Uncovering secrets of 5,700-year-old Penang Woman

Delving into the origin: Using the forensic facial approximation method, researchers from USM managed to put a face on the prehistoric human skeleton, dubbed the ‘Penang Woman’. — Journal of Applied Sciences

GEORGE TOWN: Scientists are attempting to delve into the anthropological origins and lineage of Penang Woman, the 5,700-year-old skeletal remains found in an ancient burial ground on mainland Penang, unearthed in 2017.

This includes extracting her ancient DNA and radiocarbon dating using accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS).

Experts from Universiti Sains Malaysia’s Centre for Global Archaeological Research and School of Health Sciences, in partnership with the Malaysian Genomics Resource Centre Berhad (MGRC), are teaming up to shed new light on her roots.

The agreement, signed on March 13, establishes a framework for comprehensive scientific studies on Penang Woman.

USM Centre for Global Archaeological Research director Prof Dr Stephen Chia (pic) said the primary objective of this collaboration is to delve into the origin, identity, and lineage of the Penang Woman through ancient DNA analysis.

He said one of Penang Woman’s teeth was sent to the United States for hi-tech radiocarbon dating to determine her precise age.

He said this collaborative effort was poised to yield groundbreaking discoveries in archaeogenetics, spearheaded by USM’s archaeologists and geneticists, Dr Suresh Narayanen and Assoc Prof Edinur Hisham Atan.

“Through the meticulous extraction of high-molecular- weight DNA and comprehensive whole-DNA sequencing, researchers aim to reconstruct her genetic profile and trace her lineage,” he said.

“Additionally, the research will be extended to investigate the dating and techniques used to produce ancient earthenware in Guar Kepah, where Penang Woman was found. This research will shed light on the cultural and technical landscape of this ancient community, he said.

He said the pottery unearthed alongside Penang Woman had become the subject of further study and scrutiny because it held the key to understanding the cultural and technological aspects of her time.

He pointed out that the pottery samples had been submitted for Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) dating, a technique that will determine age.

“Through the pottery, researchers aim to piece together the society, culture, technology and regional trade networks that shaped the world in which Penang Woman lived.

“By combining expertise from archaeology, genetics, chemistry and more, researchers want to paint a comprehensive picture of this ancient civilisation,” he said.

Meanwhile, another 41 prehistoric human skeletons from Guar Kepah excavated by British archaeologists between 1851 and 1934 and housed at the National Natuurhistorisch Museum in Leiden, Holland, are expected to be returned sometime this year.

The fragile remains were sent to Holland because there were no suitable facilities in place to preserve them.

Nurul Amira Md Isa, the curator of Chief Minister Incorporated (CMI), the project and landowner of the Guar Kepah site, said if everything goes smoothly, the plan to bring home the skeletons can be finalised.

She stated that the National Heritage Department, with assistance from the state government, is currently leading the repatriation process of the 41 human skeletons of prehistoric humans unearthed from three shell middens in Guar Kepah, Kepala Batas.

The Penang government initially led the repatriation process, and in March of last year, a delegation from the state government travelled to the Netherlands to discuss the repatriation of the skeletal remains.