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Jambrina-Enríquez M, Mallol C, Herrera Herrera AV, Gonzalez-Urquijo J, Lazuen T. Microstratigraphic, lipid biomarker and stable isotope study of a middle Palaeolithic combustion feature from Axlor, Spain. iScience 2024; 27:108755. [PMID: 38269094 PMCID: PMC10805663 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.108755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2023] [Revised: 10/14/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Archaeological research has increasingly focused on studying combustion features as valuable sources of information regarding past technological and cultural aspects. The use of microstratigraphic and biomolecular techniques enables the identification of combustion residues and substrate components, and infer about past fire-related activities and the environments. Our study conducted on a combustion feature (Level N, ∼100 Ka) at the Axlor cave, a Middle Paleolithic site in northern Iberia, exemplifies the interdisciplinary approach to combustion features. Micromorphological features revealed depositional activities associated with occupations such as hearth rake-out and trampling. Through molecular (n-alkanes, n-alcohols, and n-fatty acids) and isotopic analysis (δ13C16:0 and δ13C18:0), we infer the good preservation of organic matter, the contributions of non-ruminant fats, and the dead-wood gathering strategies by Neanderthal groups. By combining microstratigraphic and biomolecular approaches, our study significantly contributes to the advancement of our current understanding of Neanderthal pyrotechnology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margarita Jambrina-Enríquez
- Departamento de Biología Animal, Edafología y Geología, Unidad Departamental de Petrología y Geoquímica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de La Laguna, 38200 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
- Archaeological Micromorphology and Biomarker Research Lab (AMBI Lab), Instituto Universitario de Bio-Orgánica Antonio González, Universidad de La Laguna, 38200 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
| | - Carolina Mallol
- Archaeological Micromorphology and Biomarker Research Lab (AMBI Lab), Instituto Universitario de Bio-Orgánica Antonio González, Universidad de La Laguna, 38200 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
- Departamento de Geografía e Historia, Unidad Departamental de Prehistoria, Facultad de Humanidades, Universidad de La Laguna, 38200 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
- ICArEHB - Interdisciplinary Center for Archaeology and the Evolution of Human Behaviour, Universidade do Algarve, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
| | - Antonio V. Herrera Herrera
- Archaeological Micromorphology and Biomarker Research Lab (AMBI Lab), Instituto Universitario de Bio-Orgánica Antonio González, Universidad de La Laguna, 38200 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
- Departamento de Química, Unidad Departamental de Química Analítica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de La Laguna, 38200 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
| | - Jesús Gonzalez-Urquijo
- Instituto Internacional de Investigaciones Prehistóricas de Cantabria-IIIPC (UC, Santander, Gobierno de Cantabria), Universidad de Cantabria, 39005 Santander, Spain
| | - Talía Lazuen
- Instituto Internacional de Investigaciones Prehistóricas de Cantabria-IIIPC (UC, Santander, Gobierno de Cantabria), Universidad de Cantabria, 39005 Santander, Spain
- Université de Bordeaux, CNRS, MCC, UMR 5199 - PACEA, Pessac, France
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2
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Lucquin A, Robson HK, Oras E, Lundy J, Moretti G, González Carretero L, Dekker J, Demirci Ö, Dolbunova E, McLaughlin TR, Piezonka H, Talbot HM, Adamczak K, Czekaj-Zastawny A, Groß D, Gumiński W, Hartz S, Kabaciński J, Koivisto S, Linge TE, Meyer AK, Mökkönen T, Philippsen B, Piličiauskas G, Visocka V, Kriiska A, Raemaekers D, Meadows J, Heron C, Craig OE. The impact of farming on prehistoric culinary practices throughout Northern Europe. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2310138120. [PMID: 37844237 PMCID: PMC10614617 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2310138120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/18/2023] Open
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre Lucquin
- BioArCh, Department of Archaeology, University of York, YorkYO10 5DD, United Kingdom
| | - Harry K. Robson
- BioArCh, Department of Archaeology, University of York, YorkYO10 5DD, United Kingdom
| | - Ester Oras
- Institute of History and Archaeology, Institute of Chemistry, University of Tartu, Tartu50411, Estonia
- Swedish Collegium for Advanced Study, Uppsala752 38, Sweden
| | - Jasmine Lundy
- BioArCh, Department of Archaeology, University of York, YorkYO10 5DD, United Kingdom
| | | | | | - Joannes Dekker
- BioArCh, Department of Archaeology, University of York, YorkYO10 5DD, United Kingdom
- Section for Geobiology, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen1350, Denmark
| | - Özge Demirci
- BioArCh, Department of Archaeology, University of York, YorkYO10 5DD, United Kingdom
- Groningen Institute of Archaeology, University of Groningen, Groningen9712, Netherlands
| | - Ekaterina Dolbunova
- The British Museum, LondonWC1B 3DG, United Kingdom
- Department of Archaeology of Eastern Europe and Siberia, State Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg190000, Russia
| | | | - Henny Piezonka
- Institute of Prehistoric Archaeology, Department of History and Cultural Studies, Free University, Berlin14195, Germany
| | - Helen M. Talbot
- BioArCh, Department of Archaeology, University of York, YorkYO10 5DD, United Kingdom
| | - Kamil Adamczak
- Institute of Archaeology, Faculty of History, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Toruń87-100, Poland
| | - Agnieszka Czekaj-Zastawny
- Centre for Archaeology of Hills and Uplands, Institute of Archaeology and Ethnology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków00-927, Poland
| | - Daniel Groß
- Museum Lolland-Falster, Nykøbing F.4800, Denmark
| | - Witold Gumiński
- Faculty of Archaeology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw00-927, Poland
| | - Sönke Hartz
- Stiftung Schleswig-Holsteinische Landesmuseen, Schloss Gottorf, Schleswig24837, Germany
| | - Jacek Kabaciński
- Centre for Archaeology of Hills and Uplands, Institute of Archaeology and Ethnology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków00-927, Poland
| | - Satu Koivisto
- Department of Archaeology, University of Turku, TurkuFI-20014, Finland
| | - Trond Eilev Linge
- University Museum of Bergen, Section for Cultural Heritage Management, Bergen5007, Norway
| | - Ann-Katrin Meyer
- Institute of Prehistoric and Protohistoric Archaeology, University of Hamburg, Hamburg20146, Germany
| | - Teemu Mökkönen
- Cultural Environment Services, The Finnish Heritage Agency, Helsinki913, Finland
| | - Bente Philippsen
- NTNU University Museum, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, TrondheimNO-7491, Norway
| | | | - Vanda Visocka
- Department of History and Archaeology, Faculty of History and Philosophy, University of Latvia, Rīga1050, Latvia
| | - Aivar Kriiska
- Department of Archaeology, Institute of History and Archaeology, University of Tartu, Tartu50090, Estonia
| | - Daan Raemaekers
- Groningen Institute of Archaeology, University of Groningen, Groningen9712, Netherlands
| | - John Meadows
- Centre for Baltic and Scandinavian Archaeology, Schleswig24837, Germany
| | - Carl Heron
- The British Museum, LondonWC1B 3DG, United Kingdom
| | - Oliver E. Craig
- BioArCh, Department of Archaeology, University of York, YorkYO10 5DD, United Kingdom
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Tarifa-Mateo N, Saña M, Clop X, Rosell-Melé A, Camalich-Massieu MD, Martín-Socas D. Investigating livestock management in the early Neolithic archaeological site of Cabecicos Negros (Almería, Spain) from the organic residue analysis in pottery. Sci Rep 2023; 13:4797. [PMID: 36959349 PMCID: PMC10036527 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-31036-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2022] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/25/2023] Open
Abstract
This paper seeks to reconstruct the management of food resources in the early Neolithic site of Cabecicos Negros in southeastern Spain. For this purpose, we have studied 29 potsherds from Cabecicos Negros (Andalusia, Spain). Applying the methods of gas chromatography and mass spectrometry we were able to recompose the daily use of the sherds related to the consumption and storage of food products. Among the results obtained in this work, we were able to show new evidence of the exploitation of dairy products in the south of the Iberian Peninsula, as well as provide information on the exploitation and management of the early domestic animals herds. To improve the archaeological results obtained, isotopic results were compared with a modern reference of 53 fat samples from the adipose tissue of domestic pigs and wild boars.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Tarifa-Mateo
- Department of Prehistory, Autonomous University of Barcelona, 08193, Bellaterra, Spain.
