The adoption of pottery by north-east European hunter-gatherers: Evidence from lipid residue analysis

Oras, Ester; Lucquin, Alexandre; Lõugas, Lembi; Tõrv, Mari; Крийска, Айвар; Craig, Oliver E.

doi:10.1016/j.jas.2016.11.010

Cited by 64 publications

(58 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…Schmölcke et al, 2015) and stable isotope data ( Fig. 4) but contrasts with evidence of a dominance of aquatic products in Subneolithic pottery, supporting the notion that the latter was used highly selectively (Heron et al 2015;Oras et al 2017). Similar stable isotopic dietary evidence has been reported in contemporaneous populations in Estonia and north-western Russia (Tõrv and Meadows, 2015;Wood et al, 2013).…”

Section: Dietary Differences Between the Last Hunter-gatherers And Thsupporting

confidence: 76%

The transition from foraging to farming (7000–500 cal BC) in the SE Baltic: A re-evaluation of chronological and palaeodietary evidence from human remains

Piličiauskas

Jankauskas

Piličiauskienė

et al. 2017

Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports

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Our knowledge of the timing and completeness of the transition from foraging, fishing and hunting to food production in boreal northeastern Europe is far from clear. Here, we present new bone collagen AMS 14 C dates, and 13 C and 15 N isotope values for 20 humans and 17 animals from a 7,500-year period dating from the Late Mesolithic to the Bronze Age in Lithuania. AMS 14 C dates revealed large discrepancies in comparison to previously obtained radiocarbon dates, thus highlighting the need to re-date all prehistoric human remains where chronology was based on 14 C dating of bone collagen. Stable isotope data indicate that inland Mesolithic-Subneolithic huntergatherers (7000-3000 cal BC) relied on a balance of freshwater food and game animals with regard to protein intake. The coastal Subneolithic groups (ca. 3000 cal BC) relied heavily on lagoon fishing, while seals and forest game were of lesser importance. Animal husbandry, most likely of sheep or goats, was a main source of protein for Neolithic Corded Ware Culture people (2900-2400 cal BC), although a significant contribution of freshwater food is also evident. Significant intra-individual variation in stable isotope values may demonstrate that a highly flexible subsistence strategy was adopted by the CWC people. Unusually high 13 C values indicate that millet had been already introduced into the farming economy of the Late Bronze Age around 1000 cal BC.

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Section: Dietary Differences Between the Last Hunter-gatherers And Thsupporting

confidence: 76%

The transition from foraging to farming (7000–500 cal BC) in the SE Baltic: A re-evaluation of chronological and palaeodietary evidence from human remains

Piličiauskas

Jankauskas

Piličiauskienė

et al. 2017

Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports

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“…GC‐C‐IRMS results of analysed archaeological samples indicating the origin of food substance according to isotopic measurements of 2 major fatty acids (C 16:0 and C 18:0 ) plotted on reference material (reported in and adapted from Oras et al 2017, Figure , Craig et al 2011, Figure and Dudd & Evershed 1998) . C,i: Ceramic sample from internal surface of the vessel; F,i: Food‐crust sample from internal surface of the vessel [Colour figure can be viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com]…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 89%

MALDI‐FT‐ICR‐MS for archaeological lipid residue analysis

Oras

Vahur

Isaksson³

et al. 2017

J Mass Spectrom

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Soft-ionization methods are currently at the forefront of developing novel methods for analysing degraded archaeological organic residues. Here, we present little-used soft ionization method of matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization-Fourier transform-ion cyclotron resonance-mass spectrometry (MALDI-FT-ICR-MS) for the identification of archaeological lipid residues. It is a high-resolution and sensitive method with low limits of detection capable of identifying lipid compounds in small concentrations, thus providing a highly potential new technique for the analysis of degraded lipid components. A thorough methodology development for analysing cooked and degraded food remains from ceramic vessels was carried out, and the most efficient sample preparation protocol is described. The identified components, also controlled by independent parallel analysis by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and gas chromatography-combustion-isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC-C-IRMS), demonstrate its capability of identifying very different food residues including dairy, adipose fats as well as lipids of aquatic origin. The results obtained from experimentally cooked and original archaeological samples prove the suitability of MALDI-FT-ICR-MS for analysing archaeological organic residues. Sample preparation protocol and identification of compounds provide future reference for analysing various aged and degraded lipid residues in different organic and mineral matrices.

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“…Faunal remains found therein and the environmental location of the sites under discussion help to expand our understanding of particular subsistence economies of the early pottery users in Estonia. To address the chronology of the Narva stage and early pottery arrival in Estonia we provide detailed information on the radiocarbon dates obtained so far (thirty-four conventional and AMS dates from Estonia and Ingermanland, including some previously unpublished results; Tables 1 and 3) with five additional and recent dates obtained as part of a wider study of lipid residues in Estonian Narva stage pottery (Oras et al 2017). As part of the chronology discussion we also exemplify the importance of identifying lipid residues when dating food crusts.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Late Mesolithic Narva Stage in Estonia: Pottery, Settlement Types and Chronology

Крийска¹,

Oras²,

Lõugas³

et al. 2017

Estonian J. Archaeol.

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This paper gives a systematized overview of different Narva stage sites in Estonia, describing their artefactual and archaeozoological material, and environmental conditions. We demonstrate the diversity of Narva stage settlement types (sites on coastal river estuaries, coast, coastal lagoons, inland river banks and shores of inland lakes) and economy (marine, terrestrial/inland aquatic and mixed subsistence) in the region. A further site-based description of Narva pottery is also provided in order to exemplify the similarities and differences of this earliest pottery type in the Eastern Baltic. We also present a comprehensive list of all currently available Narva stage radiocarbon dates from Estonia and Ingermanland (north-western Russia) according to which the Narva-type pottery in the northern part of its distribution area dates to the period c. 5200-3900 cal BC. Additionally, the issues of dating food crust, especially the high risk of reservoir effect offsets, are emphasised. We carried out a comparative study dating contemporaneous food crusts and plant remains and conducting lipid residue analysis employing combined methods of gas chromatographymass spectrometry (GC-MS) and isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC-C-IRMS, EA-IRMS). The results demonstrate the implications and importance of characterising lipid residues so that samples with reservoir correction can at least be identified.

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The adoption of pottery by north-east European hunter-gatherers: Evidence from lipid residue analysis

Cited by 64 publications

References 28 publications

The transition from foraging to farming (7000–500 cal BC) in the SE Baltic: A re-evaluation of chronological and palaeodietary evidence from human remains

The transition from foraging to farming (7000–500 cal BC) in the SE Baltic: A re-evaluation of chronological and palaeodietary evidence from human remains

MALDI‐FT‐ICR‐MS for archaeological lipid residue analysis

Late Mesolithic Narva Stage in Estonia: Pottery, Settlement Types and Chronology

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