The effect of charring and burial on the biochemical composition of cereal grains: investigating the integrity of archaeological plant material

Styring, Amy; Manning, Hugh B.; Fraser, Rebecca; Wallace, Michael; Jones, Glynis; Charles, Michael; Heaton, T.H.E.; Bogaard, Amy; Evershed, Richard P.

doi:10.1016/j.jas.2013.03.024

Cited by 100 publications

(75 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…All these bonds are common in moieties from charred plant material . These peaks have also been observed and identified earlier . After pre‐treatment, the broad peak at 1375 cm −1 disappeared, often leaving a small double peak at 1430 cm −1 (aromatic CC ring stretching) and 1370 cm −1 (Figure ).…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 80%

“…Thus, the use of pre‐screening techniques capable of identifying the presence of contaminants and the use of protocols that remove contaminants may become necessary . The employed protocols should also not alter the original plant isotopic signal by selectively removing endogenous compounds having contrasting isotopic signatures . Finally, an optimal cleaning protocol should also limit sample loss and allow for a high sample throughput.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Effectiveness of different pre‐treatments in recovering pre‐burial isotopic ratios of charred plants

Brinkkemper

Braadbaart

et al. 2018

Rapid Comm Mass Spectrometry

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Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 80%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effectiveness of different pre‐treatments in recovering pre‐burial isotopic ratios of charred plants

Brinkkemper

Braadbaart

et al. 2018

Rapid Comm Mass Spectrometry

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“…Fig. 1 (12,13,(16)(17)(18), experimental work on the effects of charring (19,20), and associated arable weed assemblages (4,5,21,22). The sites mostly date to the earlier Neolithic in their respective regions (Table 1) and were selected on the basis of richness in well-preserved charred crop material (Fig.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Crop manuring and intensive land management by Europe’s first farmers

Bogaard

Fraser

Heaton

et al. 2013

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

507

406

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The spread of farming from western Asia to Europe had profound long-term social and ecological impacts, but identification of the specific nature of Neolithic land management practices and the dietary contribution of early crops has been problematic. Here, we present previously undescribed stable isotope determinations of charred cereals and pulses from 13 Neolithic sites across Europe (dating ca. 5900-2400 cal B.C.), which show that early farmers used livestock manure and water management to enhance crop yields. Intensive manuring inextricably linked plant cultivation and animal herding and contributed to the remarkable resilience of these combined practices across diverse climatic zones. Critically, our findings suggest that commonly applied paleodietary interpretations of human and herbivore δ 15 N values have systematically underestimated the contribution of crop-derived protein to early farmer diets.agriculture | prehistoric | husbandry | paleodiet

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“…Although radiocarbon reservoir effects frequently reported with interior residues confirm the contribution of aquatic animals to total carbon with high sensitivity, bulk δ 13 C values would not be sensitive enough to detect the contribution from aquatic resources, if carbohydrate was processed with them in the containers. If the residues from the inner surface were melanoidin made by the Maillard reaction (also known as non‐enzymatic browning reaction) between sugar and amino acids/protein, it is highly possible that the carbon mainly originated from plant matters, while nitrogen originated from animal meat. In this sense, high δ 13 C values in foodcrusts can be reliable evidence for the contribution of C 4 plants as previously suggested but δ 15 N values will not be reliable in evaluating the contribution of marine/freshwater resources to correct 14 C reservoir effects …”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Interpretation of bulk nitrogen and carbon isotopes in archaeological foodcrusts on potsherds

Yoneda

Kisida

Gakuhari

et al. 2019

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Rationale Foodcrust, the charred deposit adhering to the surface of containers, is a possible source of information on the function of ancient vessels and the subsistence of prehistoric humans. While the carbon isotope ratios in those materials are useful in detecting the usage of C4 plants, the reliability of nitrogen isotopic signatures has not been fully investigated. Methods The validity of bulk nitrogen isotope ratios has previously been investigated in coastal or riverine environments, where multiple resources from terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems were available, but not in terrestrial settings which provide a simpler mixing of terrestrial animals and plants. Hence, we conducted an exhaustive study on charred deposits on potsherds at two inland archaeological sites belonging to prehistoric Jomon hunter‐gathers in central Japan, focusing on δ15N values and atomic N/C ratios determined using an isotope ratio mass spectrometer and an elemental analyzer, respectively. Results For both sites, the δ15N values showed significant correlations with the N/C ratios among samples from the inner surface, suggesting that these have recorded animal contribution. Furthermore, previous studies of Neolithic pottery from North Europe and Far East Russia bearing strong marine signatures had shown reasonably higher δ15N values and N/C ratios in comparison with our data from terrestrial settings. On the other hand, some charred materials probably originating from plant starch showed lower values with both parameters. Samples from the outer surface produced less meaningful isotopic and elemental ratios altered by a thermal effect and/or contamination from soot. Conclusions When the samples of foodcrusts were selected carefully from the inner surface, bulk nitrogen isotopes and N/C ratios reflect the composition of what was cooked or processed in containers. This will provide useful information for understanding the human adaptation from the Late Pleistocene to the Holocene in conjunction with residual lipid analyses.

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The effect of charring and burial on the biochemical composition of cereal grains: investigating the integrity of archaeological plant material

Cited by 100 publications

References 28 publications

Effectiveness of different pre‐treatments in recovering pre‐burial isotopic ratios of charred plants

Effectiveness of different pre‐treatments in recovering pre‐burial isotopic ratios of charred plants

Crop manuring and intensive land management by Europe’s first farmers

Interpretation of bulk nitrogen and carbon isotopes in archaeological foodcrusts on potsherds

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