| | - M Saña
- Department of Prehistory, Autonomous University of Barcelona, 08193, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - X Clop
- Department of Prehistory, Autonomous University of Barcelona, 08193, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - A Rosell-Melé
- Institute of Environmental Science and Technology (ICTA-UAB), Autonomous University of Barcelona, 08193, Bellaterra, Catalonia, Spain
- Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA), 08010, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - M D Camalich-Massieu
- Department of Geography and History, Prehistory Area, University of La Laguna, 38200, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
| | - D Martín-Socas
- Department of Geography and History, Prehistory Area, University of La Laguna, 38200, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
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Lundy J, Drieu L, Orecchioni P, Meo A, Aniceti V, Fiorentino G, Primavera M, Talbot H, Molinari A, Carver MOH, Craig OE. Cuisine in transition? Organic residue analysis of domestic containers from 9th-14th century Sicily. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2023; 10:221305. [PMID: 36908986 PMCID: PMC9993051 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.221305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2022] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasmine Lundy
- Department of Archaeology, BioArCh, University of York, York YO10 5ND, UK
| | - Lea Drieu
- Department of Archaeology, BioArCh, University of York, York YO10 5ND, UK
- Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, CEPAM, Nice UMR 7264, France
| | - Paola Orecchioni
- Dipartimento di Storia, Patrimonio Culturale, Formazione e Società, Università degli Studi di Roma Tor Vergata, Rome 00133, Italy
| | - Antonino Meo
- Dipartimento di Storia, Patrimonio Culturale, Formazione e Società, Università degli Studi di Roma Tor Vergata, Rome 00133, Italy
| | - Veronica Aniceti
- ’Antonino Sallinas’, Regional Archaeological Museum of Palermo, Palermo 90133, Italy
- Department of Natural History, University Museum of Bergen, Bergen 5007, Norway
| | - Girolamo Fiorentino
- Laboratory of Archaeobotany and Palaeoecology, Università del Salento, Lecce 73100, Italy
| | - Milena Primavera
- Laboratory of Archaeobotany and Palaeoecology, Università del Salento, Lecce 73100, Italy
| | - Helen Talbot
- Department of Archaeology, BioArCh, University of York, York YO10 5ND, UK
| | - Alessandra Molinari
- Dipartimento di Storia, Patrimonio Culturale, Formazione e Società, Università degli Studi di Roma Tor Vergata, Rome 00133, Italy
| | | | - Oliver E. Craig
- Department of Archaeology, BioArCh, University of York, York YO10 5ND, UK
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5
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Evans M, Lundy J, Lucquin A, Hagan R, Kowalski Ł, Wilczyńki J, Bickle P, Adamczak K, Craig OE, Robson HK, Hendy J. Detection of dairy products from multiple taxa in Late Neolithic pottery from Poland: an integrated biomolecular approach. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2023; 10:230124. [PMID: 36938542 PMCID: PMC10014250 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.230124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miranda Evans
- Department of Archaeology, University of York, Heslington YO10 5DD, UK
- Department of Archaeology, The University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3DZ, UK
| | - Jasmine Lundy
- Department of Archaeology, University of York, Heslington YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Alexandre Lucquin
- Department of Archaeology, University of York, Heslington YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Richard Hagan
- Department of Archaeology, University of York, Heslington YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Łukasz Kowalski
- Institute of Archaeology, Centre for Applied Archaeology, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Szosa Bydgoska 44/48, 87-100 Toruń, Poland
| | - Jarosław Wilczyńki
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Institute of Systematics and Evolution of Animals, Polish Academy of Sciences, Sławkowska 17, 31-016 Kraków, Poland
| | - Penny Bickle
- Department of Archaeology, University of York, Heslington YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Kamil Adamczak
- Institute of Archaeology, Centre for Applied Archaeology, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Szosa Bydgoska 44/48, 87-100 Toruń, Poland
| | - Oliver E. Craig
- Department of Archaeology, University of York, Heslington YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Harry K. Robson
- Department of Archaeology, University of York, Heslington YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Jessica Hendy
- Department of Archaeology, University of York, Heslington YO10 5DD, UK
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The transmission of pottery technology among prehistoric European hunter-gatherers. Nat Hum Behav 2023; 7:171-183. [PMID: 36550220 PMCID: PMC9957732 DOI: 10.1038/s41562-022-01491-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Human history has been shaped by global dispersals of technologies, although understanding of what enabled these processes is limited. Here, we explore the behavioural mechanisms that led to the emergence of pottery among hunter-gatherer communities in Europe during the mid-Holocene. Through radiocarbon dating, we propose this dispersal occurred at a far faster rate than previously thought. Chemical characterization of organic residues shows that European hunter-gatherer pottery had a function structured around regional culinary practices rather than environmental factors. Analysis of the forms, decoration and technological choices suggests that knowledge of pottery spread through a process of cultural transmission. We demonstrate a correlation between the physical properties of pots and how they were used, reflecting social traditions inherited by successive generations of hunter-gatherers. Taken together the evidence supports kinship-driven, super-regional communication networks that existed long before other major innovations such as agriculture, writing, urbanism or metallurgy.
