain can undergo rapid autolysis (self- 

 disintegration of cellular components) (Becker and Barron 

 1961). However, brain material may remain as a recogniz- 

 able mass after all other soft tissue has disappeared (Bass 

 1984) and several instances of preserved brain material in an 

 archeological setting have been reported (Table 4). Soft 

 tissue preservation can occur in a variety of environments 

 ranging from water-saturated to extremely dry or cold. In- 

 stances of preserved human tissue as old as the Windover 

 material are less common. Most examples of human soft 

 tissue preservation are from hot, dry environments. Some of 

 these have been subjected to elaborate postmortem treatment 

 (Allison 1985; Peck 1980; Pretty and Calder 1980). Egyptian 

 mummies (2686 B.C. to a.d. 641) are the best known exam- 

 ples of complex postmortem treatment. The postmortem pro- 

 cess generally involved dehydrating the body chemically 

 with dry natron, a naturally occurring mixture of Na^CO,, 

 NaHCO,, and NaCl or Na2S04 and then coating the body 

 with resins (Harris and Weeks 1973:8 1-92; Tapp 1984;Peck 

 1980). 



Zagreb Paleopathology Symp. 1988 



