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This study represents the first extensive residue analysis of prehistoric pottery from northern Belgium. It examines pottery use and culinary practices across the Mesolithic-Neolithic transition, from the late 6th to the early 4th millennium cal BC. Residue analyses were performed on more than 200 samples from nine archaeological sites, representing different cultural groups from this transitional phase. This includes the analysis of charred food residues encrusted on the vessel surfaces by elemental analysis-isotope ratio mass spectrometry (EA-IRMS), gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), stereomicroscopic analysis and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), as well as the analysis of absorbed lipids by gas chromatography-combustion-isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC-C-IRMS). This study provides the first evidence of ruminant dairy fats in Early Neolithic Limburg pottery, supporting the hypothesis that this pottery was produced and used by LBK farmers rather than hunter-gatherer populations. The first indigenous pottery of the Swifterbant culture was frequently used to process freshwater fish (often together with plant foods) and ruminant meat, although several of the studied vessels likely contained mixtures of resources which could also include porcine products. Ruminant dairy is nearly absent from this pottery. Similar results were obtained for pottery of the subsequent Michelsberg culture/Group of Spiere of the late 5th and early 4th millennium cal BC. The limited presence of ruminant dairy fats in this pottery contrasts with the findings for Middle Neolithic pottery from neighbouring regions, providing further evidence for the existence of regional variations in pottery use or culinary practices throughout prehistoric NW Europe. However, our current view of pottery use during the Mesolithic-Neolithic transition in northern Belgium might be biased by the difficulties in distinguishing between wild and domesticated ruminant adipose fats as well as in detecting plant foods through lipid residue analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims at reconstructing foodways in the north-east (NE) of the Iberian Peninsula, focusing on lipid residue analysis of utilitarian vessels and using as case studies the sites of Puig Castellar of Biosca (180–120 BCE) and Guissona (120 BCE-third century CE). In total, fifty vessel fragments of different types and origins were analysed with techniques such as gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and gas chromatography-combustion-isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC-C-IRMS). As some vessel fragments were recovered from waterlogged contexts, they had excellent lipid preservation, which enabled the detection of various compounds that are rarely reported in archaeological contexts in Iberia. Analyses revealed both animal and plant products in the vessels, suggested that a variety of food resources was consumed, and that vessels had multiple uses. The detection of levoglucosan in some extracts, along with other heat markers, further suggested the presence of cellulose or starchy products in contact with fire as well as the heating of animal fats. Combined with available bioarchaeological and palaeoenvironmental studies from both sites, the analyses indicated a continuity in diet across the time periods during which the sites were occupied. Some differences were also observed, including the possible use of tubers until the first century CE. The results are then contextualised and compared with other available organic residue studies from the Roman Iberian Peninsula. The study demonstrates how the combination of multiple bioarchaeological proxies and biomolecular approaches can provide a holistic means to approach Roman foodways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rice and millet arrived in Western Japan from Korea around 3,000 years ago and spread eastwards across the archipelago in the next 700 years. However, the extent to which agriculture transformed traditional Jōmon hunter-gatherer-fisher communities is debated. Central Japan is a key area of study as remodelling of radiocarbon dates shows a slowdown in the dispersal rate of rice agriculture in this area. Here, we examine and compare the use of pottery by Final Jōmon and Early to Middle Yayoi communities in the Tōkai and the Central Highland regions of central Japan, using lipid residue analysis. Although the identification of specific biomarkers for rice remains elusive, an increase in the ratio of E/H C18 APAAs with the arrival of rice and millet indicates a potential change in plant processing and consumption. We were also able to identify biomarkers for broomcorn millet (miliacin) in both Final Jōmon and Yayoi pottery. However, evidence for millet consumption is sparse and in all cases was likely mixed with wild hunted and foraged foods. We conclude therefore that, despite the introduction of rice and millet agriculture in central Japan, pre-existing diets and culinary habits of Jōmon hunter-gatherers remain important. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic residue analysis (ORA) studies residual anthropogenic organic molecules within archaeological matrices, offering valuable insights into various research inquiries. Despite the development of ORA in Latin America, its significance remains largely unrecognised and underrepresented. This paper aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the evolution, status, and prospects of ORA in Latin America. To achieve this, we conducted a thorough bibliographic survey and analysed contributions related to topics such as foodways, psychoactive consumption, the utilisation of paints, dyes, adhesives, binders, activity areas, and residue radiocarbon dating. We examine the geographical distribution of the studies, the flow between countries of sample origin and destination for ORA, and the chronological development in publications. We address challenges encountered in the production of ORA data in Latin America and emphasise the need for multiproxy and multi‐analytical approaches to characterise and identify robust biomarker sets to investigate the use and circulation of local commodities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic residue analysis (ORA) is a valuable tool for the study of ancient diets, but conventional methods remain limited in terms of taxonomic identification or to resolve mixtures. Here, we propose a method to further explore a class of compounds—triacylglycerols (TAGs)—using high‐resolution mass spectrometry to overcome these limitations in an attempt to better characterise culinary practices. Over 70 medieval Sicilian pots and a wide range of authentic fresh products were studied by matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionisation–mass spectrometry (MALDI‐MS and MALDI‐MS/MS). MALDI‐MS analysis can distinguish fresh foodstuffs but provides little additional information regarding the contents of archaeological pottery compared to conventional ORA methods. In