Successful species identification of textile and hair cultural relics from Xiaohe cemetery by DNA barcoding

Abstract

The Xiaohe cemetery is located in the desert of the Lop Nur region of Xinjiang, and its excavated cultural relics include numerous textiles and animal hair. In this study, we examined the hair fiber morphology of two relics from Xiaohe cemetery, one being a fragment of a cloak and the other a hair sample, but were unable to identify the species of origin using this technique. Therefore, we employed DNA barcoding, which successfully identified both samples as deriving from goat (Capra hircus). Besides, three efficient methods for removing bacteria from hair fibers were established. However, the bacteria-removing treatments may have negative impacts on the species identification of cultural relics. This study provided a new molecular archaeological basis for the studies of various archaeological issues such as the development of textiles, the domestication of fur-bearing animals, as well as the origin and early development of agricultural and husbandry civilization in the Lop Nur region of Xinjiang.