Reconstructing Deep‑Time Occupation in Highland Papua New Guinea: Biomolecular, Genetic and Chronometric Insights into Life and Death

Katerina Douka1*, Annette Oertle1, Konstanina Cheshmedzhieva1, Francesc Marginedas Miró1, Mary‑Jane Mountain2, Tim Denham2, Dylan Gaffney3, UEMINE Atsushi4, Karen Greig5, Simone Ryan5, Anne Ford5, and Glenn Summerhayes5

1University of Vienna, Austria; 2Australian National University, Australia; 3University of Oxford, United Kingdom; 4Nanzan University, Japan; 5University of Otago, New Zealand; *katerina.douka@univie.ac.at

New Guinea preserves one of the longest and most complex prehistoric sequences in the tropics, with human presence extending back at least 40,000–50,000 years and early evidence for plant management and the development of agriculture in highland environments. Against this deep‑time backdrop, our project investigates patterns of human occupation, population change, and mortuary behaviour in the highlands of Papua New Guinea through an integrated bioarchaeological approach applied to legacy collections. Combining palaeoproteomics, radiocarbon dating, stable isotope analysis, and ancient DNA (aDNA) with detailed physical anthropological observations, over the past 5 years, we reconstruct long‑term trajectories of settlement, mobility, and burial practices across four sites (Yuku, Kiowa, Nombe, Tsak Pumakos). Palaeoproteomic methods, particularly ZooMS applied to undiagnostic bone, significantly expand the number of identifiable human remains and enable taxonomic identification of associated faunal material. More than 100 new radiocarbon dates refine site chronologies, confirming the presence of human remains throughout stratigraphic sequences and revealing phases of intensified site use. Stable isotope and osteological analyses provide insight into skeletal modification and lifeways, suggesting both continuity and adaptation to environmental and cultural change. Despite preservation challenges, aDNA results offer novel perspectives on population structure before and after the Lapita expansion. Our new findings highlight the transformative potential of molecular approaches in tropical archaeology, where biomolecular preservation has often been considered poor. They also demonstrate the value of minimally destructive analyses of legacy collections, opening new avenues for reconstructing human histories and establishing a methodological benchmark for Southeast Asia and Oceania.