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Murakami N, Onggaruly A, Rakhimzhanova S, Standall EA, Talbot HM, Lucquin A, Suzuki M, Karimagambetov A, Nuskabay A, Nam SW, Craig OE, Shoda S. Lipid residues in ancient pastoralist pottery from Kazakhstan reveal regional differences in cooking practices. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.1032637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
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.
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Schipilliti L, Bonaccorsi I, Consolo G, Mondello L. Isotopic and Statistical Methods for the Traceability of Milk and Dairy Products. FOOD ANAL METHOD 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s12161-022-02258-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Bondetti M, González Carretero L, Dolbunova E, McGrath K, Presslee S, Lucquin A, Tsybriy V, Mazurkevich A, Tsybriy A, Jordan P, Heron C, Meadows J, Craig OE. Neolithic farmers or Neolithic foragers? Organic residue analysis of early pottery from Rakushechny Yar on the Lower Don (Russia). ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND ANTHROPOLOGICAL SCIENCES 2021; 13:141. [PMID: 34777611 PMCID: PMC8550616 DOI: 10.1007/s12520-021-01412-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2020] [Accepted: 07/02/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED The emergence of pottery in Europe is associated with two distinct traditions: hunter-gatherers in the east of the continent during the early 6th millennium BC and early agricultural communities in the south-west in the late 7th millennium BC. Here we investigate the function of pottery from the site of Rakushechny Yar, located at the Southern fringe of Eastern Europe, in this putative contact zone between these two economic 'worlds'. To investigate, organic residue analysis was conducted on 120 samples from the Early Neolithic phase (ca. mid-6th millennium BC) along with microscopic and SEM analysis of associated foodcrusts. The results showed that the earliest phase of pottery use was predominantly used to process riverine resources. Many of the vessels have molecular and isotopic characteristics consistent with migratory fish, such as sturgeon, confirmed by the identification of sturgeon bony structures embedded in the charred surface deposits. There was no evidence of dairy products in any of the vessels, despite the fact these have been routinely identified in coeval sites to the south. Further analysis of some of the mammalian bones using ZooMS failed to demonstrate that domesticated animals were present in the Early Neolithic. Nevertheless, we argue that intensive exploitation of seasonally migratory fish, accompanied by large-scale pottery production, created storable surpluses that led to similar socio-economic outcomes as documented in early agricultural societies. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12520-021-01412-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manon Bondetti
- BioArCh, University of York, Environment Building, Wentworth Way Heslington, York, YO10 5DD UK
- Arctic Centre and Groningen Institute of Archaeology (GIA), University of Groningen, Aweg 30, 9718CW Groningen, The Netherlands
| | | | - Ekaterina Dolbunova
- Department of Scientific Research, The British Museum, London, WC1B 3DG UK
- Department of Archaeology of Eastern Europe and Siberia, The State Hermitage Museum, 34 Dvortsovaya Embankment, Saint Petersburg, 190000 Russian Federation
| | - Krista McGrath
- ICTA, Universitate Autonoma de Barcelona, UAB 08193 Bellaterra (Cerdanyola), Building Z Campus, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sam Presslee
- BioArCh, University of York, Environment Building, Wentworth Way Heslington, York, YO10 5DD UK
| | - Alexandre Lucquin
- BioArCh, University of York, Environment Building, Wentworth Way Heslington, York, YO10 5DD UK
| | - Viktor Tsybriy
- Don Archaeological Society, 95A M Gorkogo, Rostov-on-Don, Russian Federation
| | - Andrey Mazurkevich
- Department of Archaeology of Eastern Europe and Siberia, The State Hermitage Museum, 34 Dvortsovaya Embankment, Saint Petersburg, 190000 Russian Federation
| | - Andrey Tsybriy
- Don Archaeological Society, 95A M Gorkogo, Rostov-on-Don, Russian Federation
| | - Peter Jordan
- Department of Archaeology and Ancient History, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Carl Heron
- Department of Scientific Research, The British Museum, London, WC1B 3DG UK
| | - John Meadows
- Centre for Baltic and Scandinavian Archaeology (ZBSA), SchlossGottorf, Schleswig-Holstein State Museums Foundation, Schlossinsel 1, 24837 Schleswig, Germany
| | - Oliver E. Craig
- BioArCh, University of York, Environment Building, Wentworth Way Heslington, York, YO10 5DD UK
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Lundy J, Drieu L, Meo A, Sacco V, Arcifa L, Pezzini E, Aniceti V, Fiorentino G, Alexander M, Orecchioni P, Mollinari A, Carver MOH, Craig OE. New insights into early medieval Islamic cuisine: Organic residue analysis of pottery from rural and urban Sicily. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0252225. [PMID: 34106970 PMCID: PMC8189454 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0252225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2020] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Sicily, during the 9th-12th century AD, thrived politically, economically, and culturally under Islamic political rule and the capital of Palermo stood as a cultural and political centre in the Mediterranean Islamic world. However, to what extent the lifeways of the people that experienced these regimes were impacted during this time is not well understood, particularly those from lesser studied rural contexts. This paper presents the first organic residue analysis of 134 cooking pots and other domestic containers dating to the 9th -12th century in order to gain new insights into the culinary practices during this significant period. Ceramics from three sites in the urban capital of Palermo and from the rural town of Casale San Pietro were analysed and compared. The multi-faceted organic residue analysis identified a range of commodities including animal products, vegetables, beeswax, pine and fruit products in the ceramics, with a complex mixing of resources observed in many cases, across all four sites and ceramic forms. Alongside the identification of commodities and how they were combined, new light has been shed on the patterning of resource use between these sites. The identification of dairy products in calcite wares from the rural site of Casale San Pietro and the absence of dairy in ceramics from the urban centre of Palermo presents interesting questions regarding the role of rural sites in food consumption and production in Islamic Sicily. This is the first time organic residue analysis of ceramics has been used to explore foodways in a medieval multi-faith society and offers new pathways to the understanding of pottery use and resources that were prepared, consumed and combined, reflecting cuisine in different socio-economic environments within the pluralistic population of medieval Sicily.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasmine Lundy
- Department of Archaeology, BioArCh, University of York, York, United Kingdom
| | - Lea Drieu
