Using tiny fragments of bones and teeth dated to between 500 and 700 years ago, along with saliva samples from living members of the Picuris Pueblo, Willerslev and his team at the University of Copenhagen have demonstrated a genetic link between the Picuris Pueblo and the Pueblo Bonito site in Chaco Canyon.
Located in the southwestern United States, Chaco Canyon is considered a sacred place by the Picuris Pueblo, central to their origin.
“The study is an example of the collaboration between a community and researchers that hopefully inspires similar partnerships. It also shows the importance of having archaeological and anthropological context as we continue investigating ancient DNA,” says Eske Willerslev, professor at the Globe Institute, who led the study.
Published in the prestigious scientific journal Nature, the study is the result of a rare collaboration between DNA researchers and archaeologists from the University of Copenhagen, Southern Methodist University (SMU) in Texas, and the Picuris people. Read the full study here.