"Haven't you seen Jurassic Park?"
Now, joke aside, I guess that in this case, the paint have protected the sample well.
DNA samples (from blood, at least) survive much. In a case where an arsonist(?) bled on the stairs (concrete) outside a house, reliable DNA was gathered from the stain - after the house had burned to the ground. The stain was buried in rubble and ash, less than a yard from the main door.
Slashdot Mirror
"Haven't you seen Jurassic Park?" Now, joke aside, I guess that in this case, the paint have protected the sample well. DNA samples (from blood, at least) survive much. In a case where an arsonist(?) bled on the stairs (concrete) outside a house, reliable DNA was gathered from the stain - after the house had burned to the ground. The stain was buried in rubble and ash, less than a yard from the main door.