TECHNICAL NOTE - SEX DETERMINATION OF PREHISTORIC HUMAN PALEOFECES

Analysis of 12 prehistoric human paleofecal specimens from the Mammoth Cave System, Kentucky has produced the first estimate of biological s ex using fecal material from ancient humans. Accelerator mass spectrom etry (AMS) radiocarbon dating indicates that the specimens range in ag e from ca. 2700 B.P. to 2300 B.P. Dietary contents and steroids were e xtracted and analyzed, Chromatography and radioimmunoassay were used t o measure levels of testosterone and estradiol in both modern fecal re ference samples and in ancient feces. Results indicate that all 12 pal eofeces were probably deposited by males whose diet included a variety of native crops and wild plants, These preliminary analyses have the potential to revolutionize the investigation of gender difference in d iet, health, and nutrition. (C) 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.