contrast, product ion analyses were able to deconvolute a range of animal carcass fat mixtures. In addition, detailed analysis of the composition of saturated T44 and unsaturated T50–T54 TAGs was able to provide greater taxonomic resolution regarding dairy products and plant oils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In China, liquid residue was mostly found in sealed bronze vessels associated with alcohol drinks, which are supposed to conserve the complete composition of the beverage, including the additives. So far, most of them have not been sufficiently scientifically verified. In this study, the liquid residue in bronze jars from the late Western Han period in the burial area of Jin Yang ancient city site was investigated by GC/MS, LC–MS/MS, SEM and Raman spectroscopy. These sensitive versatile techniques had unintended consequences in addition to confirming the presence of fermentation products (monosaccharides, alditols, glycerol‐related substances and organic acids). The enrichment of oxalic acid, VLCFA (very‐long‐chain fatty acid), and alkaloids hints that multiple plants were involved in the beverage preparation. The quinazoline alkaloid products from the sediments reveal an important Rutaceae ingredient, which relates to multiple ancient spices and Chinese herbs. Therefore, the liquid residues from Jin Yang ancient city site imply that they are the earliest known herbal wine remains in East Asia to this day. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wine was a primary commodity in antiquity and prevalent in the Southern Levant Mediterranean-basin regions and Mesopotamia. Therefore, its identification in archaeological artifacts by chemical analysis is of great importance. Many studies of wine residues were conducted on pottery from Mediterranean and Near Eastern sites, using a wide range of approaches to extract and detect organic compounds. This article will evaluate and compare these methods and raise consequent considerations for the interpretation of results to arrive at a historic picture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Birch bark tar is one of the oldest man-made organic materials, which was most commonly served as adhesives in ancient Eurasia, but little is known about its usage in personal ornaments. In this study, we present the earliest direct evidence for the specific use of birch bark tar in the production of ornaments through chemical investigation (including FTIR, GC/MS, and Py-GC/MS) and imaging examination (including SEM and micro-CT). The chemical and microscopic analyses indicate that some beads and bracelets unearthed from a public cemetery (the Dayuanzi site) of an ancient state or tribe (Xinan Yi) on the eastern Yunnan plateau in southwest China dated to approximately 475 BCE–8 CE were exclusively made with birch bark tar. These ornaments represent a unique cultural phenomenon among ethnic groups in this region, which may contribute to a better understanding of plant exploitation and the related birch bark culture among different cultural groups and their interrelationships in the past. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined absorbed organic residues in pottery to assess differences in subsistence practices in Roman Britain. Through this approach, we investigated foodways at a major urban site and a range of small towns, villas and farmsteads within its hinterland. The study revealed that consumption at Cirencester differed remarkably to consumption at other sites in the surrounding hinterland, with a greater contribution from pigs and/or chickens. Dairy products were a key contributor to the diet at rural sites, including a high-status villa. We contend that both findings are the result of extensification of food production. Thus, we show how reconstructing broad culinary patterns can reveal possible responses of inhabitants to the challenges of feeding the increasing population of Roman Britain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate changes in culinary practices associated with the arrival of farming, we analysed the organic residues of over 1,000 pottery vessels from hunter-gatherer-fisher and early agricultural sites across Northern Europe from the Lower Rhine Basin to the Northeastern Baltic. Here, pottery was widely used by hunter-gatherer-fishers prior to the introduction of domesticated animals and plants. Overall, there was surprising continuity in the way that hunter-gatherer-fishers and farmers used pottery. Both aquatic products and wild plants remained prevalent, a pattern repeated consistently across the study area. We argue that the rapid adaptation of farming communities to exploit coastal and lagoonal resources facilitated their northerly expansion, and in some cases, hunting, gathering, and fishing became the most dominant subsistence strategy. Nevertheless, dairy products frequently appear in pottery associated with the earliest farming groups often mixed with wild plants and fish. Interestingly, we also find compelling evidence of dairy products in hunter-gatherer-fisher Ertebølle pottery, which predates the arrival of domesticated animals. We propose that Ertebølle hunter-gatherer-fishers frequently acquired dairy products through exchange with adjacent farming communities prior to the transition. The continuity observed in pottery use across the transition to farming contrasts with the analysis of human remains which shows substantial demographic change through ancient DNA and, in some cases, a reduction in marine consumption through stable isotope analysis. We postulate that farmers acquired the knowledge and skills they needed to succeed from local hunter-gatherer-fishers but without substantial admixture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transition from foraging to farming was a key turning point in ancient socio-economies. Yet, the complexities and regional variations of this transformation are still poorly understood. This multi-proxy study provides a new understanding of the introduction and spread of early farming, challenging the notions of hierarchical economies. The most extensive biological and biomolecular dietary overview, combining zooarchaeological, archaeobotanical, dietary stable isotope and pottery lipid residue analyses is presented, to unravel the nature and extent of early farming in the 3rd millennium cal BCE in the northeast Baltic. Farming was introduced by incoming Corded Ware cultural groups (CWC), but some dietary segregation existed within these communities, with some having more access to domesticates, others incorporating more wild resources into their diet. The CWC groups coexisted in parallel with local hunter–fisher–gatherers (HFG) without any indication of the adoption of domesticates. There was no transition from foraging to farming in the 3rd millennium cal BCE in the NE Baltic. Instead, we see a complex system of parallel worlds with local HFGs continuing forager lifeways, and incoming farmers practising mixed economies, with the continuation of these subsistence strategies for at least a millennium after the first encounter with domesticated animals.

