Miklós Kásler - Zoltán Szentirmay (szerk.): Identifying the Árpád Dynasty Skeletons Interred in the Matthias Church. Applying data from historical, archaeological, anthropological, radiological, morphological, radiocarbon dating and genetic research (Budapest, 2021)
CHAPTER SEVEN – Genetic investigations
Evaluation of A-STR analysis often skeletons from the Mathias Church (Göttingen) 1. In the course of these analyses, the optimized DNA isolation method was applied (for details see Chapter “Investigation of bone samples and methods”). 2. The final form of the various A-STR markers was usually accepted after 8x-40x detection attempts, with the criterion of obtaining the same allele lengths three times, which were acceptable as the correct (fingerprint) alleles. However, it was not always possible to fulfil the latter criterion. 3. Several attempts were needed during the analysis of Béla Ill ’s skeleton, because the DNA isolated from the bone samples chosen (tarsus-1 and tarsus-2) was strongly fragmented and contained only a few longer DNA strands suitable as a target sequence. This DNA degradation cannot be attributed to the bone structure being damaged after death, because the structure was quite well preserved (Figure 20 A and B) and it was possible to isolate much better quality DNA from bones as well preserved as this. The DNA fragmentation is obviously due to the treatment of the skeletons with resin, which was done before their interment in the Matthias Church, perhaps in order to preserve them. 4. We previously established that skeletons 11/52, 11/53, Anne of Antioch and the fetus’ skeleton sustained severe damage after death, and due to this, it was difficult to isolate DNA strands of the right length that are suitable for A-STR marker detection. In these cases several repetitions were needed to detect the markers, 139
