Scientists at the University of Manchester have completed the first biological analysis of ancient terracotta figurines discovered in Ghana.
The figurines were created by a yet to be known civilization, and are being viewed as iconic representations of prehistoric African artistry.
The figurines were discovered in the Northern Ghanaian Komaland region by Prof. Ben Kankpeyeng and Prof. Samuel Nkubaan from the University of Ghana.
Many of the sculptures are thought to be representations of ancestral figures or animals.
The sculptures reveal the clothing, hairstyle, and weapons employed by that civilization.
The sculptures, which number up to hundreds, suggest that the site was used as a shrine for ritual activity.
Some of them contain hollow cavities, which the researchers believe substances were poured into during rituals by the ancient civilization.
The sculptures were exhibited in 2014 at the Manchester Museum's 'Fragmentary Ancestors' exhibition.
There are only a few reports of the recovery of ancient DNA from archeological sites in Sub-Saharan Africa. This is because high temperatures typically accelerate the damage of DNA.
However, Prof. Terry Brown and Heather Robinson, a Ph.D. student, was able to recover DNA from inside three of the sculptures. They used forensic-style swabs and a magnetic extraction method to achieve this.
The findings by the researchers suggest that exotic plants such as bananas and pine, which are not native to Ghana, were highly valued by the mysterious ancient civilization. The plants were used in religious rituals.
Banana and pine could have only been obtained through trade with North Africa. This indicates that the ancient civilization was connected to other world civilizations through trade because banana originates from East Asia.
"This has been an excellent example of the way in which archeologists and DNA scientists can work together," said Prof. Brown.
Researchers hope that the discovery will boost international efforts to protect the figurines, which have been subject to illegal excavation lawsuits in the past.
The findings were published in the Journal of Archaeological Science.