정주희 (한국기초과학지원연구원)

정주희 (한국기초과학지원연구원)

최경철 (한양대학교)

정주희 (한국기초과학지원연구원)

김송이 (한양대학교)

김희정 (한국기초과학지원연구원)

최경철 (한양대학교)

In archaeology, species identification of excavated skeletal remains has traditionally relied on morphological examination and DNA analysis. However, mass spectrometry-based techniques have been increasingly adopted in recent years. Among these, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-MS) uses a matrix to minimize molecular fragmentation while generating predominantly singly charged ions ([M+H]⁺). Compared with Electrospray Ionization (ESI), which typically produces multiply charged ions, MALDI-MS provides simpler and more intuitive spectral interpretation. Consequently, MALDI-MS has been widely applied to the analysis of residual collagen in archaeological bones, primarily in combination with time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOF-MS) or high-resolution instruments such as Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance Mass Spectrometry (FT-ICR MS). Through a collaborative study with researchers at Hanyang University, our research team successfully established a MALDI-MS-based avian species identification platform (ZooMS). Using this platform, we have reliably identified the species of morphologically degraded or highly fragmented skeletal remains that could not be identified by conventional morphological examination, while continuously validating and refining the reference dataset. In particular, application of this approach to bird skeletal remains excavated from Proto–Three Kingdoms period tombs provided new archaeological insights into the timing of chicken domestication and dietary practices on the Korean Peninsula, thereby contributing to a deeper understanding of past human–animal interactions. Like skeletal remains, seashells frequently recovered from archaeological sites serve as valuable proxies for reconstructing past environments. However, unlike mammalian bones, their highly mineralized shell structures make the extraction and purification of endogenous proteins technically challenging. Therefore, this study aims to establish optimized pretreatment protocols, including bleaching and demineralization, for the reliable analysis of proteins preserved within archaeological shells. These methodological advances are expected to improve the robustness and reliability of shell-based archaeological and paleoenvironmental research.

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