- Department of Archaeology, BioArCh, University of York, York, United Kingdom
| | - Antonino Meo
- Dipartimento di Storia, Patrimonio Culturale, Formazione e Società, Università degli Studi di Roma Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Lucia Arcifa
- Facoltà di Scienze della Formazione, Università di Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Elena Pezzini
- “Antonino Sallinas”, Regional Archaeological Museum of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Veronica Aniceti
- Dipartimento di Storia, Patrimonio Culturale, Formazione e Società, Università degli Studi di Roma Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
- Department of Natural History, University Museum of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Girolamo Fiorentino
- Laboratory of Archaeobotany and Palaeoecology, Università del Salento, Lecce, Italy
| | - Michelle Alexander
- Department of Archaeology, BioArCh, University of York, York, United Kingdom
| | - Paola Orecchioni
- Dipartimento di Storia, Patrimonio Culturale, Formazione e Società, Università degli Studi di Roma Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Alessandra Mollinari
- Dipartimento di Storia, Patrimonio Culturale, Formazione e Società, Università degli Studi di Roma Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Martin O. H. Carver
- Department of Archaeology, BioArCh, University of York, York, United Kingdom
| | - Oliver E. Craig
- Department of Archaeology, BioArCh, University of York, York, United Kingdom
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11
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Rodríguez de Vera C, Herrera-Herrera AV, Jambrina-Enríquez M, Sossa-Ríos S, González-Urquijo J, Lazuen T, Vanlandeghem M, Alix C, Monnier G, Pajović G, Tostevin G, Mallol C. Micro-contextual identification of archaeological lipid biomarkers using resin-impregnated sediment slabs. Sci Rep 2020; 10:20574. [PMID: 33239666 PMCID: PMC7689525 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-77257-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2020] [Accepted: 11/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Characterizing organic matter preserved in archaeological sediment is crucial to behavioral and paleoenvironmental investigations. This task becomes particularly challenging when considering microstratigraphic complexity. Most of the current analytical methods rely on loose sediment samples lacking spatial and temporal resolution at a microstratigraphic scale, adding uncertainty to the results. Here, we explore the potential of targeted molecular and isotopic biomarker analysis on polyester resin-impregnated sediment slabs from archaeological micromorphology, a technique that provides microstratigraphic control. We performed gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and gas chromatography-isotope ratio mass spectromety (GC-IRMS) analyses on a set of samples including drill dust from resin-impregnated experimental and archaeological samples, loose samples from the same locations and resin control samples to assess the degree of interference of polyester resin in the GC-MS and Carbon-IRMS signals of different lipid fractions (n-alkanes, aromatics, n-ketones, alcohols, fatty acids and other high polarity lipids). The results show that biomarkers within the n-alkane, aromatic, n-ketone, and alcohol fractions can be identified. Further work is needed to expand the range of identifiable lipid biomarkers. This study represents the first micro-contextual approach to archaeological lipid biomarkers and contributes to the advance of archaeological science by adding a new method to obtain behavioral or paleoenvironmental proxies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caterina Rodríguez de Vera
- Archaeological Micromorphology and Biomarkers Laboratory (AMBI Lab), Instituto Universitario de Bio-Orgánica "Antonio González", Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain.
| | - Antonio V Herrera-Herrera
- Archaeological Micromorphology and Biomarkers Laboratory (AMBI Lab), Instituto Universitario de Bio-Orgánica "Antonio González", Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
| | - Margarita Jambrina-Enríquez
- Archaeological Micromorphology and Biomarkers Laboratory (AMBI Lab), Instituto Universitario de Bio-Orgánica "Antonio González", Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
- Departamento de Biología Animal, Edafología y Geología, Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
| | - Santiago Sossa-Ríos
- Departamento de Historia e Historia del Arte, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Avenida de Cataluña, 35, 43002, Tarragona, Spain
- Institut Català de Paleoecología Humana i Evolució Social (IPHES), Zona Educacional 4, Campus Sescelades Universitat Rovira I Virgili (Edificio W3), 43007, Tarragona, Spain
| | - Jesús González-Urquijo
- Instituto Internacional de Investigaciones Prehistóricas de Cantabria, IIIPC-University of Cantabria, Edificio Interfacultativo, Universidad de Cantabria, Avenida de Los Castros, 52, 39005, Santander, Spain
| | - Talia Lazuen
- CNRS, MCC, PACEA, UMR 5199, Université de Bordeaux, 33600, Pessac Cedex, France
| | - Marine Vanlandeghem
- UMR 7041 ArScAn, Université Paris 1 Panthéon Sorbonne, 21 allée de l'université, 92023, Nanterre Cedex, France
| | - Claire Alix
- Université Paris 1 Panthéon Sorbonne, 8096 ArchAm, 21 allée de l'université, 92023, Nanterre Cedex, France
| | - Gilliane Monnier
- Department of Anthropology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Goran Pajović
- National Museum of Montenegro, Novice Cerovića, 7, 81250, Cetinje, Montenegro
| | - Gilbert Tostevin
- Department of Anthropology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Carolina Mallol
- Archaeological Micromorphology and Biomarkers Laboratory (AMBI Lab), Instituto Universitario de Bio-Orgánica "Antonio González", Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
- Departamento de Geografía e Historia, UDI Prehistoria, Arqueología e Historia Antigua, Facultad de Geografía e Historia, Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
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12
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Kamjan S, Gillis RE, Çakırlar C, Raemaekers DCM. Specialized cattle farming in the Neolithic Rhine-Meuse Delta: Results from zooarchaeological and stable isotope (δ18O, δ13C, δ15N) analyses. