Pine Resins and Pottery Sealing: Analysis of Absorbed and Visible Pottery Residues From Central New York State*

Abstract

Analysis was performed on absorbed and visible residues from 21 New York State prehistoric pottery sherds dating from 2905 ± 35 bp (Intcal04) (1256–998 cal bc) to 425 ± 40 bp (Intcal04) (1417–1626 cal ad). The use of pine resin was detected in 10 of 12 absorbed residue samples and 11 of 17 sherds subjected to visible residue analysis. It seems likely that the pots were resin‐sealed to make them more impermeable, constituting the first chemical evidence of extensive resin‐sealing in North America. A comparison of the results of absorbed and visible residues from eight of the sherds indicates that the two kinds of residue provide complementary evidence of vessel use.

Characterization by Gas Chromatography—Mass Spectrometry of Diterpenoid Resinous Materials in Roman-Age Amphorae from Northern Greece

“…Furthermore, the methyl ester (16) and the TMS ester (19) of the trisnorabietic acid were identified. The former shows a similar mass spectra with DHA methyl ester minus the isopropyl group (m = 42) with molecular ion at m/z = 272 and base peak at m/z = 197.…”

“…14,15 The presence of these diterpenoid hydrocarbons also suggest that the samples were subjected to high temperatures during application or use. 16 The abundance of the diterpanes of the first group of degradation products of DHA is positively correlated with the relative abundance of retene. In particular, they are almost absent from samples characterized by low retene values (for example, sample PAL2A) and are more abundant in samples associated with higher retene values (sample D1, Figure 5).…”

Development and application of a comprehensive analytical workflow for the quantification of non-volatile low molecular weight lipids on archaeological stone tools

“…These terpenoids indicate the presence of residue with a plant origin: abietic acid is found widely in plants and associated with pine resin, with the other compounds distributed widely in many different parts of plants (leaves and bark) and in herbs, waxes and peels of fruit. 2,13,28 The presence of azelaic acid, sebacic acid and thapsic acid on XXIV-67 provides further evidence of plant oils representing the unsaturated fatty acids that were deposited on this artefact prior to oxidation into these dicarboxylic acids. In particular, azelaic acid has been used in archaeological chemistry as a proxy for fatty acids with unsaturation at the C 9 position, such as oleic acid, which is found in high abundances in plant-derived residues.…”

Stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios of surface food residues in pre-Columbian ceramics from the southern Pacific of Costa Rica as evidence of prehistoric human diets

“…The objective of our research was to examine food residues in archaeological pottery from coastal and interior sites in the southern Pacific region of Costa Rica. Our study, the first in the country comparing residues from multiple sites and time periods, complements archaeological and paleoecological research in the region, and sets the stage for later, more specialized analyses of food residues, including characterization of a variety of lipids and other specific compounds that can be extracted from visible or absorbed remains on/in ancient pottery (Hall, Tarka, Hurst, Stuart, & Adams, 1990;Reber, Dudd, Van der Merwe, & Evershed, 2004;Reber & Hart, 2008;Hurst, 2009;Crown, Emerson, Gu, Hurst, Pauketat, & Ward, 2012). Here we report the stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios in charred food residues from prehistoric (and one historic) ceramic vessels from diverse contexts, and interpret the results in light of archaeological, historical, and paleoenvironmental evidence from the sites and their surroundings.…”