This study deals with the contribution of the genetic variant lactase persistence among Neolithic people from the Baltic Island Öland. Skeletal remains from twelve individuals went through DNA sequencing in order to find the mutation that allows adult individuals to digest milk sugar. The twelve individuals were chosen from two different Neolithic sites, where the archaeological and isotopic data suggest that the individuals from Köpingsvik were hunters and gatherers and the individuals from Resmo were early farmers. The individuals with the genetic variant lactase persistence can be described with selection and genetic flow.  Only five individuals produced results and the mutation was found in two of the subjects. All the individuals who were successfully sequenced came from Resmo, whereasno individuals from Köpingsvik yielded any results.

Den här uppsatsen behandlar gammal DNA från 32 människor från den prehistoriska byn Ekwen belägen in nordöst Asien. Proverna har blivit masskopierade med hjälp av PCR och sekvenserad med FLX pyrosekvensering. Autentiska sekvenser har blivit bedömt genom användningen av PhyloNet och c-statistik och senare anpassad och jämförd med en referens sekvens (CRS). Tydliga C-T, T-C och A-G skador har upptäckts vid nukleotidpositioner vilket visar sig vara utmärkande för just den här populationen.

Foraminifera are single cell protozoa that are ubiquitous in marine environments. The hard casings, or tests, of foraminifera are routinely studied in the earth sciences, particularly for palaeoenvironmental information. Foraminifera have been little studied by archaeologists, however, despite their potential to contribute to understandings of coastal site formation processes and localised palaeoenvironments. In this study techniques and methods of foraminiferal analysis are developed and applied to the problem of distinguishing between natural and cultural marine shell deposits, using the Mort Creek Site Complex, central Queensland, as a case study. Results allow unambiguous demarcation of the natural and cultural deposits studied based on patterns of foraminiferal density. Natural deposits were found to have more than 1000 foraminifera per 100g of sediment, while cultural deposits exhibited less than 50 foraminifera per 100g of sediment. The range of taxa represented in the foraminiferal assemblage is consistent with a shallow water sub-tropical marine ecosystem, indicating general environmental stability throughout the period of deposit formation. Findings are applied to re-evaluate previous models of site formation at the Mort Creek Site Complex.

Foraminifera are single cell protozoa that are ubiquitous in marine environments. The hard casings, or tests, of foraminifera are routinely studied in the earth sciences, particularly for palaeoenvironmental information. Foraminifera have been little studied by archaeologists, however, despite their potential to contribute to understandings of coastal site formation processes and localised palaeoenvironments. In this study techniques and methods of foraminiferal analysis are developed and applied to the problem of distinguishing between natural and cultural marine shell deposits, using the Mort Creek Site Complex, central Queensland, as a case study. Results allow unambiguous demarcation of the natural and cultural deposits studied based on patterns of foraminiferal density. Natural deposits were found to have more than 1000 foraminifera per 100g of sediment, while cultural deposits exhibited less than 50 foraminifera per 100g of sediment. The range of taxa represented in the foraminiferal assemblage is consistent with a shallow water sub-tropical marine ecosystem, indicating general environmental stability throughout the period of deposit formation. Findings are applied to re-evaluate previous models of site formation at the Mort Creek Site Complex.

The focus of this study is to detect any similarities – or lack thereof – between the alloys of different types of oval brooches from the later Iron Age in Scandinavia. The study is furthermore concerned with how the alloys and the typologies can be mutually complimentary to one another in regards to dating or determining the age of specific oval brooches. For this purpose X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) was used on five different items deriving from Birka, Vendel and one of unknown context. The results indicate continuity with earlier studies regarding copper alloys with contents of zinc, and that this study’s brass brooches may have been produced in this alloy for its gold-like appearance. A higher level of lead can be found in the younger brooches, therefore indicating that tortoise brooches of a later date may contain more lead than their earlier counterparts. Furthermore, the study shows that brass may be mistaken for gold, and it raises questions about the use of metal originating from native copper sources. This study is a part of the Birka Black Earth Harbour project. / The Birka Black Earth Harbour project