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0240464. [PMID: 33085689 PMCID: PMC7577484 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0240464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2020] [Accepted: 09/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Schipluiden (3630-3380 cal BC), the earliest known year-round settlement in the Rhine-Meuse Delta in the Netherlands, is a key site for addressing the nature of Neolithic subsistence in the wetlands of northwestern Europe. A preliminary zooarchaeological study suggested that cattle husbandry was a major activity at Schipluiden. In contrast, stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analyses of human remains from the site indicated a marine-oriented diet, implying that the Mesolithic-Neolithic dietary transition continued well into the mid-4th Millennium BC in this region. Here, we re-investigate the role and nature of cattle husbandry at Neolithic Schipluiden using mortality profiles and stable isotope analysis (δ18O, δ13C, δ15N) of animal bone collagen and tooth enamel. The age-at-death analysis suggests that cattle were managed for both meat and milk production. The δ18O and δ13C analysis of tooth enamel provide evidence that calving spread over five-and-a-half-months, which would have led to a longer availability of milk throughout the year. Cattle were grazing in open, marshy environments near the site and winter foddering was practiced occasionally. The faunal isotopic data also reveal that the high 15N in human bone collagen is more likely to signal the consumption of products from cattle that grazed on 15N-enriched salt marsh plants around the site, rather than a marine-oriented diet. This undermines the previous interpretation of the dietary practices at Schipluiden by showing that human diet in mid-4th millennium BC Rhine-Meuse area was fully "Neolithic", based primarily on products from domesticates, especially cattle, with some input from wild terrestrial and aquatic resources available in their surroundings, contrary to what has been proposed before. Collating these results demonstrates a high level of investment in cattle husbandry, highlighting the social and economic importance of cattle at the lower Rhine-Meuse Delta during the 4th millennium BC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Safoora Kamjan
- Groningen Institute of Archaeology, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Rosalind E. Gillis
- Interdisciplinary Center for Archaeology and Evolution of Human Behaviour, University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal
| | - Canan Çakırlar
- Groningen Institute of Archaeology, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
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13
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Chakraborty KS, Slater GF, Miller HML, Shirvalkar P, Rawat Y. Compound specific isotope analysis of lipid residues provides the earliest direct evidence of dairy product processing in South Asia. Sci Rep 2020; 10:16095. [PMID: 32999318 PMCID: PMC7528006 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-72963-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2020] [Accepted: 09/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The early evidence of domesticated animals and human–animal interaction in South Asia can be traced back to the seventh millennium BCE; however, our understanding of their use is incomplete and limited to the analysis of animal bones from archaeological sites. By the third millennium BCE with the emergence of the Indus Civilization, cattle and water-buffalo became the primary domesticates and outnumbered any other animals at the majority of the Indus settlements. Based on the analysis of skeletal remains and ethnographic data, a number of studies have suggested that cattle and water-buffalo were utilized for their meat, dairy, hides, and other labor-oriented jobs. While some of these claims are backed by empirical data, others are primarily discussed as hypotheses, for example, the exploitation of dairy. In this paper, by analyzing the absorbed lipid residues from fifty-nine ceramic sherds recovered from an agro-pastoral settlement that was occupied during the peak of the Indus period around mid- to late third millennium BCE, we provide the earliest direct evidence of dairy product processing, particularly from cattle and possibly from some water-buffalo. By providing direct evidence of animal product processing, we identify the use of primary domesticated animals and other resources in the diet during the Indus Civilization.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Greg F Slater
- School of Geography and Earth Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Heather M-L Miller
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto, Mississauga, ON, Canada
| | - Prabodh Shirvalkar
- Department of A.I.H.C. and Archaeology, Deccan College Postgraduate and Research Institute, Pune, Maharashtra, India
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14
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Latitudinal gradient in dairy production with the introduction of farming in Atlantic Europe. Nat Commun 2020; 11:2036. [PMID: 32341389 PMCID: PMC7184739 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-15907-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2019] [Accepted: 03/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
The introduction of farming had far-reaching impacts on health, social structure and demography. Although the spread of domesticated plants and animals has been extensively tracked, it is unclear how these nascent economies developed within different environmental and cultural settings. Using molecular and isotopic analysis of lipids from pottery, here we investigate the foods prepared by the earliest farming communities of the European Atlantic seaboard. Surprisingly, we find an absence of aquatic foods, including in ceramics from coastal sites, except in the Western Baltic where this tradition continued from indigenous ceramic using hunter-gatherer-fishers. The frequency of dairy products in pottery increased as farming was progressively introduced along a northerly latitudinal gradient. This finding implies that early farming communities needed time to adapt their economic practices before expanding into more northerly areas. Latitudinal differences in the scale of dairy production might also have influenced the evolution of adult lactase persistence across Europe. The transition to agriculture brought major changes to human populations in Europe during the Neolithic period. Here, Cubas and colleagues analyse lipid residues from Neolithic pottery from along the Atlantic coast of Europe to trace the spread of dairy production and shifts in diet.
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15
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Courel B, Robson HK, Lucquin A, Dolbunova E, Oras E, Adamczak K, Andersen SH, Astrup PM, Charniauski M, Czekaj-Zastawny A, Ezepenko I, Hartz S, Kabaciński J, Kotula A, Kukawka S, Loze I, Mazurkevich A, Piezonka H, Piličiauskas G, Sørensen SA, Talbot HM, Tkachou A, Tkachova M, Wawrusiewicz A, Meadows J, Heron CP, Craig OE. Organic residue analysis shows sub-regional patterns in the use of pottery by Northern European hunter-gatherers. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2020; 7:192016. [PMID: 32431883 PMCID: PMC7211838 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.192016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2019] [Accepted: 03/27/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blandine Courel
- Department of Scientific Research, The British Museum, London WC1B 3DG, UK
| | - Harry K. Robson
- BioArCh, Department of Archaeology, University of York, York YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Alexandre Lucquin
- BioArCh, Department of Archaeology, University of York, York YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Ekaterina Dolbunova
- Department of Scientific Research, The British Museum, London WC1B 3DG, UK
- The State Hermitage Museum, 34 Dvortsovaya Embankment, Saint Petersburg 190000, Russian Federation
| | - Ester Oras
