Petrous Fever
Anna Källén, Charlotte Mulcare, Andreas Nyblom, Daniel Strand
Abstract
This article explores how the competitive quest for bone samples used in genomic analyses of ancient DNA (aDNA) creates a pressing concern for anthropological research. It investigates the premises and effects of this phenomenon—a global hunt for petrous bones as treasured sources of DNA resembling a gold fever—from the situated perspectives of archaeologists and curators of ancient human remains. We present findings from an anonymous questionnaire involving 60 archaeologists and curators from major museums and research projects across the world, complemented with 16 semistructured interviews, providing a unique empirical basis to analyze professional relations and structural issues in this expansive sector of anthropology. Through a thematic analysis, we discuss how industrial-scale ambitions and competition among large laboratories promote colonial attitudes and the hoarding of samples. Comparing our results with recent discussions within the field, we identify a gap between the ideal practices advocated by researchers invested in archaeogenomic research and the actual practices of aDNA research fostered by the tangled incentives of high-impact publications and research grants. This gap between ideal and actual practices unveils a fundamentally asymmetrical academic landscape that engenders conflict and ethical dilemmas.