Different types of plant tissues and resin can account for the wax lipids found in sedimentary contexts and archaeological samples. Consequently, there is increasing research to characterize the fatty acid carbon isotope ratios of different plant anatomical parts and their plant exudates (resin). With the aim to explore isotopic differences between plant tissues, state of the fine organic matter, effect of thermal degradation, and to identify plant residues we measured the δ13C values of short-chain fatty acids (δ13C16:0 and δ13C18:0) in: i) dead and fresh (collected and immediately dried) pine needles and branches (Pinus canariensis) and pine resin from laboratory-controlled heating experiments and ii) sediment and charred pine tissue samples from a wild pine forest fire. Our results are compared to previously published experimental open-air fire experiments and pine-fuelled archaeological combustion features. We found that for both fatty acid types, there are differences in δ13C signatures among anatomical parts and initial moisture content. These data allow us to characterize the isotopic signature of pine tissue and the effect of degradation on isotopic biomarkers, as well as to estimate combustion temperatures in pine-fuelled anthropogenic fires. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry (GC‐MS) organic residue analysis (ORA) of samples extracted from five Early Bronze Age ceramic bottles excavated at the archaeological site of Küllüoba in Anatolia (modern Turkey), and the first attempt at directly analysing the content of this category of products. Our results show that various types of liquid have been contained in different bottles and identify the presence of dicarboxylic and oleic acids with a large amount of palmitic acid in most samples, suggesting that they may have mostly contained a plant‐based oil. The presence of diterpenoids further shows the addition of ingredients such as conifer resin and other plant‐derived products. Overall, the analytical results presented here indicate the exchange of scented oils in Anatolia already during the late third millennium BCE. The different organic residue profiles contained in different samples also suggest a range of different recipes for these products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The region around the Strait of Gibraltar offered Neolithic societies a bridge connecting Iberia and North Africa. Using the sea for access to additional resources, Neolithic groups in the area developed close links with this territory as evidenced by its burial rites and storage practices. Nonetheless, the role pottery and its contents may have had in the labour activities of these groups is not well understood. In light of research in neighbouring regions, this study presents an initial analysis using an acidified methanol extraction of 29 pottery vessels from four Neolithic sites (Benzú Cave, Campo de Hockey, SET Parralejos and La Esparragosa) selected with the aim of assessing its potential for organic residue analysis at the point of confluence between southern Iberian and North African historic dynamics. The presence of appreciable lipid residues in 79% of the studied samples and the high variety in the results, including animal fats, dairy products, plant resins and two previously unreported residue types, support further research in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The detection of dairy processing is pivotal to our understanding of ancient subsistence strategies. This culinary process is linked to key arguments surrounding the evolution of lactase persistence in prehistory. Despite extensive evidence indicating the presence of dairy products in ceramics in the European Neolithic, questions remain about the nature and extent of milk (and lactose) processing and consumption. In order to investigate past patterns of dairy processing, here we analyse ancient proteins identified from Late Neolithic Funnel Beaker ceramics, scrutinizing the principle that curd and whey proteins partition during the production of dairy foods from milk. Our results indicate the presence of casein-rich dairy products in these vessels suggesting the creation of curd-enriched products from raw milk. Moreover, this analysis reveals the use of multiple species for their dairy products in the Late Neolithic, adding to a growing body of evidence for the period. Alongside palaeoproteomic analysis, we applied well-established lipid residue analysis. Differential interpretations between these two approaches show that palaeoproteomics is especially useful where the effects from isotope mixing may underestimate the frequency of dairy products in archaeological ceramics, highlighting the potential utility of a multi-stranded approach to understand life histories of vessel use.