- Institute of Chemistry, University of Tartu, Ravila 14A, 50411 Tartu, Estonia
| | - Kamil Adamczak
- Institute of Archaeology, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Szosa Bydgoska 44/48, 87-100 Toruń, Poland
| | | | | | - Maxim Charniauski
- Department of Archaeology of Prehistoric Society, Institute of History, National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, Academic St 1, 220072 Minsk, Belarus
| | - Agnieszka Czekaj-Zastawny
- Institute of Archaeology and Ethnology, Polish Academy of Science, Sławkowska 17, 31-016 Krakow, Poland
| | - Igor Ezepenko
- Department of Archaeology of Prehistoric Society, Institute of History, National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, Academic St 1, 220072 Minsk, Belarus
| | - Sönke Hartz
- Stiftung Schleswig-Holsteinische Landesmuseen, Schloss Gottorf, 24837 Schleswig, Germany
| | - Jacek Kabaciński
- Institute of Archaeology and Ethnology Polish Academy of Science, 31-016 Kraków, Poland
| | - Andreas Kotula
- Seminar für Ur- und Frühgeschichte, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Nikolausberger Weg 15, 37073 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Stanisław Kukawka
- Institute of Archaeology, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Szosa Bydgoska 44/48, 87-100 Toruń, Poland
| | - Ilze Loze
- Institute of Latvian History, University of Latvia, Rīga 1050, Latvia
| | - Andrey Mazurkevich
- The State Hermitage Museum, 34 Dvortsovaya Embankment, Saint Petersburg 190000, Russian Federation
| | - Henny Piezonka
- Institut für Ur- und Frühgeschichte, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Johanna-Mestorf-Straße 2-6, 24118 Kiel, Germany
| | | | - Søren A. Sørensen
- Museum Lolland-Falster, Frisegade 40, 4800 Nykøbing Falster, Denmark
| | - Helen M. Talbot
- BioArCh, Department of Archaeology, University of York, York YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Aleh Tkachou
- Department of Archaeology of Prehistoric Society, Institute of History, National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, Academic St 1, 220072 Minsk, Belarus
| | - Maryia Tkachova
- Department of Archaeology of Prehistoric Society, Institute of History, National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, Academic St 1, 220072 Minsk, Belarus
| | - Adam Wawrusiewicz
- Muzeum Podlaskie w Białymstoku, Ratusz, Rynek Kościuszki 10, 15-426 Białystok, Poland
| | - John Meadows
- Centre for Baltic and Scandinavian Archaeology (ZBSA), Schleswig-Holstein State Museums Foundation, Schloss Gottorf, Schlossinsel 1, 24837 Schleswig, Germany
| | - Carl P. Heron
- Department of Scientific Research, The British Museum, London WC1B 3DG, UK
| | - Oliver E. Craig
- BioArCh, Department of Archaeology, University of York, York YO10 5DD, UK
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16
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Robson HK, Skipitytė R, Piličiauskienė G, Lucquin A, Heron C, Craig OE, Piličiauskas G. Diet, cuisine and consumption practices of the first farmers in the southeastern Baltic. ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND ANTHROPOLOGICAL SCIENCES 2019; 11:4011-4024. [PMID: 31565086 PMCID: PMC6743674 DOI: 10.1007/s12520-019-00804-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2018] [Accepted: 01/30/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
With the arrival of the Early Neolithic Globular Amphora and Corded Ware cultures into the southeastern Baltic, ca. 2900/2800-2400 cal BC, a new type of economy was introduced, animal husbandry. However, the degree to which this transformed the subsistence economy is unknown. Here, we conducted organic residue analyses of 64 ceramic vessels to identify their contents. The vessels were sampled from 10 Lithuanian archaeological sites dating across the Subneolithic-Neolithic transition to the Early Bronze Age (ca. 2900/2800-1300 cal BC). Our results demonstrate that regardless of location or vessel type, many ceramics were used to process aquatic resources. Against our expectations, this association continued even after marked economic change concurrent with the migration of pastoralists from central and southeastern Europe, as evidenced by recent ancient DNA analysis of human remains. Moreover, we observed dairy fats in pottery from all cultures of the Early Neolithic (i.e. Rzucewo, Globular Amphora and Corded Ware) but unlike other regions of Europe, it seems that these were incorporated into indigenous culinary practices. Furthermore, some vessels were used to process plant foods, and others may have been used for the production and/or storage of birch bark tar. However, evidence for domesticated plant processing, for example millet, was absent. We show that organic residue analysis of pottery provides a different picture of past consumption patterns compared to the stable isotope analysis of human remains from isolated burials where a clear dietary shift is evident.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harry K. Robson
- BioArCh, Department of Archaeology, University of York, Heslington, York, YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Raminta Skipitytė
- Center for Physical Sciences and Technology, Saulėtekio Ave. 3, Vilnius 10257, Lithuania
- Lithuanian Institute of History, Kražių st. 5, Vilnius 01108, Lithuania
| | - Giedrė Piličiauskienė
- Faculty of History, Vilnius University, Universiteto st. 7, Vilnius 01513, Lithuania
| | - Alexandre Lucquin
- BioArCh, Department of Archaeology, University of York, Heslington, York, YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Carl Heron
- Department of Scientific Research, The British Museum, Great Russell Street, London, WC1B 3DG, UK
| | - Oliver E. Craig
- BioArCh, Department of Archaeology, University of York, Heslington, York, YO10 5DD, UK
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17
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Determination of Milk Products in Ceramic Vessels of Corded Ware Culture from a Late Eneolithic Burial. Molecules 2018; 23:molecules23123247. [PMID: 30544625 PMCID: PMC6321049 DOI: 10.3390/molecules23123247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2018] [Revised: 11/29/2018] [Accepted: 12/04/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
In this study, a soil from two ceramic vessels belonging to Corded Ware culture, 2707–2571 B.C., found in a cremation grave discovered in Central Moravia, Czech Republic, was analyzed using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization–mass spectrometry (MALDI–MS) combined with advanced statistical treatment (principal component analysis, PCA, and orthogonal projection to latent structures discriminant analysis, OPLS-DA) and by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). MALDI–MS revealed the presence of triacylglycerols in both vessels. This analytical technique was used for the analysis of the soil content from archaeological ceramic vessels for the first time. Targeted ELISA experiments consequently proved the presence of milk proteins in both ceramic vessels. These results represent the first direct evidence of the use of milk or dairy products in the Eneolithic period in Moravian Corded Ware Culture and help to better understand the diet habits and living conditions of Eneolithic populations in Central Europe.
