Cooking for the Living and the Dead: Lipid Analyses of Rauši Settlement and Cemetery Pottery From the 11th–13th Century

GUNNARSSONE, ALISE; Oras, Ester; Talbot, Helen M.; Ilves, Kristin; Legzdiņa, Dardega

doi:10.3176/arch.2020.1.02

Cited by 9 publications

(7 citation statements)

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“…So far, we do not have a comprehensive isotopic dataset of Bronze Age fish from the Daugava. However, a study of the Late Iron Age local and migratory fish of the lower Daugava shows unusually low δ 15 N values (~7-11‰) and a high variability in δ 13 C values (~-25 to -17‰) (Gunnarssone et al 2020). Therefore, we are not confident in disregarding the presence of fish in the Bronze Age diet and explaining the variability in human δ 13 C values solely by millet.…”

Section: Human Bone Collagen and Aquatic Reservoir Effectsmentioning

confidence: 84%

RE-EVALUATING THE BRONZE AND EARLIEST IRON AGE IN LATVIA: CHANGES IN BURIAL TRADITIONS IN THE LIGHT OF ¹⁴C DATES

et al. 2020

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Until recently, there was a lack of radiocarbon (14C) dates from the Bronze and Earliest Iron Age (1800–500–1 BC) burial sites in Latvia. The chronology of the sites was assessed on the basis of archaeological analogies with neighboring regions and typological studies of the rather meagre grave inventory. In order to establish a firm foundation for an absolute chronology of burial sites and to better understand changes in mortuary practices during the period, sequences of samples from various burial sites have been dated. In this paper we report 48 14C dates from 12 different sites and discuss them in the context of previously established archaeological chronologies. 14C reservoir effects are addressed: regarding FRE, stable isotope analysis is helpful; however, more data should be gathered in future research. In some cases, the new dates are in accord with previous chronologies, while in other cases some widely accepted assumptions may need to be revised. The new dates have proved false several previous assumptions about both the dates of individual graves and whole sites. Based on the 14C dates, we model the chronological spread of burial barrows in Latvia along waterways, the earliest examples appearing in coastal western Latvia.

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Section: Human Bone Collagen and Aquatic Reservoir Effectsmentioning

confidence: 84%

RE-EVALUATING THE BRONZE AND EARLIEST IRON AGE IN LATVIA: CHANGES IN BURIAL TRADITIONS IN THE LIGHT OF ¹⁴C DATES

et al. 2020

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“…As previously discussed, numerous investigations have been conducted on the analysis of fatty acids in archaeological vessels. Upon reviewing these studies, it becomes evident that the majority of them utilize intact vessels or large fragments to procure samples [9,41,[57][58][59][60]. However, there exists no consensus on a standardized protocol for identifying fatty acids, as different methods are employed in each study.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fatty Acids and Starch Identification within Minute Archaeological Fragments: Qualitative Investigation for Assessing Feasibility

Ordoñez-Araque,

Ramos-Guerrero,

Vargas-Jentzsch

et al. 2024

Foods

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Within the realm of archaeology, the analysis of biomolecules assumes significant importance in elucidating historical dietary patterns and their implications for contemporary contexts. To achieve this, knowledge and tools of both chemistry and archaeology are essential to yield objective outcomes and conduct analyses of archaeological materials for the detection of biomolecules. Usually, only minuscule remnants of ceramic fragments are retrieved from excavations, which limits the feasibility of comprehensive laboratory analysis. This study aimed to establish a protocol for analyzing fatty acids and starch from archaeological food utensils with minimal sample quantities. Various experiments were conducted to replicate preparations that might have occurred in archaeological vessels, aiming to establish the optimal protocol. The analyses were performed using clay griddles, subjecting vegetable oil to varying temperatures for fatty acid assessment. For starch analysis, a series of experiments encompassed diverse forms of potato preparations (pulp, chuño, tortilla, carbonization, and freeze-drying) and maize (flour, tortilla, and carbonization). The verification of the experiments was confirmed by conducting identical analyses, as developed in the current study, on authentic archaeological fragments. The principal outcomes of this investigation include the successful extraction of both types of biomolecules using only 0.25 g of the sample, obtained through direct scraping from the vessel. Soxhlet extraction was identified as the most efficient strategy to recover fatty acids. Additionally, a comprehensive protocol for the identification of starch extraction was developed. This study has, for the first time, elucidated two detailed methodologies for the extraction of fatty acids and starch in scenarios in which researchers can obtain limited quantities of archaeological food utensil fragments.