From the 9th to 14th centuries AD, Sicily experienced a series of rapid and quite radical changes in political regime, but the impact of these regime changes on the lives of the people that experienced them remains largely elusive within the historical narrative. We use a multi-faceted lipid residue approach to give direct chemical evidence of the use of 248 everyday domestic ceramic containers from Islamic and post-Islamic contexts in western Sicily to aid our understanding of daily habits throughout this period of political change. A range of commodities was successfully identified, including animal fats, vegetable products, fruit products (potentially including wine) and plant resins. The study highlights the complexity of residues in early medieval Mediterranean society as, in many cases, mixtures of commodities were observed reflecting sequential cooking events and/or the complex mixtures reflective of medieval recipes. However, overall, there were no clear changes in the composition of the residues following the imposition of Norman control over the island and through subsequent periods, despite some differences between urban centres and rural sites. Thus, lending to the idea that post-Islamic populations largely flourished and benefited from the agricultural systems, resources and recipes left by their predecessors.

The study of the urban context in the contemporary center of Portugal's capital city uncovered traces of daily lives that were abruptly interrupted and utterly transformed by the Great Lisbon Earthquake on the morning of 1 November 1755. Charred organic residue was recovered from a cylindrical vessel excavated from the storage area of the town house at the Rossio square. The archaeological sample was studied through a multi-analytical approach based on microstructural, elemental and biomolecular characterization by attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FT-IR), variable pressure scanning electron microscopy coupled to energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (VP-SEM-EDS), and gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The residue was identified as human faeces collected in the ceramic vessel for disposal, and further analysis provided additional information about diet and the living conditions in the 18th century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investigating the organic content of archaeological pottery has largely focused on identifying food commodities, but their use and mode of processing still need to be thoroughly investigated. The present study aims to explore the diversity of organic residue absorption patterns, over a wider range of functions than previously studied by experimentation, by analysing ceramics still in use today. A field survey in Bedik Country, Senegal, where the use of pottery is still alive, was conducted to document the uses of ceramics and to interview potters and users of the vessels. As a preliminary study, nine ceramics whose use was recorded were investigated through 59 samples for their absorbed molecular profiles, lipid concentrations, and the preservation of triglycerides and C18 unsaturated fatty acids. The interpretations were first carried out as a blind test and then compared with the actual use. Lipid concentrations and molecular profiles indicated a diversity of contents, and the comparison of samples taken along the vertical transects of the vessels resulted in pottery function hypotheses that were broadly aligned with the actual uses. Cooking pots for fat-rich products were successfully identified, but the various documented patterns showed that lipid accumulation in ceramics is more complex than expected. Although caution is required to adopt this approach for archaeological pots, the vessel for fermenting plant products has been identified. Last, this work pointed out that ceramics can be used for a wider range of purposes than those usually considered for archaeological pottery, such as steaming or cooking non-food products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This paper addresses a "wide horizontal rim vessel" belonging to the collection of Fundação Sousa d'Oliveira (Azores). Although its provenance and the circumstances of its discovery are currently unknown, the authors contend that this vessel should be attributed to the Iberian Northwest and, more specifically, to the Portuguese territory, in line with the highly homogenous distribution of this type of pottery. A morphological and stylistic study has been carried out establishing its singularity with regards to the decorative composition of the rim, which is without parallel amongst dozens of vessels of the same "family". During the study of this piece, it has been possible to observe traces of soot and organic residues deposited both on its interior and exterior surfaces, which is recurrent in these vessels. The nature of these substances has never been determined in previous studies. In this article, we present and discuss the results obtained from the chromatographic analyses of the organic residue traces found on the vessel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Bronze Age—Iron Age transition in Central Asia (ca. 800 BCE) was a period of significant cultural change that was heavily influenced by greater population interaction and mobility. Indeed, scholars have increasingly emphasized the role that “food globalization in prehistory” has played in defining this period. In the mountain foothills of Kazakhstan, culinary traditions from across Eurasia were combined through the use of Southwest Asian wheat, barley, and livestock (cattle, sheep, and goats) with East Asian foxtail and broomcorn millets. The development of food cultures during this period has been investigated by archaeobotanical and isotopic analysis, yet lipid residues from pottery, which directly represent culinary practices, have not been adequately examined. In this study, lipid residue analysis was conducted on 72 pottery sherds, excavated from three burial mounds and one non-burial, ritual site located in Kazakhstan, dating to ca. 700–200 BCE. A particularly informative observation was the frequency of miliacin, a biomarker of broomcorn millet, detected in residues that corresponded well with previously published regional differences observed in carbon isotope ratios of human remains that indicate the consumption of C4 plants. This study also demonstrates continuity of Bronze Age dairying traditions into the Iron Age. Finally, this study sheds new light on the diversity of food cultures and mortuary practices in this region, which were not uniform across either space or time.

