Organic Geochemical Evidence for Pine Tar Production in Middle Eastern Sweden During the Roman Iron Age

Hjulström, Björn; Isaksson, Sven; Hennius, Andreas

doi:10.1016/j.jas.2005.06.017

Cited by 72 publications

(54 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…These primary resin acids are, however, rarely found in archaeological materials due to natural processes such as oxidation, with aged Pinaceae resins characterized by increased levels of DHA, didehydroabietic acid (DDHA), 7ODHA, and neutral abietadienes (Colombini et al, 2000(Colombini et al, , 2005. Thermal degradation also leads to dehydrogenation, decarboxylation, and a higher degree of aromatization of the cyclic compounds present so a mixture of DHA acid and various neutral compounds is again produced (Egenberg et al, 2002) with retene the final stable product of Pinaceae resin tars (Robinson et al, 1987) and significant levels of methyl dehydroabietate (MDHA) indicative of the pyrolysis of resinous Pinaceae woods (Hjulström et al, 2006). These markers of extensive heating were not observed in this instance.…”

Section: Resinous Plant Exudatesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Organic residue analysis of Egyptian votive mummies and their research potential

Brettell

Martin

Atherton-Woolham

et al. 2016

Studies in Conservation

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Vast numbers of votive mummies were produced in Egypt during the Late Pharaonic, Ptolemaic, and Roman periods. Although millions remain in situ, many were removed and have ultimately entered museum collections around the world. There they have often languished as uncomfortable reminders of antiquarian practices with little information available to enhance their value as artefacts worthy of conservation or display. A multi-disciplinary research project, based at the University of Manchester, is currently redressing these issues. One recent aspect of this work has been the characterization of natural products employed in the mummification of votive bundles. Using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and the well-established biomarker approach, analysis of 24 samples from 17 mummy bundles has demonstrated the presence of oils/fats, natural waxes, petroleum products, resinous exudates, and essential oils. These results confirm the range of organic materials employed in embalming and augment our understanding of the treatment of votives. In this first systematic initiative of its kind, initial findings point to possible trends in body treatment practices in relation to chronology, geography, and changes in ideology which will be investigated as the study progresses. Detailed knowledge of the substances used on individual bundles has also served to enhance their value as display items and aid in their conservation.

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Section: Resinous Plant Exudatesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Organic residue analysis of Egyptian votive mummies and their research potential

Brettell

Martin

Atherton-Woolham

et al. 2016

Studies in Conservation

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“…Recruitment for the army may also have caused a decline in population and abandonment of arable land. The pollen record shows a decrease in Pinus pollen, which may be explained by logging of Pine trees for ship building (masts) and possibly tar production (Hjulström et al, 2006). Open places created by clearing of forest are a suitable habitat for Betula.…”

Section: Mire Surface Wetness Climate Change and Human Impactmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of human impact and climate change during the last 350 years recorded in a Swedish raised bog deposit

Linden

Vickery

Charman

et al. 2008

Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology

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Effects of human impact and climate change during the last 350 years recorded in a Swedish raised bog deposit van der Linden, M.; Vickery, E.; Charman, D.J.; van Geel, B. General rightsIt is not permitted to download or to forward/distribute the text or part of it without the consent of the author(s) and/or copyright holder(s), other than for strictly personal, individual use, unless the work is under an open content license (like Creative Commons). Disclaimer/Complaints regulationsIf you believe that digital publication of certain material infringes any of your rights or (privacy) interests, please let the Library know, stating your reasons. In case of a legitimate complaint, the Library will make the material inaccessible and/or remove it from the website. Please Ask the Library: http://uba.uva.nl/en/contact, or a letter to: Library of the University of Amsterdam, Secretariat, Singel 425, 1012 WP Amsterdam, The Netherlands. You will be contacted as soon as possible. Download date: 10 May 2018This article appeared in a journal published by Elsevier. The attached copy is furnished to the author for internal non-commercial research and education use, including for instruction at the authors institution and sharing with colleagues.Other uses, including reproduction and distribution, or selling or licensing copies, or posting to personal, institutional or third party websites are prohibited. AbstractA peat core from an ombrotrophic mire in central Sweden was analysed for multi-proxy indicators (plant macrofossils, pollen/non-pollen microfossils, testate amoebae, colorimetric humification, carbon/nitrogen ratios, bulk densities, loss on ignition), to evaluate the relative contributions of climate change and human impact on vegetation and peat accumulation during the last c. 350 years. 14 C wiggle-match dating was applied for high precision dating. Testate amoebae assemblages were used to reconstruct past water table depths and compared with other proxies and instrumental climate data from the mid-18th century onwards. Changes in mire surface wetness were mainly caused by climate change (precipitation and evaporation), but the internal dynamics of the local bog vegetation may also have played a role in the recorded water table changes. The human impact signal in the pollen data was compared with Swedish population and land-use data. A link between climate change, human impact (openness of the vegetation) and demographic change was found. Cold and wet periods show a decrease in human impact and open land indicators in the pollen data, followed by an increase in death rate and/or an increase in emigration.

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“…The exact methods used for the production of pitch and tar before the use of kilns have not yet been completely clarified. Archaeological and documentary evidence as well as experimental archaeology tests suggest that various methods could have been used [10][11][12]. The most ancient documentary evidence is De Historia Plantarum (4th-2nd century BC) by Teophrastus, who wrote that the Macedonians made huge piles of cloven trunks, covered them with peat and soil, and then burnt the wood, letting the tar and pitch run out in a canal.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Thermal degradation chemistry of archaeological pine pitch containing beeswax as an additive

Duce

Orsini

Spepi

et al. 2015

Journal of Analytical and Applied Pyrolysis

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Thermo analytical techniques and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) were used to evaluate the presence of chemical-physical interactions between pine pitch and beeswax used as additive The mixtures found in several archaeological objects demonstrate that by modifying the physical and chemical properties of pitch and tar, our ancestors were able to add a variety of organic materials, such as waxes or animal fats.Westudied pine pitch replicas from Pinus sylvestris prepared following a test from the field of experimental archaeology. Varying proportions of beeswax were added and then the resulting pitches were studied by a multi-analytical approach comprising the use of thermo analytical techniques (DSC, TG and TG-FTIR) and GC/MS, which provides molecular information. The same approach was also used to study a mixture of pitch from Pinus sylvestris L. and beeswax ("Zopissa"), whose relative proportions were unknown, and two archaeological adhesives collected from glass opus sectile fragments found in the northern necropolis of Antinoopolis (Egypt, 4th-5th century AD). Our thermo-analytical techniques managed to determine the relative proportion of pine pitch and additives, such as beeswax, in unknown archeological mixtures, and to evaluate the presence of interactions between pitch and additive

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Organic Geochemical Evidence for Pine Tar Production in Middle Eastern Sweden During the Roman Iron Age

Cited by 72 publications

References 11 publications

Organic residue analysis of Egyptian votive mummies and their research potential

Organic residue analysis of Egyptian votive mummies and their research potential

Effects of human impact and climate change during the last 350 years recorded in a Swedish raised bog deposit

Thermal degradation chemistry of archaeological pine pitch containing beeswax as an additive

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