Human hard tissues ELISA optical density readings: oestrogen, progesterone, testosterone

The sex steroid hormones oestrogen, progesterone, and testosterone have not previously been investigated in human skeletal tissues. These hormones hold the potential to provide insight into the reproductive histories of women in the past. Progesterone, in particular, is a measurable biomarker for pregnancy in human blood serum, hair, saliva, and urine. Thus, its detection in bone and dental tissues could provide a means of identifying pregnant individuals in archaeological assemblages. Our novel methodology used enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) analysis on ten individuals curated by the University of Sheffield. This included seven females of mixed parity status and three males. Analysis of the second and third molar dentine and enamel, dental calculus, and bone was undertaken to examine whether sex steroid hormones could be identified and used as a biomarker for pregnancy in the sampled skeletal remains.

The following data set collates the optical density readings obtained during the ELISA analysis of oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone of skeletal tissues in these archaeological individuals.