It may seem like hair-splitting, but DNA -- the blueprint of life -- found in hair dug up at ancient sites may provide hitherto unknowable information about the people who lived then.

A team of US archaeologists from the Oregon State University has recently unearthed a rich cache of hair from a 10,000-year-old site in western Montana, USA. Hailing it as a fantastic breakthrough, scientists believe that the DNA extracted from the hair fragments may help archaeologists reconstruct the lifestyles and culture of past populations (Science, Vol 5173, No 265).

Other organic substances found in the soil around the hair, such as fish scales and bird feathers, could reveal important clues to their diet and health. However, a lot of work has to be done before it can be established that the DNA came from an ancient inhabitant.

Team leader Rob Bonnischen says that a DNA molecule from a hair may provide important clues to how many related groups occupied a given site. DNA may also help resolve disputes about the number of migrations into North America from Asia and throw light on the origins of Asian people.

Looking for hair is a recent hobby: bones, stone tools and stuff like that are the staple treasures that archaeologists keep an eye out for. Bonnischen, who has helped devise a technique for recovering ancient hair fragments, had earlier found hair clumps at a 14,500-year-old cave, again in western Montana. Further digging led him to the present find.