Methods of Analysis

• Bulk Carbon and Nitrogen Isotope Analysis

• Carbon and Nitrogen Compound Specific Isotope Analysis

• Laser Ablation (LA-IRMS) Analysis

• Strontium and Lead Isotope Analyses

Paleoproteomics is the study of ancient proteins preserved in archaeological materials such as bones, teeth, and dental plaque. Proteins are surprisingly durable and can survive for hundreds or even thousands of years, often outlasting DNA. By breaking these proteins into smaller fragments and analyzing them with specialized mass spectrometry instruments, researchers can identify their biological origins — for example, whether they came from particular plants, animals, or microbes. This allows us to learn about past diets, environments, health, and everyday activities in ways that aren’t always possible through traditional archaeology alone.

In this project, we are using paleoproteomics to study dental calculus (mineralized plaque) from individuals associated with the Mexica’s Templo Mayor in Tenochtitlan and the Tarascan ossuary at Tzintzuntzan. Dental calculus acts like a time capsule, entrapping microscopic food particles in plaque during life, which can survive for centuries once it hardens. By identifying preserved dietary proteins, we can sometimes detect specific foods — such as particular grains or animal products — that people consumed in the last years of their lives. This analysis can provide a more detailed picture of diet than isotopic methods alone, which often reveal only broad dietary trends. Combined with other scientific analyses, this work will offer new insight into food practices, social differences, as well as cultural and religious life in Late Postclassic western and central Mesoamerica.

Coming soon.

Coming soon.

Coming soon.