Organic residue analysis was conducted on various vessels from burials at Tel Yehud, Israel. The analyses led to new reliable evidence for the presence of opioid alkaloids and their decomposition products. This research revitalizes a decades‐old discussion on the presence and function of the opium trade across a cultural region of utmost significance in the Ancient Near East and the use and role of Base‐Ring juglets during the Late Bronze Age IIA (14th century bce). Furthermore, it was found that opium storage was not limited to Base‐Ring juglets. Opium was possibly diluted into storage jars and juglets, signifying the importance of opium utilization at a larger scale during this period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the study of ancient diet, lipid analysis of archaeological pottery residues has become a major investigative tool. Lipids absorb readily into clay vessels during cooking or processing of foodstuffs and are preserved, although not completely unchanged, for millennia. These can be linked directly to plant and animal resources used by past societies and can be valuable for understanding culinary practices, diet, and foodways. Identifying 'old food' via organic residue analysis has steadily developed since its inception last century, but growth has intensified in the past several years in many areas from modern reference comparisons to data interpretation. This paper will discuss current developments in the field of dietary studies using archaeological lipid analysis. Advancements in extraction methods, instrumentation, experimental ground-truthing, data processing, and interpretive frameworks are significantly boosting the explanatory power of lipid analysis for reconstructing ancient foodways and amplifying the importance of biomolecular-level data even further. • Lipids in archaeological ceramics provide information about past human diet. • New instrumental approaches provide higher sensitivity and coverage. • Reference and cooking experiments are pivotal for reliable identification of commodities. • Advanced analytical techniques and interpretive frameworks enable us to address new and complex research questions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent absorbed residue studies have confirmed that ceramic and shell containers were used for consuming Datura in precolumbian times. Until now, no one has identified what tools precolumbian people used to produce a concentrated hallucinogenic concoction. In this study, we used mass spectrometry to identify Datura residues (a flowering plant with hallucinogenic properties) in two late precolumbian composite bottles from the Central Arkansas River valley. Unlike the construction of most Mississippian bottles, the bottles in this study are unique because ceramic disks with a series of concentric perforations were incorporated in the bottles at the juncture of the bottle neck with the globular portion of the body. The organic residue analysis revealed Datura residues in both bottles. We argue that the internal clay disks served as strainers that allowed Datura producers to separate the hallucinogenic alkaloids from the Datura flower to produce a powerful liquid beverage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Foodways in the late prehistoric southern Levant evolved alongside changes in the social and economic organization of the communities occupying the region. In this paper, we present a comprehensive study of culinary practices from the Pottery Neolithic to the Late Chalcolithic period (ca. 6,400–3,800 cal. BC). The research examines changes and continuity in food-related organic residues preserved within ceramic and stone vessels along diachronic and interregional climatic lines in Israel. The results of lipid biomarker and compound-specific isotope analyses, together with the faunal and botanic records, indicate that while this timespan witnessed significant social and economic developments (including most notably the introduction of pottery and later copper metallurgy), there was a fairly uniform diet. Dietary preferences included meat, originating mainly from domestic ruminants, and cultivated vegetal resources, usually regardless of chronological, cultural, or environmental differences. Some chronological and potentially environmental variation was noted in the use of dairy products, which chemical residue analysis detected from samples dating to the Middle Chalcolithic period onwards in semi-arid regions. The overarching general uniformity in diet during the Pottery Neolithic and Chalcolithic periods suggests that the timespan was one long economic continuum separated by distinct cultural entities sharing a core dietary tradition. The socio-economic processes of the timespan had no significant effect on what people ate and how they used vessels to prepare and consume food. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant foods play an important role in the human diet and the ability to grow, store and extract nutritive potential from plants has had a transformative role in human history. During the Holocene, the invention of thermally resistant ceramic vessels, regarded as a crucial step in human technological progress, provided new opportunities to boil plants such as wild grasses, fully unlocking the potential of such plants as foodstuffs. This allowed a broadening of subsistence bases, increased dietary diversity, a greater variety of nutrients and more stable and palatable foods. Pottery was invented early in north Africa, at c. 12,000 cal BP, where it was first made by semi-sedentary hunter-gatherers, raising questions as to what this early pottery was used for. Combined molecular and isotopic techniques revealed the presence of diagnostic plant lipids, including leaf waxes and seed oils, in pottery from Holocene sites in the Libyan Sahara and Mediterranean north Africa, suggesting the processing of grasses, seeds and aquatic plants. In combination with archaeobotanical evidence from sites across these regions, these data give insights into the wide range of plants exploited in Holocene north Africa, thus providing information on dietary and subsistence practices of human groups across the region and confirming the importance of plant processing in the earliest pottery vessels in both areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Expanding diet breadth to previously unexplored resources was a key strategy in Neolithic adaptation through the Holocene. Most prominently, marine resources became substantial supplements in coastal and island regions worldwide. The Neolithic culture in Korea, known as the Chulmun, has been viewed as heavily based on a marine diet, as a large number of