PXD066335

PXD066335 is an original dataset announced via ProteomeXchange.

Title	Unearthing Prehistoric Diets: First Evidence of Horse Meat Consumption in Early Bronze Age Sicily
Description	This paper presents the earliest documented evidence for the presence and consumption of horse meat in Early Bronze Age Sicily, significantly revising previous understandings of equid use on the island. Multidisciplinary analyses involving proteomics and lipidomics were performed on ceramic vessels from the Castelluccian settlement at Polizzello Mountain (Caltanissetta), revealing residues consistent with equine-derived substances. Proteomic data unequivocally identified equine serum albumin in multiple pottery fragments, demonstrating active consumption or processing of horse-derived substances within a ceremonial or dietary context. Lipid residues further supported this interpretation, indicating the presence of animal fats and vegetable-derived substances within the pottery. These findings substantially alter existing models of horse domestication, utilization, and dietary practices in prehistoric Sicily, suggesting a far earlier and more complex human-equid relationship. Furthermore, the integration of biomolecular data enhances our understanding of intercultural interactions, ritual behaviors, and economic strategies in the central Mediterranean during the third millennium BCE.
HostingRepository	PRIDE
AnnounceDate	2026-02-09
AnnouncementXML	Submission_2026-02-08_17:46:42.560.xml
DigitalObjectIdentifier
ReviewLevel	Peer-reviewed dataset
DatasetOrigin	Original dataset
RepositorySupport	Unsupported dataset by repository
PrimarySubmitter	Dale Chaput
SpeciesList	scientific name: Homo sapiens (Human); NCBI TaxID: NEWT:9606;
ModificationList	deamidated residue
Instrument	Q Exactive Plus

Revision	Datetime	Status	ChangeLog Entry
0	2025-07-20 15:19:19	ID requested
⏵ 1	2026-02-08 17:46:46	announced

10.1371/journal.pone.0330772;

Tanasi D, Miccich, é R, Tykot RH, Busetti L, Barbieri P, Di Maida G, Ardesia V, Miani A, Marin E, Greco E, Unearthing prehistoric diets: First evidence of horse meat consumption in Early Bronze Age Sicily. PLoS One, 20(8):e0330772(2025) [pubmed]

submitter keyword: Sicily, Castellucciian, Polizzello

Enrico Greco
contact affiliation	Assistant Professor at Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Trieste, Italy
contact email	enrico.greco@live.it
lab head
Dale Chaput
contact affiliation	University of South Florida
contact email	chaput@usf.edu
dataset submitter

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PRIDE project URI

• PRIDE
  1. PXD066335
     1. Label: PRIDE project
     2. Name: Unearthing Prehistoric Diets: First Evidence of Horse Meat Consumption in Early Bronze Age Sicily