New mass spectrometry markers reveal diverse animal diets in Iron Age Zambia

History · Published 2 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Researchers using Zooarchaeology by Mass Spectrometry (ZooMS) have identified new peptide markers to distinguish between African bovid species. By applying this method to highly fragmented bone fragments from six archaeological sites in Zambia, they discovered that Iron Age communities relied on a wider variety of animals than previously thought, including a continued dependence on wild bovids alongside cattle herding.

Identifying animals from broken bone fragments is difficult in sub-Saharan Africa due to poor preservation. This study used ZooMS to identify specific peptide markers for African bovid tribes, providing a way to classify morphologically ambiguous bones.

The researchers applied these markers to Late Holocene assemblages in Zambia, revealing greater taxonomic richness than traditional morphological analysis. This suggests that Iron Age subsistence was more complex than a simple shift from hunting to farming.

Why it matters: Advanced mass spectrometry can uncover complex ancient economies from even the most broken bone fragments.

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