sites are shell middens with well-preserved marine resources. Terrestrial animal taxa are also documented in shell middens, but plant resources have been rarely reported because of the absence of archaeobotanical research. To help fill in this gap, we compared archaeobotanical and organic residue isotope data from four Neolithic shell middens, including Beombang, Bibongri, Sejukri, and Tongsamdong (7500 to 4000 cal BP). Results indicate that ca. Coastal inhabitants procured a broad-spectrum of resources from both marine and terrestrial taxa, while maintaining some difference in resource procurement across settlements from the Early Neolithic period. Particularly, the longer the occupation was, the wider the diet breadth became, including various plant resources and terrestrial animals. Our research demonstrates the utility of integrating archaeobotanical, grain impression, and isotopic methods, while building an additional robust case study demonstrating long-term niche construction and diverse resource seeking in coastal regions in the area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The end of the Early Bronze Age, in other words the EBA III, is one of the significant turning points in the cultural history of the Anatolian Peninsula. Metal objects that indicate social class differences, advancements in architecture, and finds that point to connections with distant regions all demonstrate that a political structure began to emerge in Anatolia during this period. Parallel to these developments, especially with the increase in interregional relations, the use of new vessels indicates a novelty in eating and drinking habits. Tankards, bell-shaped cups and depas amphikypellon stand out within this group and are referred to as the new drinking vessels. In addition to these, it is note-worthy that beakers or goblets, and also container amphorae started to become widespread. All these types are considered to be associated with new drinking habits, and the new drink type is suggested to be wine. However, the suggestions proposed regarding the use of these vessels are not supported by any archaeometric studies until now. In this study, we share results from total lipid extraction analyses (TLE) performed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) on a group of depa vessels from the archaeological site of Küllüoba located in Eskişehir, Turkey, and re-evaluate at the possible purposes of these vessels. Biomolecules such as fatty acids, salicylic acids, organic acids, hydrocarbons, n-alkanes, and herbal steroids identified as a result of these analyzes provided the first direct evidence of the use of fermented products such as wine and herbal analgesics in Early Bronze Age Anatolia. Additionally, we present the first archaeological data of the period and the region regarding the use of salicylic acid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ayia Triada Cave excavations revealed multiple human burials and evidence for feasting in Early Bronze Age (EBA) Greece. Associated pottery was subjected to gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) to investigate feasting in ritual contexts. Reported here are the first organic residue results from 69 sherds. Abundant residues were preserved, revealing heavy vessel use and multi‐resource mixtures, and echoing domestic consumption patterns. This research also identifies possible functions and associated products of certain EBA vessel types, for example, sauceboats. The linking of ordinary foods and vessels to an important rite of passage, like death, reinforces daily food practices, social relationships, and collective identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of the urban context in the contemporary center of Portugal’s capital city uncovered traces of daily lives that were abruptly interrupted and utterly transformed by the Great Lisbon Earthquake on the morning of 1 November 1755. Charred organic residue was recovered from a cylindrical vessel excavated from the storage area of the town house at the Rossio square. The archaeological sample was studied through a multi-analytical approach based on microstructural, elemental and biomolecular characterization by attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FT-IR), variable pressure scanning electron microscopy coupled to energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (VP-SEM-EDS), and gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The residue was identified as human faeces collected in the ceramic vessel for disposal, and further analysis provided additional information about diet and the living conditions in the 18th century.

Small ceramic vessels with spouts, from which liquid can be poured, became popular during the Late Bronze and Early Iron Ages in Central Europe (c. 1200–600 BC). Such feeding vessels represent a functional type and are highly variable in size, shape and decoration. Found both on settlements and within graves, their association with child burials suggest they might have been used to feed babies and small children. Combined lipid and isotope analysis was performed on 24 of these feeding vessels, with seven delivering interpretable results. Feeding vessels associated with child burials tend to deliver a ruminant milk signal, whereas other vessels were used to process ruminant and non-ruminant adipose fats. Here, we highlight the potential significance of feeding vessels as indicators of changing childcare practices during times of population increase, settlement nucleation and mobility, possibly involving out-sourcing the feeding of babies and small children to persons other than the mother. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Beehive products have a rich global history. In the wider Levantine region, bees had a significant role in Egypt and Mesopotamia, and intensive beekeeping was noted in Israel during the Biblical period when apiaries were first identified. This study investigates the origins of this extensive beekeeping through organic residue analysis of pottery from prehistoric sites in the southern Levant. The results suggest that beehive products from likely wild bees were used during the Chalcolithic period as a vessel surface treatment and/or as part of the diet. These functions are reinforced by comparison to the wider archaeological record. While the true frequency of beeswax use may be debated, alternatives to beehive products were seemingly preferred as wild resources contrasted with the socio-economic system centred on domesticated resources, controlled production and standardization. Bee products only became an important part of the economic canon in the southern Levant several millennia later.