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18
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Oras E, Vahur S, Isaksson S, Kaljurand I, Leito I. MALDI-FT-ICR-MS for archaeological lipid residue analysis. JOURNAL OF MASS SPECTROMETRY : JMS 2017; 52:689-700. [PMID: 28741297 DOI: 10.1002/jms.3974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2017] [Revised: 06/30/2017] [Accepted: 07/19/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Soft-ionization methods are currently at the forefront of developing novel methods for analysing degraded archaeological organic residues. Here, we present little-used soft ionization method of matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization-Fourier transform-ion cyclotron resonance-mass spectrometry (MALDI-FT-ICR-MS) for the identification of archaeological lipid residues. It is a high-resolution and sensitive method with low limits of detection capable of identifying lipid compounds in small concentrations, thus providing a highly potential new technique for the analysis of degraded lipid components. A thorough methodology development for analysing cooked and degraded food remains from ceramic vessels was carried out, and the most efficient sample preparation protocol is described. The identified components, also controlled by independent parallel analysis by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and gas chromatography-combustion-isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC-C-IRMS), demonstrate its capability of identifying very different food residues including dairy, adipose fats as well as lipids of aquatic origin. The results obtained from experimentally cooked and original archaeological samples prove the suitability of MALDI-FT-ICR-MS for analysing archaeological organic residues. Sample preparation protocol and identification of compounds provide future reference for analysing various aged and degraded lipid residues in different organic and mineral matrices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ester Oras
- Institute of History and Archaeology, Faculty of Arts and Humanities, University of Tartu, Jakobi 2, 51014, Tartu, Estonia
- Institute of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Tartu, Ravila 14A, 50411, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Signe Vahur
- Institute of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Tartu, Ravila 14A, 50411, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Sven Isaksson
- The Archaeological Research Laboratory, Department of Archaeology and Classical Studies, SE-106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ivari Kaljurand
- Institute of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Tartu, Ravila 14A, 50411, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Ivo Leito
- Institute of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Tartu, Ravila 14A, 50411, Tartu, Estonia
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19
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Heron C, Shoda S, Breu Barcons A, Czebreszuk J, Eley Y, Gorton M, Kirleis W, Kneisel J, Lucquin A, Müller J, Nishida Y, Son JH, Craig OE. First molecular and isotopic evidence of millet processing in prehistoric pottery vessels. Sci Rep 2016; 6:38767. [PMID: 28004742 PMCID: PMC5177950 DOI: 10.1038/srep38767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2016] [Accepted: 11/09/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Analysis of organic residues in pottery vessels has been successful in detecting a range of animal and plant products as indicators of food preparation and consumption in the past. However, the identification of plant remains, especially grain crops in pottery, has proved elusive. Extending the spectrum is highly desirable, not only to strengthen our understanding of the dispersal of crops from centres of domestication but also to determine modes of food processing, artefact function and the culinary significance of the crop. Here, we propose a new approach to identify millet in pottery vessels, a crop that spread throughout much of Eurasia during prehistory following its domestication, most likely in northern China. We report the successful identification of miliacin (olean-18-en-3β-ol methyl ether), a pentacyclic triterpene methyl ether that is enriched in grains of common/broomcorn millet (Panicum miliaceum), in Bronze Age pottery vessels from the Korean Peninsula and northern Europe. The presence of millet is supported by enriched carbon stable isotope values of bulk charred organic matter sampled from pottery vessel surfaces and extracted n-alkanoic acids, consistent with a C4 plant origin. These data represent the first identification of millet in archaeological ceramic vessels, providing a means to track the introduction, spread and consumption of this important crop.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carl Heron
- Department of Archaeological Sciences, University of Bradford, Richmond Road, Bradford BD7 1DP, UK
| | - Shinya Shoda
- BioArCh, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Adrià Breu Barcons
- Department of Archaeological Sciences, University of Bradford, Richmond Road, Bradford BD7 1DP, UK
| | - Janusz Czebreszuk
- Instytut Prahistorii, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Wieniawskiego 1, 61-712 Poznań, Poland
| | - Yvette Eley
- Center for Integrative Geosciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, 06269, USA
| | - Marise Gorton
- Department of Archaeological Sciences, University of Bradford, Richmond Road, Bradford BD7 1DP, UK
| | - Wiebke Kirleis
- Institute of Pre- and Protohistoric Archaeology, Johanna-Mestorf-Straße 2-6, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Jutta Kneisel
- Institute of Pre- and Protohistoric Archaeology, Johanna-Mestorf-Straße 2-6, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | | | - Johannes Müller
- Institute of Pre- and Protohistoric Archaeology, Johanna-Mestorf-Straße 2-6, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Yastami Nishida
- Niigata Prefectural Museum of History, Sekihara 1, Nagaoka, Niigata 940-2035, Japan
| | - Joon-Ho Son
- Department of Archaeology and Art History, Korea University, 2511 Sechong-ro, Jochiweon-up, Sejong-si, 339-700, South Korea
| | - Oliver E Craig
- BioArCh, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5DD, UK
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20
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Regional asynchronicity in dairy production and processing in early farming communities of the northern Mediterranean. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2016; 113:13594-13599. [PMID: 27849595 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1607810113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
In the absence of any direct evidence, the relative importance of meat and dairy productions to Neolithic prehistoric Mediterranean communities has been extensively debated. Here, we combine lipid residue analysis of ceramic vessels with osteo-archaeological age-at-death analysis from 82 northern Mediterranean and Near Eastern sites dating from the seventh to fifth millennia BC to address this question. The findings show variable intensities in dairy and nondairy activities in the Mediterranean region with the slaughter profiles of domesticated ruminants mirroring the results of the organic residue analyses. The finding of milk residues in very early Neolithic pottery (seventh millennium BC) from both the east and west of the region contrasts with much lower intensities in sites of northern Greece, where pig bones are present in higher frequencies compared with other locations. In this region, the slaughter profiles of all domesticated ruminants suggest meat production predominated. Overall, it appears that milk or the by-products of milk was an important foodstuff, which may have contributed significantly to the spread of these cultural groups by providing a nourishing and sustainable product for early farming communities.
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Chemical Analysis of Pottery Demonstrates Prehistoric Origin for High-Altitude Alpine Dairying. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0151442. [PMID: 27100391 PMCID: PMC4839595 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0151442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2016] [Accepted: 02/29/2016] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The European high Alps are internationally renowned for their dairy produce, which are of huge cultural and economic significance to the region. Although the recent history of alpine dairying has been well studied, virtually nothing is known regarding the origins of this practice. This is due to poor preservation of high altitude archaeological sites and the ephemeral nature of transhumance economic practices. Archaeologists have suggested that stone structures that appear around 3,000 years ago are associated with more intense seasonal occupation of the high Alps and perhaps the establishment of new economic strategies. Here, we report on organic residue analysis of small fragments of pottery sherds that are occasionally preserved both at these sites and earlier prehistoric rock-shelters. Based mainly on isotopic criteria, dairy lipids could only be identified on ceramics from the stone structures, which date to the Iron Age (ca. 3,000-2,500 BP), providing the earliest evidence of this practice in the high Alps. Dairy production in such a marginal environment implies a high degree of risk even by today's standards. We postulate that this practice was driven by population increase and climate deterioration that put pressure on lowland agropastoral systems and the establishment of more extensive trade networks, leading to greater demand for highly nutritious and transportable dairy products.
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Technological Analysis of the World's Earliest Shamanic Costume: A Multi-Scalar, Experimental Study of a Red Deer Headdress from the Early Holocene Site of Star Carr, North Yorkshire, UK. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0152136. [PMID: 27073850 PMCID: PMC4830440 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0152136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2015] [Accepted: 03/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Shamanic belief systems represent the first form of religious practice visible within the global archaeological record. Here we report on the earliest known evidence of shamanic costume: modified red deer crania headdresses from the Early Holocene site of Star Carr (c. 11 kya). More than 90% of the examples from prehistoric Europe come from this one site, establishing it as a place of outstanding shamanistic/cosmological significance. Our work, involving a programme of experimental replication, analysis of macroscopic traces, organic residue analysis and 3D image acquisition, metrology and visualisation, represents the first attempt to understand the manufacturing processes used to create these artefacts. The results produced were unexpected--rather than being carefully crafted objects, elements of their production can only be described as expedient.
