Organic signatures of fireplaces: Experimental references for archaeological interpretations

Lejay, Mathieu; Alexis, Marie; Quénéa, Katell; Sellami, Farid; Bon, François

doi:10.1016/j.orggeochem.2016.06.002

Cited by 30 publications

(36 citation statements)

References 78 publications

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“…Organic residue studies of ancient hearth sediments date from at least the late 80s (March et al 1989;March 1999;Rottländer 1989Rottländer , 1991. However, the pace of this research is increasing as access to sensitive analytical instrumentation improves, techniques of organic residue analysis mature, and fire and cooking technologies are forefronted in human prehistory (Buonasera et al 2015;Choy et al 2016;García-Piquer et al 2018;Kedrowski et al 2009;Lejay et al 2016;Lucquin 2007Lucquin , 2016March 2013;March et al 2014;Prost et al 2011). Our intent here is not to provide an exhaustive historical review, but to discuss the current state of knowledge regarding molecular and isotopic identification of animal fats in hearths.…”

Section: Brief Review Of Molecular and Stable Isotope Studies Of Animmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…More recently, Lejay et al (2016) designed a controlled set of field experiments to analyze molecular products of bone and wood fires. Their results outline gross molecular differences in types of pyrolysis products found in bone and wood fires.…”

Section: Brief Review Of Molecular and Stable Isotope Studies Of Animmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although no temperature data were recorded, Lejay et al (2016) used depth and degree of reddening as proxy information on heat transfer into the sediments. They reported the greatest degree and depth of thermal alteration (reddening and darkening down to 4 cm) beneath a bone fire (bone with a small amount of wood for ignition).…”

Section: Brief Review Of Molecular and Stable Isotope Studies Of Animmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Experimentally Derived Sedimentary, Molecular, and Isotopic Characteristics of Bone-Fueled Hearths

Buonasera

Herrera‐Herrera²,

Mallol³

2019

J Archaeol Method Theory

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Molecular and isotopic analysis of sediments from archaeological combustion features is a relatively new area of study. Applications can inform us about ancient pyrotechnologies and patterns of animal exploitation in a wide range of human contexts, but may be particularly informative with regard to ancient hunter-gatherers. Our analyses of sediments from experimental bone and wood fires, and from controlled laboratory heating sequences, provide fine-grained data on the formation and location of biomarkers from pyrolyzed animal fats in hearths. Integrating microstratigraphic, molecular, and isotopic data can improve recognition of bone fires in archaeological contexts, perhaps even where bone preservation is poor. Experimental bone fires produced an upper layer of calcined bone above a thin layer of tarry black amorphous material coating mineral sediments. Mineral sediments beneath the black layer showed little alteration but high lipid content. Sampling for molecular and isotopic analysis should target the black layer as the bulk of pyrolyzed biomarkers are located here and stable isotope values are less affected than in the overlying layer of ash or calcined bone. The combined presence of certain symmetric and slightly asymmetric saturated long-chain ketones (14-nonacosanone, 16-hentriacontanone 16-tritriacontanone, and 18-pentatriacontanone), especially together with heptadecane (C 17 n-alkane), are molecular indicators of the thermal degradation of terrestrial animal fat. Formation and relative dominance of these molecules in hearth sediments relates to the initial prevalence of specific precursor fatty acids and can provide broad separations between sources. We suggest that separations could be further supported and expanded by combining stable isotope analysis of the same compounds.Thermal processing and combustion of animal bone, fat, and oil for food and fuel has been critical to human survival in a wide range of contexts. Fat is an important source of energy and allows for efficient use of protein in carbohydrate-poor environments (Outram 2002;

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Section: Brief Review Of Molecular and Stable Isotope Studies Of Animmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Brief Review Of Molecular and Stable Isotope Studies Of Animmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Brief Review Of Molecular and Stable Isotope Studies Of Animmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Experimentally Derived Sedimentary, Molecular, and Isotopic Characteristics of Bone-Fueled Hearths

