Ancient DNA Research during a Global Pandemic: Insights from Fieldwork at St. Mary’s Basilica in Norfolk, VA

Summary

This is an abstract from the session entitled "Pandemic Fieldwork: Doing Fieldwork During a Pandemic" , at the 2021 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

DNA sampling from human remains is becoming a common practice in archeological studies, as genetic data provide important insights into ancestry and kinship in burial settings. To ensure the authenticity of ancient DNA results, contamination of human remains with DNA from living people must be minimized. Here, we describe decontamination methods used with early 19th-century burials at the St. Mary’s Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Norfolk, Virginia, as part of a collaborative project with the Fairfield Foundation and the Commonwealth Preservation Group. Burial recovery occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic in May 2020. The methods used also helped to protect field staff from infection, since they included mandatory mask wearing and routine decontamination of tools and gloved hands with bleach and ethanol. All personnel were further trained in decontamination protocols based on zones of contamination risk. These protocols can be employed by archeologists in other field projects involving aDNA research.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Pandemic Fieldwork: Doing Fieldwork During a Pandemic   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2021

Keywords

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology