The Archeoloogical museum of Thessaloniki in collaboration with the University of Thrace inaugurate the temporary exhibition:
"Ancient DNA. Window to the past and the future”
The theme of the exhibition is the presentation of contemporary research on palaiogenetic material (ancient DNA) and a significant contribution to our knowledge of the biological history of man.
The exhibition is partially financed by the European Union Action "Excellence II" of the General Secretariat for Research and Technology, entitled "From the Neolithic farmers in the first urban societies: the origin of the palace cultures of the Aegean genetically. The report is financed by the program, whose scientific coordinator is the Assistant Professor of the Department of History and Ethnology of the Thrace University, Ms. Christina Papageorgopoulou.
The report, which will be presented in hall temporary exhibitions of the Museum aims to present an understandable and concise way all the successive stages of palaiogenetikis investigation, for example the collection and sampling of the material, the laboratory analysis, processing and interpretation of data and all categories of results that may be offered. It includes rich visual material, film projection and exhibition of objects used in the laboratory in the process of analysis of ancient DNA. Also, for a more complete presentation of the above information material framed by ancient objects discovered during archaeological excavations in the same archaeological sites of northern Greece from which comes the skeletal material underlying the research of the University of Thrace. This report aims to merge the two categories of material, archaeological and skeletal-anthropological.
What is ancient DNA?
DNA regards to the basic functions of our organism, such as structure and appearance. Ancient DNA is a portion of DNA that can be acquired from decreased organism such as skeleton, mummies, extint animals etc.
DNA was discorvered 31 years ago to understand the genetic relationship of modern humans, study the function of the bodies and how this affected our eating habits over time. Observe the development of our morphological charachteristics (eyes colour, hair, etc..) determinate the degree of relatedness between two or more skeletos, certify the existence of pathologies in ancient skeletons in order to reconstruct historical healt and study the evolution of pathogenic diseases.
In this way we can reconstruct a true biography of prehistoric humans!
DNA analysis carried out on osteological material from Greece recovery of entire genomes from three preistorical farmers who lived in Northern Greece in the period between 7500 and 5500 thousend years ago. We already know that some of our Neolithic ancestors could not digest milk, and had brown eyes and dark skin.
The exhibition introduce the visitors, using simple explanation that are scientifically based on to the study and result of ancient DNA, and comprised three parts:
-Itroduction to DNA
-methodology of sampling through laboratory procedure extractions
-presentation of paleogenetic results
Thanks to this exhibition the visitor will understand the scientific investigation and the work behind the research and comprehend the evolution of their biological history. It will thus open the eyes to this bright window of science that links the past to the future.
Its possible to visit the exhibition till next May the 31st 2016
For more information: http://www.amth.gr/en
Edit by Marika Romeo
Photo by Merve Dogan