Genetic Archaeology is a specialization that applies forensic laboratory procedures, specifically DNA testing, to artifacts recovered from archaeological contexts.  The ability to recover human DNA from artifacts rather than bone and tissue, plant remains, and visible stains, over 100 years old is a breakthrough in the forensic and archaeological fields.  Genetic archaeology is a ground breaking study that combines DNA results from historic artifacts with documents, material culture, and site structure to interpret an archaeological site.  In addition, this new application, along with the advances in both nuclear and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), obligated the differentiation between DNA recovered from prehistoric versus historical contexts or aDNA versus hxDNA. 

310 Genetic Analyzer

The successful recovery of historical genetic material opens up a new avenue of inquiry for archaeologists and creates an additional set of data to aid in the interpretation of human behavior within past environments.  Instead of merely suggesting hypothetical behaviors within a historical context, this technology allows archaeologists to leap from the probable to the absolute.  As in criminal cases, using physical evidence and DNA, archaeologists can potentially link people to an archaeological site without historical documentation.  In some situations, the profile of the suspect, or behavior of a historical person, may not be identified by name but by sex and population group.  It is hoped future forensic applications in the new specialty of genetic archaeology will continue to build a body of data for turning those considerations into more intricate, valid understandings of the past.