Enamel proteins reveal the 'Lovers of Modena' were actually two males
In short: Researchers studying the 'Lovers of Modena'—two Late Antique individuals buried hand-in-hand—found they were not a male-female couple as previously assumed. By analyzing proteins within the dental enamel of the 1,600-year-old skeletons, scientists were able to identify specific markers that revealed both individuals were male.
This study used mass spectrometry to detect the AMELY protein, which is found only in males, providing a way to identify sex when bone preservation is too poor for traditional methods. While this offers a new way to understand ancient funerary customs, the researchers noted that the specific relationship between these two men remains unknown.
The researchers compared the results against 14 modern and archaeological control samples to validate the reliability of the protein analysis method.
Why it matters: Proteins in tooth enamel can identify the sex of ancient individuals when bones are poorly preserved.
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Sources
- Source: Research: Lugli et al. (2019). Enamel peptides reveal the sex of the Late Antique ‘Lovers of Modena’. Scientific Reports. · cc-by
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