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“…Lipid analysis of foodcrusts has considerably improved our understanding of ancient diet and particularly of marine resource utilisation. The method has been applied to detect food in assemblages across a vast geography spanning Europe and Northern Asia [24,[26][27][28][29][30][31][32] East Asia [25,[33][34][35][36][37] and the Americas [22,38], and to select samples that do not contain aquatic resources for use in carbon dating, which are thus unhindered by the reservoir effect [23].…”

Section: Biomolecular Analyses Of Foodcrustsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The impact of cooking and burial on proteins: a characterisation of experimental foodcrusts and ceramics

Evans,

Hagan,

Boyd

et al. 2024

Preprint

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Foodcrusts have received relatively little attention in the burgeoning field of proteomic analysis of ancient cuisine. We remain ignorant of how cooking and burial impacts protein survival, and crucially, the extent to which the extractome reflects the composition of input ingredients. Therefore, through experimental analogues we explore the extent of protein survival in unburied and buried foodcrusts and ceramics using "typical" Mesolithic ingredients (red deer, Atlantic salmon and sweet chestnut). We then explore a number of physiochemical properties theorised to aid protein preservation. The results reveal that proteins were much more likely to be detected in foodcrusts than ceramics using the methodology employed, input ingredient strongly influences protein preservation, and that degradation is not universal nor linear between proteins, indicating that multiple protein physiochemical properties are at play. While certain properties such as hydrophobicity apparently aid protein preservation, none single-handedly explain why particular proteins/peptides survive in buried foodcrusts: this complex interplay requires further investigation. The findings demonstrate that proteins indicative of the input ingredient can be identifiable in foodcrust, but that the full proteome is unlikely to preserve. While this shows promise for the survival of proteins in archaeological foodcrust, further research is needed to accurately interpret foodcrust extractomes.

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Cooking for the Living and the Dead: Lipid Analyses of Rauši Settlement and Cemetery Pottery From the 11th–13th Century

Cited by 9 publications

References 0 publications

RE-EVALUATING THE BRONZE AND EARLIEST IRON AGE IN LATVIA: CHANGES IN BURIAL TRADITIONS IN THE LIGHT OF ¹⁴C DATES

RE-EVALUATING THE BRONZE AND EARLIEST IRON AGE IN LATVIA: CHANGES IN BURIAL TRADITIONS IN THE LIGHT OF ¹⁴C DATES

Fatty Acids and Starch Identification within Minute Archaeological Fragments: Qualitative Investigation for Assessing Feasibility

The impact of cooking and burial on proteins: a characterisation of experimental foodcrusts and ceramics

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Cooking for the Living and the Dead: Lipid Analyses of Rauši Settlement and Cemetery Pottery From the 11th–13th Century

Cited by 9 publications

References 0 publications

RE-EVALUATING THE BRONZE AND EARLIEST IRON AGE IN LATVIA: CHANGES IN BURIAL TRADITIONS IN THE LIGHT OF 14C DATES

RE-EVALUATING THE BRONZE AND EARLIEST IRON AGE IN LATVIA: CHANGES IN BURIAL TRADITIONS IN THE LIGHT OF 14C DATES

Fatty Acids and Starch Identification within Minute Archaeological Fragments: Qualitative Investigation for Assessing Feasibility

The impact of cooking and burial on proteins: a characterisation of experimental foodcrusts and ceramics

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RE-EVALUATING THE BRONZE AND EARLIEST IRON AGE IN LATVIA: CHANGES IN BURIAL TRADITIONS IN THE LIGHT OF ¹⁴C DATES

RE-EVALUATING THE BRONZE AND EARLIEST IRON AGE IN LATVIA: CHANGES IN BURIAL TRADITIONS IN THE LIGHT OF ¹⁴C DATES