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Ancient lipids document continuity in the use of early hunter-gatherer pottery through 9,000 years of Japanese prehistory. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2016; 113:3991-6. [PMID: 27001829 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1522908113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The earliest pots in the world are from East Asia and date to the Late Pleistocene. However, ceramic vessels were only produced in large numbers during the warmer and more stable climatic conditions of the Holocene. It has long been assumed that the expansion of pottery was linked with increased sedentism and exploitation of new resources that became available with the ameliorated climate, but this hypothesis has never been tested. Through chemical analysis of their contents, we herein investigate the use of pottery across an exceptionally long 9,000-y sequence from the Jōmon site of Torihama in western Japan, intermittently occupied from the Late Pleistocene to the mid-Holocene. Molecular and isotopic analyses of lipids from 143 vessels provides clear evidence that pottery across this sequence was predominantly used for cooking marine and freshwater resources, with evidence for diversification in the range of aquatic products processed during the Holocene. Conversely, there is little indication that ruminant animals or plants were processed in pottery, although it is evident from the faunal and macrobotanical remains that these foods were heavily exploited. Supported by other residue analysis data from Japan, our results show that the link between pottery and fishing was established in the Late Paleolithic and lasted well into the Holocene, despite environmental and socio-economic change. Cooking aquatic products in pottery represents an enduring social aspect of East Asian hunter-gatherers, a tradition based on a dependable technology for exploiting a sustainable resource in an uncertain and changing world.
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Lucquin A, Colonese AC, Farrell TF, Craig OE. Utilising phytanic acid diastereomers for the characterisation of archaeological lipid residues in pottery samples. Tetrahedron Lett 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tetlet.2016.01.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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Warinner C, Hendy J, Speller C, Cappellini E, Fischer R, Trachsel C, Arneborg J, Lynnerup N, Craig OE, Swallow DM, Fotakis A, Christensen RJ, Olsen JV, Liebert A, Montalva N, Fiddyment S, Charlton S, Mackie M, Canci A, Bouwman A, Rühli F, Gilbert MTP, Collins MJ. Direct evidence of milk consumption from ancient human dental calculus. Sci Rep 2014; 4:7104. [PMID: 25429530 PMCID: PMC4245811 DOI: 10.1038/srep07104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2014] [Accepted: 10/27/2014] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Milk is a major food of global economic importance, and its consumption is regarded as a classic example of gene-culture evolution. Humans have exploited animal milk as a food resource for at least 8500 years, but the origins, spread, and scale of dairying remain poorly understood. Indirect lines of evidence, such as lipid isotopic ratios of pottery residues, faunal mortality profiles, and lactase persistence allele frequencies, provide a partial picture of this process; however, in order to understand how, where, and when humans consumed milk products, it is necessary to link evidence of consumption directly to individuals and their dairy livestock. Here we report the first direct evidence of milk consumption, the whey protein β-lactoglobulin (BLG), preserved in human dental calculus from the Bronze Age (ca. 3000 BCE) to the present day. Using protein tandem mass spectrometry, we demonstrate that BLG is a species-specific biomarker of dairy consumption, and we identify individuals consuming cattle, sheep, and goat milk products in the archaeological record. We then apply this method to human dental calculus from Greenland's medieval Norse colonies, and report a decline of this biomarker leading up to the abandonment of the Norse Greenland colonies in the 15th century CE.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Warinner
- 1] Department of Anthropology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA [2] Institute of Evolutionary Medicine, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - J Hendy
- BioArCh, Department of Archaeology, University of York, York, UK
| | - C Speller
- BioArCh, Department of Archaeology, University of York, York, UK
| | - E Cappellini
- Centre for GeoGenetics, Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - R Fischer
- Henry Wellcome Building for Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Oxford, UK
| | - C Trachsel
- Functional Genomics Center Zürich, University of Zürich/Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - J Arneborg
- 1] National Museum of Denmark, Copenhagen, Denmark [2] School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - N Lynnerup
- Laboratory of Biological Anthropology, Institute of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - O E Craig
- BioArCh, Department of Archaeology, University of York, York, UK
| | - D M Swallow
- Research Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, UK
| | - A Fotakis
- 1] Centre for GeoGenetics, Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark [2] Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Research, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - R J Christensen
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Research, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - J V Olsen
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Research, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - A Liebert
- Research Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, UK
| | - N Montalva
- 1] Research Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, UK [2] Department of Anthropology, University College London, London UK
| | - S Fiddyment
- BioArCh, Department of Archaeology, University of York, York, UK
| | - S Charlton
- BioArCh, Department of Archaeology, University of York, York, UK
| | - M Mackie
- BioArCh, Department of Archaeology, University of York, York, UK
| | - A Canci
- Dipartimento di Archeologia, Università degli Studi di Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - A Bouwman
- Institute of Evolutionary Medicine, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - F Rühli
- Institute of Evolutionary Medicine, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - M T P Gilbert
- 1] Centre for GeoGenetics, Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark [2] Trace and Environmental DNA Laboratory, Department of Environment and Agriculture, Curtin University, Perth, Australia
| | - M J Collins
- BioArCh, Department of Archaeology, University of York, York, UK
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Long-term resilience of late holocene coastal subsistence system in Southeastern South america. PLoS One 2014; 9:e93854. [PMID: 24718458 PMCID: PMC3981759 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0093854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2013] [Accepted: 02/22/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Isotopic and molecular analysis on human, fauna and pottery remains can provide valuable new insights into the diets and subsistence practices of prehistoric populations. These are crucial to elucidate the resilience of social-ecological systems to cultural and environmental change. Bulk collagen carbon and nitrogen isotopic analysis of 82 human individuals from mid to late Holocene Brazilian archaeological sites (∼6,700 to ∼1,000 cal BP) reveal an adequate protein incorporation and, on the coast, the continuation in subsistence strategies based on the exploitation of aquatic resources despite the introduction of pottery and domesticated plant foods. These results are supported by carbon isotope analysis of single amino acid extracted from bone collagen. Chemical and isotopic analysis also shows that pottery technology was used to process marine foods and therefore assimilated into the existing subsistence strategy. Our multidisciplinary results demonstrate the resilient character of the coastal economy to cultural change during the late Holocene in southern Brazil.
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Earliest evidence for the use of pottery. Nature 2013; 496:351-4. [DOI: 10.1038/nature12109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 195] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2013] [Accepted: 03/20/2013] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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