Organic geochemical analysis of archaeological medicine pots from Northern Ghana. The multi-functionality of pottery

Abstract

Sherds from pots found layered under a granite boulder in the Tong Hills of the Upper East Region of Northern Ghana seem, based on their deposition context to have been used for the preparation of medicines. Organic geochemical and isotopic analyses of these sherds and a modern day analogue reveal an n-alkanoic acid composition that is consistent with their being used in the preparation of plant derived substances. Isotopic analyses of the modern medicine pot indicate a contribution of n-alkanoic acids derived from plants that use C4 carbon fixation, most likely maize, sorghum and/or millet suggesting that this pot was used for cooking C4 based plant substances, perhaps, based on current analogy, staple porridge type food. The modern medicine pot could thus have had a prior use. The absence of C4 plant residues in the archaeological sherds suggests that either staple foodstuffs differed radically to today, or, more likely, were not prepared in vessels that were to be used for medicinal purposes.

Assessing Human Diet and Movement in the Tongan Maritime Chiefdom Using Isotopic Analyses

“…Geological baselines are available for comparison for this study [ 87 – 90 ] and show distinct isotopic compositions between archipelagoes ( Fig 2 ). However, the use of geological data as proxies for understanding mobility may not yield accurate interpretations in coastal/island settings [ 91 ]. This is because the 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratios of human tooth enamel are not wholly derived from geological isotopic compositions, but are reflective of the bioavailable strontium in an area, which is influenced by marine-based diets [ 92 ], atmospheric deposition, sea spray (saltwater spray from the waves or high winds), and marine-derived precipitation [ 93 ] in addition to the underlying bedrock.…”

Substance and materiality? The archaeology of Talensi medicine shrines and medicinal practices

“…XRF analysis of three clay samples, termite, Kusanaab, and Tonna'ab Yaane clays, indicated that they had not been altered or mixed by anthropogenic action. There was nothing anomalous about the clays, no unusually high elemental concentrations, and the latter were comparable between the samples ( Fraser 2009 ; see also van Dongen, Fraser, and Insoll 2011 ). Some minor variations were evident.…”

What Did They Cook? A Preliminary Investigation Into Culinary Practices and Pottery Use in the Central Part of the Korean Peninsula During the Mid to Late Holocene

“…To overcome this issue, samples were collected from wild fauna and flora for creating the reference database (Craig et al 2011;Copley et al 2003;Dudd and Evershed 1998;Dudd et al 1999;Steele, Stern, and Stott 2010). Unfortunately, in case of Fraser et al 2012).…”

“…fish and mammals), have each their own range. Though these values were obtained from the modern fauna and flora, they have been reliably employed as references for many archaeological studies (Craig et al 2011;Cramp et al 2011;Fraser et al 2012;Reber and Evershed 2004).…”