The aim of this work was to establish an analytical method for the simultaneous detection of five major opium alkaloids in poppy seeds by liquid chromatography-electrospray ionisation-mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS). Once opium alkaloids were detected in poppy seeds, toxicological studies were carried out to establish if these compounds were detected in oral fluid (OF) of participants who ingested muffins containing poppy seeds. It is known that the ingestion of poppy seeds has caused positive opiate drug test results and much work has been reported in the scientific literature in the last 20 years. Researchers in the field have investigated alternatives to differentiate between heroin administration and that of other opiate drugs versus poppy seed ingestion. Most of the work which has been carried out relates to establishing illicit heroin use by examining biological matrices for the presence of acetylcodeine, thebaine, papaverine, noscapine and their associated metabolites. The research methodology consisted of establishing an LC-ESI-MS method for the simultaneous detection of five major opium alkaloids (morphine, codeine, thebaine, papaverine and noscapine). A deuterated internal standard (morphine-d3) was used for the quantitation of alkaloids in harvested poppy seeds and oral fluid samples. Due to technical difficulties, 3 LC-MS instruments were employed in this work. Electrospray ionisation was employed in all mass spectrometers but the analysers included an ion trap with octopole, a triple quadrupole and a hybrid quadrupole Orbitrap. Suitable extraction procedures were determined and harvested seeds purchased from a number of supermarkets were analysed for the presence of five alkaloid compounds using the LC-MS method. A small scale pilot study with 6 participants was carried out to establish if it was possible to fail an OF drug test for opiates after consuming poppy seed muffins. OF samples were collected post ingestion using Quantisal™ kits and the level of each of the opiates was monitored. The findings were that an LC-ESI-MS method was established for the simultaneous detection and quantitation of five major alkaloids. However, the method development process involved finding a solution to co-elution of morphine and codeine. The process also included resolving the issue of thebaine producing two peaks with identical mass spectra and separated by a difference of 6 minutes in retention time. Varying levels of alkaloids were identified in harvested poppy seeds: levels of these compounds differed considerably within and between batches of poppy seeds. These findings could be attributed to a number of factors, for example, where and how the plants were grown and methods of harvesting. Two poppy seed muffins were consumed as part of a toxicology study. Morphine was detected in the 5 minute sample in 5 out of the 6 participants with concentrations in OF of 0.5-0.8 ng mL-1; codeine was detected in 2 of the 6 participants at 1.5 and 2.6 ng mL-1. Thebaine, noscapine and papaverine were also detected in OF of a number of participants, which has not been previously reported in the literature. However, it should be noted that the values calculated are only estimated since the peak area ratios obtained were found to be less than the lowest concentration (10 ng mL-1) in the linear calibration range. In conclusion, an LC-ESI-MS method for the simultaneous detection and quantitation of five major opium alkaloids has been established and has been used to detect alkaloids in harvested poppy seeds and oral fluid samples. From a small pilot toxicology study, oral fluid results indicate that levels of morphine and codeine do not exceed the SAMSHA 40 ng mL-1 cut-off after ingestion of a realistic amount of poppy seeds contained within bakery products.

No / This is a volume of papers presented in honour of the archaeologist and palaeopathologist, Don Brothwell. The eclectic mix reflects the diversity of Brothwell's career over four decades, and the influence that he has had upon many aspects of archaeological science. The papers are linked together by the theme of "people" - our evolution, our bodily remains and burial practices, and our behaviour with respect to other animals (particularly as it may be inferred from animal bones). Many of the contributions were presented at an international conference held in 1999 at the University of York to celebrate Don Brothwell's career in the year of retirement.

This paper deals with isotope analyses of bones and teeth of two individuals from a medieval cemetery in Västerhus, Jämtland with the purpose to ascertain the diet and how much fish the people ate. The stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen have been analysed with isotope-ratio mass sepectrometry and the diet of the people in Västerhus has been studied. The results show that most of the people had a terrestrial diet and by comparing with Sigtuna, Uppland and Varnhem, Västergötland it was possible to conclude that they ate meat and vegetable feed.

Whilst Roman architecture has long stood as a discrete branch of classical studies, investigated for its artistic merit and cultural importance, the technical details of Roman construction have only recently started to receive considerable attention. This thesis contributes to a growing trend in Roman scholarship, that of the investigation of the processes, materials, and technologies behind the Roman built environment. The most prestigious buildings of the Empire often remain the focus of many of these studies, and so this thesis turns to explore the use of more everyday buildings and building materials, seeking a Romano-British vernacular, and investigating the processes of construction, building material production, and transport. It is argued, through using theoretical calculations of building material quantities, that even for relatively minor constructions, considerations of building material supply must have represented highly significant economic and logistical investment. To comprehend fully the subject it is asserted that building materials should not be treated, as they often are, as disparate artefacts, divided by substance into stone, ceramic, mortar, metal, etc., but rather they should be considered as related fragments of a building. They require synthetic analysis, through which a far truer understanding of the incredible effort involved in construction in the ancient world can be gained. The built environment of Roman Oxfordshire, and the Roman building material assemblage from Dorchester on Thames, are used as case studies. Primary analysis of building materials is carried out using an integrated analytical approach, combining thin section petrography with scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive x-ray analysis. The outcomes of these analyses are interpreted against a background of archaeological and historical evidence for construction and material supply, in both the Roman and later periods, in the region and beyond.

Sigtuna’s trade and production has been the subject of an increasing amount of archaeological investigations during the last 30 years. However, most of the research has been conductedregarding the buildings, coin mints and precious metal objects. This thesis will instead research one of the basics of the production, namely the iron. By reviewing the iron objectsand currency bars from house X in the city block Humlegården 3. Through high precision studies with conservation and scanning electron microscope I will be able to come one step closer to identifying what sort of items were produced on the site and discerning what status and function the smithy had. I will also investigate the possibility to track the origin of the iron. / Sigtunas handel och produktion har varit föremål för ett ökande antal arkeologiska undersökningar de senaste 30 åren. De flesta av dessa undersökningar har handlat ombyggnader, mynthus och föremålsstudier. Den här uppsatsen kommer istället att undersöka ett av hantverken som krävs för att kunna utföra många andra hantverk, nämligen järnhantverk. Genom att undersöka järnfynden och ämnesjärnen från hus X i kvarteret Humlegården 3, via detaljerade studier som inkluderar konservering och Svepelektronmikroskop, kommer jag att komma ett steg närmare vilka föremål som producerats på platsen samt utröna vad för status och funktion smedjan hade. Jag kommer även undersöka om det är möjligt att säga någonting om järnets ursprung.