Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology

Object biography and biomolecular archaeology.

An integrated approach for the study, conservation and valorisation of organic artefacts from the Museo di Antichità (Musei Reali Torino)

Abstract

Biomolecular archaeology is increasingly employed to elucidate the biological origin of organic artefacts, offering valuable insights into human-environmental interactions, notably in the raw materials selection for object manufacture. This approach also facilitates a broader spectrum of interpretations concerning cultural heritage (CH) preserved within museum collections. 

The ‘object biography’ framework proves valuable for cataloguing and managing cultural heritage, encapsulating available information about artefacts. Scientific techniques, including mass spectrometry for ancient protein analysis (the thesis’ primary analytical method), contribute to a dual objective: determining the raw material of the object (its ‘first life’) and assessing its preservation (‘second life’), such as by identifying the presence and condition of consolidant glues. Proteins, as exceptionally well-preserved biomolecules in CH amenable to non-invasive or minimally invasive museum-compatible sampling, are central to this study.

This doctoral project applies these biomolecular methodologies to biological artefacts within the archaeological collections of the Turin Antiquities Museum (Musei Reali di Torino). By examining diverse scales of human experience and selected case studies, we aim to acquire significant archaeological information regarding past relationships between humans and the the Piedmontese environment. Given the collection’s heterogeneity, this research is grounded in the concept of object biography, exploring three illustrative case studies: individual dolphin-shaped fibulae (micro-scale), a substantial assemblage of osseous objects from distinct sites sharing a common archaeological culture (mid-scale), namely Longobard osseous material culture, and the comprehensive biological materials (human and animal bone, biomolecules embedded in potsherds) from the Neolithic Chiomonte-La Maddalena site, entirely housed within the MRT storerooms (macro-scale).

Contemporary perspectives on CH challenge widely upheld anthropocentric views, which may be reflected also in new museum set-up. The imperative for periodic re-evaluation of the finds drives the conservative mission of museums but also wider consideration: the main results of this research consist of establishing a baseline for future biomolecular studies on osseous materials from the MRT collections, identifying clear evidence of undocumented historical restoration treatments, and developing a method for addressing archaeological collections from the 1980s that are becoming legacy collections.

Keywords

Bioarchaeology, biomolecular archaeology, palaeoproteomics, mass spectrometry, peptide mass fingerprint, museology, conservation, organic artefacts, museomics, human-environment relationships

2021

•  T4C Basic Training, 41h 
•    Doctoral school complementary training, 31h
• Introduction to Public Engagement. University of Turin, Scuola di Dottorato. Online. 29 October 2020, 2h
• Basics of Project Writing. University of Turin, Scuola di Dottorato.1st February 2021, 2 h
• Strumenti per la ricerca documentale. Conoscere i servizi e le collezioni cartacee e digitali di UniTo.University of Turin, Servizi Bibliotecari di Unito e Polo CLE, 10th March 2021, 2h
• Corso di Formazione Generale alla Salute e Sicurezza per i Lavoratori. University of Turin. 11th March 2021, 4h
• ISPAS Project: Open Science A to Z.University of Turin, Scuola di Dottorato.11, 13 & 14 May 2021. 12h
• ISPAS Project: FAIR data basics. University of Turin, Scuola di Dottorato.17, 19 & 21 May 2021 9h
• Other courses, 12h
• ComWork basic training: Museum and Catalogue. Stefania Vecchio/Musei Reali of Turin. 16 June 2021, 4h
• Zooarchaeology Short on-line course. Sheffield/on-line, 15th September 2021, 8h

2022

• Academic Writing and Presentation Skills. CLA UNITO. 15th December 2021, 30h
• From Prehistory to the 22nd Century. Introducing technological support to an archaeological museum exploring needs, challenges and technologies. University of Turin. T4C seminar, 4th - 6th, Aprile 2022, 15h
• Il Valore Dell’etica Nella Nuova Visione Di Museo. CNR. 16th November 2022. 2h.
• Moodle of the Doctoral School
• How to make the most out of your scientific paper. University of Turin.Doctoral School, 19th April 2022, 2h
• The Research Ecosystem and Its Evaluation. University of Turin. 19th April 2022, 2h
• Principi Fondamentali Privacy.  University of Turin. 30th June 2022, 4h
• BeArchaeo 2nd summer school. Scheduled from the 27th to the 29th of September in Okayama (Japan)

2023

• Basics Of Project Writing. UniTo.  3-9-12 May 2023. 4h. 
• Tools And Indicators In The Procedures For Evaluating And Analysing Scientific Output. UniTo. 28th September, 3rd October 2023. 8h. 
• The lecture series “Current Topics in Heritage Science” of the IPERION HS. On line. 

Lecture 5: Timing the spread of creative innovations by Homo sapiens and Neanderthals using the radiocarbon dating method 19.1.2023

Lecture 7: Proteomics in the cultural heritage field: the case of fibrous proteins 16.3.2023

Lecture 9: Ethical sampling: from 'seed to fruit' and beyond  18.5.2023

• Palaeoproteomics and Zooarchaeology by Mass Spectrometry (ZooMS). Dr. Michael Buckley (University of Manchester, United Kingdom) for Transmitting Science. November 2nd-9 th, 2023. 24h.

• InTo Brain PE workshop about scientific communication. UniTo. April, May 2023. 16h.
• BeArchaeo Summer School in Turin. UniTo. 19-21.6.2023. 20h.
• Tech4 Culture final event 22 giugno T4C event. Egiptyan Museum of Turin. 5h.

Capo M.§, Monticone A.§, Sakalauskaite J., Marucco F., Demarchi B (2022), From paper to data: a georeferenced list of prehistoric personal ornaments from the Italian archaeological record. Archaeologica Data Journal, 2, 92-101. ISBN: 9788892850538. 

Monticone A., Heritier E., Pergolizzi B., Dal Bello F., Mecarelli E., Boano R., De Vingo P., Pessione E., Panero E., Demarchi B. (2024). Combing through museum collections. The contribution of ZooMS to the taxonomic identification of Longobard combs and other daily life objects of animal origin. IJO, apr 2024. Internationa Journal of Osteoarchaology, 31 March 2024 https://doi.org/10.1002/oa.3295 Volume34, Issue2 March/April 2024, e3295

Iacovera R., Gardenghi C., Monticone A., Fontani F. , Nenzioni G., Latorre A.,  Ciucani MM , Reggiani P., Fabbri E., Caniglia R. , Mucci N., Luiselli D., Demarchi B., Cilli E. L’utilizzo delle biomolecole antiche per la caratterizzazione dei reperti archeofaunistici rinvenuti nel sito di Cava a Filo,  Istituto Italiano di Preistoria e Protostoria. Submitted July 2022.

Lorenzatto A., Quiri E., Monticone A., Importazione E Distribuzione Delle Anfore San Lorenzo 7 Nella Cisalpina Occidentale, in Rei Cretariae Romanae Fautores, VOL. 48, in press. Submitted 30 Jan 2023.

Monticone A., Petitti P., Demarchi B., Panero E. (2024). Oggetti e Biografie. Archeologia museale e approcci biomolecolari. Riprendere ed arricchire capitoli di archeologia grazie alle collezioni, in Atti del Convegno CONNESSIONI. Roma  BPI – Bullettino di Paletnologia Italiana edited by the Museo delle Civiltà. Submitted July 2023.

Monticone A., Panero E., Pepi F., Petitti P. Vivere sull’Acqua. Vita quotidiana nell’età del Bronzo in Piemonte. Catalogo della Mostra a cura di Elisa Panero.