The Social and Economic Complexity of Ancient Jerusalem as Seen Through Choices in Lighting Oils

Abstract

Ramat Aviv, POB 39040, Tel-Aviv 69978, Israel This paper presents and discusses the results of residue analysis conducted on 78 ceramic lamps found in archaeological excavations in ancient Jerusalem, in an attempt to identify the types of oils used and the reasons for their preferential choice. The oil lamps chosen for the study were taken from a variety of contexts, which represent the different periods during which Jerusalem was settled and the different sectors of the city. The results of the study show that even the most mundane activity of lighting using oil held within it social and economic choices, as mirrored in the different excavation areas.

Organic residue analysis of Iron Age ceramics from the archaeological site of Kani‐zirin, western Iran

“…, ; Evershed ; Namdar et al . ). However, it is documented that a mixture of ketones is usually formed during heating and a single homologue is generally related to plants (Walton ; Raven et al .…”

“…This extract contained oleamide, which is probably formed due to the reaction of oleic acid in an alkali environment and could, therefore, be attributed to the occurrence of a vegetable oil in the sample (Pecci and Cau‐Ontiveros ; Namdar et al . ). The greater abundance of palmitic over stearic acid (Table ), together with the presence of tetradecanoic acid, also supports the occurrence of a vegetable oil in this shard.…”

Burial offerings in intramural tombs at Middle Bronze Age Megiddo

“…Plant oils are represented by a variety of molecules: saturated fatty acids of C 6 -C 22 (including palmitic and stearic acids with the C 16:0 > C 18:0 ratio); saturated dicarboxylic acids of C 7 -C 10 (in which suberic and azelaic acids are relatively abundant); unsaturated fatty acids of 18 carbon atoms; alcohols of 16 and 18 carbon chains; monoacylglycerols of palmitic and stearic acids (MAG 16:0 , MAG 18:0 , respectively). These molecules also appear in animal fat, but their occurrence with the other plant markers attests to their vegetal origin (Figure 3a,b) (Copley et al, 2005;Linares et al, 2019;Markovi c et al, 2020;Matheson et al, 2022;Namdar et al, 2018). Some vessels (five juglets: M-094-06-04, M-109-01-06, M-109-01-02, M-109-01-05, M-109-03-01and jar M-062-154-024-015) seem to have chromatographic profiles characteristic to olive oil, containing C 16:0 , C 18:0 , C 18:1; 9 , and C 20:0 , in which the C 18:1; 9 peak predominates the C 18:0 peak (though other plant sources rich in oleic acid cannot be excluded).…”

Un ejemplo del luxus de los vasa murrina en Augusta Emerita

“…4.3) y el pulido satinado en la manufactura final, sin descartar, ulteriormente, un acabado Ahora bien, conocer el tratamiento aplicado a toda la piedra, durante el proceso final de fabricación, o las últimas sustancias con las que estuvo en contacto el soporte solo será posible mediante la realización de análisis químicos de los escasos sedimentos existentes, sin obviar la gran contaminación por contacto que ha podido interferir desde su exhumación, lo que añade dificultad a este procedimiento que estamos poniendo en marcha. No obstante, análisis realizados en recipientes de vidrio, como una botella de Pompeya (Ribechini et al 2008: 557), han proporcionado ácidos grasos compatibles con un uso como contenedor de almacenaje/dispensador de medicamenta o medicamina (véase apartado siguiente) y también como lámpara (Namdar et al 2018;Koupadi et al 2021Koupadi et al : 2322. Componentes de origen vegetal (aceites y distintas partes de las plantas) fueron comunes a medicamenta, en sentido amplio, bebidas cuya base fue el vino, o contenidos aromáticos para quemar, con función añadida o no de iluminar, teniendo en cuenta que los aceites de origen vegetal y animal fueron el combustible utilizado en las lámparas.…”