Giving and taking: negotiating responsible sampling for aDNA and multi-isotope analysis in practice

The ethics of destructive sampling of human remains has become a critical debate, in part centred on developing minimally invasive techniques that simultaneously maximize information yield. While widely adopted best-practice guidelines have been developed, the proliferation of diverse analytical techniques results in incremental damage that compounds across studies, necessitating coordinated protocols to minimize cumulative destructive impact. Here, we exemplify the complexities of developing standardized protocols to mitigate these issues in a study aimed at co-analysing multi-isotopes and aDNA analysis in individuals buried at Lochhead Quarry, an early medieval long cist cemetery in Angus, Scotland. We conclude that the most ethically appropriate approach to sampling is contingent upon anatomical representation and preservation weighted against research objectives, project capacity and curatorial context, and that standardized protocols are difficult to implement in practice. This highlights the need for active, dynamic and coordinated research designs explicitly integrating different biomolecular objectives at the outset.