Ancient biomolecules unravel our history. A technical update with examples from the Middle East

Context: The study of ancient biomolecules represents a useful tool to address questions related to human history. Objective: This manuscript provides an overview of the major categories of ancient biomolecules, highlighting their potentialities when applied to research. Methods: This study gathered knowledge from recently published papers on paleogenomics, paleoproteomics, ancient lipids and stable isotope analyses with the aim of providing a technical and historical background on ancient biomolecules, and examples of their application in the Arabian Peninsula and Middle East in general. Results: The progress seen in the past decade with regard to the study of ancient biomolecules has led to a dramatic expansion of the studies that apply those analyses. Increasing attention has also been paid to the development and optimization of protocols aimed at reducing and/or preventing the risk of contamination. While extensively applied to Western areas, the study of ancient biomolecules in the Middle East and the Arabian Peninsula has been limited. Conclusions: Research on ancient biomolecules represents the most valuable source of information to understand our evolutionary past at an inconceivable level of detail, especially when applied to areas so far underrepresented in this field, such as the Middle East and the Arabian Peninsula in particular.