This paper addresses a “wide horizontal rim vessel” belonging to the collection of Fundação Sousa d’Oliveira (Azores). Although its provenance and the circumstances of its discovery are currently unknown, the authors contend that this vessel should be attributed to the Iberian Northwest and, more specifically, to the Portuguese territory, in line with the highly homogenous distribution of this type of pottery. A morphological and stylistic study has been carried out establishing its singularity with regards to the decorative composition of the rim, which is without parallel amongst dozens of vessels of the same “family”. During the study of this piece, it has been possible to observe traces of soot and organic residues deposited both on its interior and exterior surfaces, which is recurrent in these vessels. The nature of these substances has never been determined in previous studies. In this article, we present and discuss the results obtained from the chromatographic analyses of the organic residue traces found on the vessel.

Long‐chain ω‐(o‐alkylphenyl)alkanoic acids (APAAs) derived from the heating of unsaturated fatty acids have been widely used for the identification of aquatic products in archaeological ceramic vessels. To date, little attention has been paid to the diagnostic potential of shorter chain (< C20) APAAs, despite their frequent occurrence. Here, a range of laboratory and field experiments and analyses of archaeological samples were undertaken to investigate whether APAAs could be used to further differentiate different commodities. The results provide new insights about the conditions for the formation of APAAs and enable the proposition of novel criteria to distinguish different natural products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Birch bark tar was used extensively throughout human history. While later ceramic-based production technologies are known, prehistoric aceramic techniques leave little to no archaeological evidence. Experimental tar production attempts to fill this gap and suggest potential techniques. However, their archaeological relevance is unclear. Through an in-depth biomolecular analysis using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry, this study attempts to differentiate tars produced using four experimental aceramic techniques: condensation, ash mound, pit roll, and raised structure. In doing so we publish the largest collection of GC-MS results of aceramic birch tars. The results show that pentacyclic triterpenoids, characteristic of birch bark, vary between the production techniques in relation to heating exposure and perhaps the tar collection method. This allows for a tentative identification of tars produced through the condensation and ash mound techniques, which were formed consistently using short periods of heating and collected systematically by scraping. In contrast, tars produced using the pit roll and raised structure techniques do not have consistent molecular signatures. Despite the partial success of Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry, the archaeological relevance is questioned because this technique is only applicable to samples from optimum lipid preservation conditions when a high number of pentacyclic triterpenoids are preserved. Therefore, using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry to determine the transformation methods of organics, like birch bark, may not be an appropriate standalone technique to fairly discuss the technological capabilities of past populations. • The paper contains the largest collection of GC-MS results of aceramic birch tars. • GC-MS details unique molecular signatures related to differences in heating. • Applying these patterns to identify ancient tar production techniques is difficult. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although wine was unquestionably one of the most important commodities traded in the Mediterranean during the Roman Empire, less is known about wine commerce after its fall and whether the trade continued in regions under Islamic control. To investigate, here we undertook systematic analysis of grapevine products in archaeological ceramics, encompassing the chemical analysis of 109 transport amphorae from the fifth to the eleventh centuries, as well as numerous control samples. By quantifying tartaric acid in relation to malic acid, we were able to distinguish grapevines from other fruit-based products with a high degree of confidence. Using these quantitative criteria, we show beyond doubt thatwine continued to be traded through Sicily during the Islamic period. Wine was supplied locally within Sicily but also exported from Palermo to ports under Christian control. Such direct evidence supports the notion that Sicilian merchants continued to capitalize on profitable Mediterranean trade networks during the Islamic period, including the trade in products prohibited by the Islamic hadiths, and that the relationship between wine and the rise of Islam was far from straightforward. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Differences in pottery technology and style between the Cardial and Epicardial periods have been used to study the social dynamics behind the spread of agriculture and pastoralism in the northwestern Mediterranean. This paper presents new data regarding pottery use from Early Neolithic settlements in the Barcelona plain in the sixth and fifth millennia cal BC. The recovery of organic residues from a set of 74 ceramic sherds provides the opportunity to detect changes in pottery use. The exclusive presence of non-ruminant adipose products in Cardial vessels and the sole identification of dairy products in Late Epicardial vessels are accompanied by the detection of high temperature biomarkers only in the latter period. These results suggest that, at least on a local scale, the two pottery types may have been used differently in activities transforming terrestrial animal products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Neolithic site of Bylany (CZ) is one of the largest and most thoroughly described Neolithic settlement in Central Europe. Although a comprehensive understanding has been achieved of the household development and pottery assemblage, little is known about household economies, dietary practices and animal exploitation strategies at the site. Nowadays such information can be tracked through the molecular and isotopic composition of organic lipid residues preserved in porous walls of archaeological potsherds (e.g. Cramp et al., 2014; Whelton et al., 2017). The pottery