Molecular preservation and isotopy of Mesolithic human finds from the Ofnet cave (Bavaria, Germany)

Favourable burial conditions and self-limiting decomposition processes led to an extraordinarily well molecular preservation of the Mesolithic human skull finds from the Ofnet cave (district Nördlingen, Bavaria). Beyond the extraction of bone collagen, a selection of serum proteins from bone was identified immunologically. Stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios from collagen gave clues to dietary behaviour including nursing practices. Diverging results after the application of biochemical protocols (for protein cleaning) and biophysical methods (for stable isotope analysis) are of particular interest: while the first approach failed to quantitatively eliminate anorganic contaminations, the second left some organic, exogenous residues in the samples. Thus, methods for protein extraction must vary according to problem solution and ultimate aim of the study. Taking this into account, application of invasive methods is also encouraged to rare and valuable skeletal finds.