This week on the Naked Scientists we will be bringing you the latest research of two guests whose archaeological findings have shaped both human history and current thinking about the evolution of mankind. We will be interviewing Dr Lawrence Owens (of Birkbeck College, University of London, about his latest dig in Peru and Dr Keith Dobney (University of Durham) who has made new discoveries about the domestication of pigs. As ever its an action packed show, but to give you an idea of what our guests have to offer in the archaeological arena, I've been doing some digging of my own - here is what I've excavated...

Dobney's work focuses on the domestication of animals which is an important part of human history and allows for the study of significant evolutionary changes over very short timescales. In addition to symbolic communication, the use of tools and walking upright on two feet (being ‘bipedal’), the domestication of plants and animals is a decisive point in human evolution and heralds the start of the agricultural revolution. The move from hunting and gathering to food production has had massive implications for human development over the past 10,000 years; influencing languages, genes and the demography of continents.  

Dobney's research group undertook the largest ever study of its type, both in terms of area and timescales covered. They analysed the DNA of 686 wild and domestic pig specimens and their results blew previous ideas out of the water. To date, it has been accepted that the domestication of pigs occurred in two areas - the Near and Far East. Their research however, revealed that domestication also occurred independently in Central Europe, Italy, Northern India, South East Asia and possibly also Island South East Asia. Pigs were chosen for the study as many other wild ancestors of domestic animals are either extinct or unsuitable for this type of research. The broad distribution of wild boar across the Old World allows for the analysis of modern domestic lineages. The study involved deriving DNA from jaws or teeth of museum specimens and hair or soft tissue from more contemporary specimens and developing signatures for domestication in different regions of the world. The results show that domestication arose separately in several parts of the Old World and was not the result of migration from the Near and Far East as previously thought. This has serious implications for how scientists view human history and has forced them to rethink ideas about early human evolution.

Owens, has just completed the latest season of excavations on project Ychsma in Pachacamac on the Western Coast of Peru, about 30km south of Lima. Pachacamac is a pre-Columbian monumental site covering an area of nearly 600 hectares and is one of the most important ancient settlements in the Central Andes; in fact, its in the same league as Machu Picchu. Owens has been on the show before, telling us how digging up mummies is a bit like a blind date, in that you don't know what the person will be like until you actually get to them. We're catching up with him again to find out what he's dug up on his latest trip and the list reads like plot-lines for a gritty soap opera: domestic violence, still-born premature children, cases of Tuberculosis and Syphilis, evidence of child abuse and bludgeoned soldiers. There are of course some more-typical finds such as witch doctors buried with mysterious artefacts, sacrificial knives and mutilated children's skulls associated with the sacrifice, gold, silver, leather, pots and basketry. Given the fact that there are an estimated 80,000 burials to get through on the site, the chances of finding some pretty wacky things have got to be high. So far, they include live burials, children being buried under walls to bring good luck to the building and the fact that these people were generally on the short side (usually under 5 foot tall). Top of the weird-finds list however, has got to be the unidentified albino sacrificed animal found buried under a pyramid. What on earth is it? Well, you'll have to watch this space.

And finally. The Sedgwick museum in Cambridge was lucky enough to play host to Professor Perle from the National University of Mongolia with one of the dinosaur fossils he discovered. He was interviewed by Anna Lacey and was also kind enough to let us hold a fossilised, 82 million year old skull which is the only one of its kind in the world. For a brief soundbite of the interview click on the icon, to find out why the skull is so special you’ll have to tune in to the show.

That's about it in terms of my dusting off the artefacts, they will be unveiled for further study at this Sunday’s show, so tune in or download the podcast - that way you can enjoy it again and again.