assemblage of Bylany is very abundant and this approach had previously been applied to one of the later settlement phases (later LBK, phase 19) revealing a meat- and plant-based diet and an exploitation of both ruminant and non-ruminant animals. To examine the economy over a longer settlement period of Bylany, ceramic material from the oldest part of the settlement was chosen. More than 130 rim potsherds attributed to the early LBK settlement phases 2 to 5 were analysed using a lipid biomarker approach combining chromatographic, spectrometric and isotopic methods. The analyses revealed that the fats absorbed in the ceramics were well-preserved with almost 90% of the sherds containing lipids. The lipid concentration varied in different vessel shapes with higher concentrations in dishes compared to bowls and jars. The stable carbon isotopic compositions of palmitic and stearic fatty acids, the major fatty acids present in the total lipid extracts, revealed that ruminant carcass products were the predominant animal products processed in the vessels. Plant product processing were confirmed by the presence of fatty alcohols, dicarboxylic acids and terpenic compounds. Detection of biomarkers produced at high temperature confirmed the thermal stress observed in some of the vessels. Although ruminants probably played a dominant role in the early phases of Bylany, as seen in the later phase 19, dairy fat residues were not detected in the analysed potsherds. These results thus shed light on the dietary strategies practiced in Bylany and are in agreement with the studies of other Central European Neolithic sites. • Lipid residues of potsherds from the early LBK period of the Neolithic site of Bylany (Czech Republic) were analysed. • Results were interpreted in relation to pottery vessel shapes and putative vessel function at the household level. • Animal and plant-based products were detected in the vessels. • Stable carbon isotopic analyses confirmed predominantly ruminant product processing. • Dairy fat residues were absent in potsherds, as seen in the later LBK phase 19 from Bylany. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents selected contextualized ceramic finds of the Middle Islamic period from the Northwest Quarter in Jerash, where a settlement of the same period has been investigated over the last years (2011-2016) within the framework of the Danish-German Jerash Northwest Quarter Project. Twenty-four sherds from various vessel types were selected for petrographic analysis, with 17 of these undergoing organic residue analysis as well. We bring together here the results of these analyses and present the sherds in their archaeological contexts together with the new information from the archaeo-scientific analyses. While on the basis of the results we cannot conclude much about specific vessels being assigned certain kinds of foods, we do present wideranging results of differing local and imported ceramics as well as a variety of animal and vegetal remains. The results bring to the forefront new knowledge about clay varieties and availability of different kinds of foodstuffs in Middle Islamic Jerash, a topic which is understudied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The introduction of pottery vessels to Europe has long been seen as closely linked with the spread of agriculture and pastoralism from the Near East. The adoption of pottery technology by hunter–gatherers in Northern and Eastern Europe does not fit this paradigm, and its role within these communities is so far unresolved. To investigate the motivations for hunter–gatherer pottery use, here, we present the systematic analysis of the contents of 528 early vessels from the Baltic Sea region, mostly dating to the late 6th–5th millennium cal BC, using molecular and isotopic characterization techniques. The results demonstrate clear sub-regional trends in the use of ceramics by hunter–gatherers; aquatic resources in the Eastern Baltic, non-ruminant animal fats in the Southeastern Baltic, and a more variable use, including ruminant animal products, in the Western Baltic, potentially including dairy. We found surprisingly little evidence for the use of ceramics for non-culinary activities, such as the production of resins. We attribute the emergence of these sub-regional cuisines to the diffusion of new culinary ideas afforded by the adoption of pottery, e.g. cooking and combining foods, but culturally contextualized and influenced by traditional practices.

Post-firing treatments, produced by the interaction of an organic material with the hot surface of a ceramic, are frequently described in ethnographic literature, but have rarely been identified in archaeological ceramic assemblages. In order to address this question, this paper describes a methodology that combines macro- and microscopic observation and molecular analysis. The study of experimental ceramic vessels provided diagnostic tools to identify the type of substances, their liquid or solid state, and their mode of application and attested that the post-firing treatments do not completely waterproof the ceramics. The difficulty to observe macro- and microscopic evidence of post-firing treatments when pots are fired in reducing atmosphere suggests that these processes are probably underestimated in archaeological assemblages. Furthermore, the identification of molecular thermal transformation markers, such as ketones, calls into question their classical interpretation as markers for the cooking of fatty content. This pioneering work highlights the complexity of studying post-firing treatments, which leave small traces that are easily missed or misinterpreted. In order to address this issue, we propose a multi-analytical approach, which can serve as a basis for future studies to explore the full diversity of post-firing treatments mentioned in ethnoarchaeological literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic residue analysis of potshards excavated from the Iron Age archaeological site of Kani‐zirin, western Iran, was achieved with acidified methanol extraction and gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry (GC‐MS). The GC‐MS data showed plant and animal commodities incorporated in the shards. Also, the investigations confirmed the presence of plant resin together with a tartrate ion within a group of the shards, suggesting a probable use of grape‐related products. Evidence of resins from the Pinaceae family, as an exotic species in Iran, was evinced in several of the shards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]