Buonasera

Herrera‐Herrera²,

Mallol³

2019

J Archaeol Method Theory

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“…At the same time, fire events may also offer opportunities. For instance, the thermal alteration of animal fats in fireplaces may produce specific n-alkane / n-alkene doublets preserved in the soil, the presence of which can be used to reconstruct human fire usage in an archaeological context (Lejay et al, 2016).…”

Section: Differences Related To Incorporation Pathwaymentioning

confidence: 99%

Opportunities and limitations related to the application of plant-derived lipid molecular proxies in soil science

Jansen

Wiesenberg

2017

SOIL

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Abstract. The application of lipids in soils as molecular proxies, also often referred to as biomarkers, has dramatically increased in the last decades. Applications range from inferring changes in past vegetation composition, climate, and/or human presence to unraveling the input and turnover of soil organic matter (SOM). The molecules used are extractable and non-extractable lipids, including ester-bound lipids. In addition, the carbon or hydrogen isotopic composition of such molecules is used. While holding great promise, the application of soil lipids as molecular proxies comes with several constraining factors, the most important of which are (i) variability in the molecular composition of plant-derived organic matter both internally and between individual plants, (ii) variability in (the relative contribution of) input pathways into the soil, and (iii) the transformation and/or (selective) degradation of (some of) the molecules once present in the soil. Unfortunately, the information about such constraining factors and their impact on the applicability of molecular proxies is fragmented and scattered. The purpose of this study is to provide a critical review of the current state of knowledge with respect to the applicability of molecular proxies in soil science, specifically focusing on the factors constraining such applicability. Variability in genetic, ontogenetic, and environmental factors influences plant n-alkane patterns in such a way that no unique compounds or specific molecular proxies pointing to, for example, plant community differences or environmental influences, exist. Other components, such as n-alcohols, n-fatty acids, and cutin-and suberin-derived monomers, have received far less attention in this respect. Furthermore, there is a high diversity of input pathways offering both opportunities and limitations for the use of molecular proxies at the same time. New modeling approaches might offer a possibility to unravel such mixed input signals. Finally, the transformation and turnover of SOM offer opportunities when tracing such processes is the purpose of applying a molecular proxy while imposing limitations when they obliterate the molecular proxy signals linked to other phenomena. For n-alkanes several modeling approaches have recently been developed to compensate for (selective) degradation. Still, such techniques are in their infancy and information about their applicability to classes of components other than n-alkanes is lacking. All constraining factors considered can have a significant influence on the applicability of molecular proxies in soil science. The degree of influence strongly depends on the type of molecular proxy and the environmental context in which it is applied. However, the potential impact of the constraining factors should always explicitly be addressed whenever molecular proxies are applied in a soil scientific context. More importantly, there is still a serious lack of available information, in particular for compound classes other than the n-alkanes. Therefore, we...

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“…These include the organization of activities around fire structures, use of bone or wood as fuel, and the production of pierres à anneaux, rings carved in the limestone to enclose the rock-shelter with skins and retain heat. Many of our inferences surrounding these topics make use of an abundance of experimental research over the past 20 years that has sought to investigate cultural and natural formation processes of combustion-related features (see, e.g., Aldeias 2017; Costamagno et al 2010;Lejay et al 2016;Miller et al 2010;Théry-Parisot et al 2002).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Technologies for the Control of Heat and Light in the Vézère Valley Aurignacian

White¹,

Mensan²,

Clark³

et al. 2017

Current Anthropology

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Organic signatures of fireplaces: Experimental references for archaeological interpretations

Cited by 30 publications

References 78 publications

Experimentally Derived Sedimentary, Molecular, and Isotopic Characteristics of Bone-Fueled Hearths

Experimentally Derived Sedimentary, Molecular, and Isotopic Characteristics of Bone-Fueled Hearths

Opportunities and limitations related to the application of plant-derived lipid molecular proxies in soil science

Technologies for the Control of Heat and Light in the Vézère Valley Aurignacian

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