What Was Brewing in the Natufian? An Archaeological Assessment of Brewing Technology in the Epipaleolithic

Hayden, Brian; Canuel, Neil; Shanse, Jennifer

doi:10.1007/s10816-011-9127-y

Cited by 115 publications

(48 citation statements)

References 105 publications

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“…have been used for food production since the onset of agriculture (10) and contribute to the fermentation of a majority of fermented foods (11,12). Their role as symbiotic members of human and animal microbiota and their long history of use in food constitute an exceptional safety record (13).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

A Genomic View of Lactobacilli and Pediococci Demonstrates that Phylogeny Matches Ecology and Physiology

Zheng

Ruan

Sun

et al. 2015

Appl Environ Microbiol

217

210

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cLactobacilli are used widely in food, feed, and health applications. The taxonomy of the genus Lactobacillus, however, is confounded by the apparent lack of physiological markers for phylogenetic groups of lactobacilli and the unclear relationships between the diverse phylogenetic groups. This study used the core and pan-genomes of 174 type strains of Lactobacillus and Pediococcus to establish phylogenetic relationships and to identify metabolic properties differentiating phylogenetic groups. The core genome phylogenetic tree separated homofermentative lactobacilli and pediococci from heterofermentative lactobacilli. Aldolase and phosphofructokinase were generally present in homofermentative but not in heterofermentative lactobacilli; a twodomain alcohol dehydrogenase and mannitol dehydrogenase were present in most heterofermentative lactobacilli but absent in most homofermentative organisms. Other genes were predominantly present in homofermentative lactobacilli (pyruvate formate lyase) or heterofermentative lactobacilli (lactaldehyde dehydrogenase and glycerol dehydratase). Cluster analysis of the phylogenomic tree and the average nucleotide identity grouped the genus Lactobacillus sensu lato into 24 phylogenetic groups, including pediococci, with stable intra-and intergroup relationships. Individual groups may be differentiated by characteristic metabolic properties. The link between phylogeny and physiology that is proposed in this study facilitates future studies on the ecology, physiology, and industrial applications of lactobacilli. Lactobacilli are significant members of animal and human microbiota and of the plant phyllosphere. Owing to their stable association with humans as well as raw material for food production, lactobacilli also occur in many or most food fermentations. Lactobacilli are at the interface of aerobic and anaerobic life. Many lactobacilli retain the conditional capacity for respiration (1), but their ecology and physiology are mainly related to the fermentative conversion of sugars to organic acids (2, 3). Lactobacilli employ the Embden-Meyerhof pathway (glycolysis) and/or the phosphoketolase pathway for conversion of hexoses (2). These pathways have a low energetic efficiency; lactobacilli compensate for this disadvantage by rapid depletion of carbon sources and by accumulation of organic acids to inhibit competitors. The evolution and ecology of lactobacilli are shaped by niche adaptation and reduction of genome size (4). Many species, e.g., Lactobacillus plantarum, maintain a genetic diversity that enables occupation of diverse ecological niches (5). Other species are highly specialized and reduce their genomes more extensively. Examples include the insect-associated Lactobacillus fructivorans (6); Lactobacillus iners, a species specialized for the female human urogenital tract (7); and Lactobacillus reuteri, a host-specific intestinal symbiont of vertebrate animals (8). Lactobacillus delbrueckii has undergone a very recent reduction of genome size to adapt to dairy fermentations ...

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mentioning

confidence: 99%

A Genomic View of Lactobacilli and Pediococci Demonstrates that Phylogeny Matches Ecology and Physiology

Zheng

Ruan

Sun

et al. 2015

Appl Environ Microbiol

217

210

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“…As such, they have been the subject of much research concerning various aspects such as typological and morphological variability, technology of production, functional studies and raw material provenance determination, thereby contributing greatly to our understanding of Natufian economic and social activities (e.g., Perrot 1966;Belfer-Cohen 1988;Wright 1991;Samzun 1994;Weinstein-Evron et al 1995;1999;2001;Dubreuil 2004;Hardy-Smith & Edwards 2004;Eitam 2008;Dubreuil & Grosman 2009;Nadel & Lengyel 2009;Valla 2009;Nadel & Rosenberg 2010;Rosenberg & Nadel 2011;Rosenberg et al 2012;Valla 2012;Edwards 2013;Edwards & Webb 2013;Hayden et al 2013;Rosenberg 2013;Rosenberg & Nadel 2014;Nadel et al 2015).…”

Section: Natufian Ground Stone Tool Assemblagesmentioning

confidence: 99%

The function of Early Natufian grooved basalt artefacts from el-Wad Terrace, Mount Carmel, Israel: Preliminary results of a use-wear analysis

Groman-Yaroslavski

Rosenberg

Yeshurun

et al. 2016

JLS

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Abstract:Grooved items are usually regarded as tools used for modifying other implements made of bone, stone, plants or wood, whether referred to as shaft straighteners, smoothers, polishers or sharpening tools. They were also attributed to various symbolic meanings in Neolithic and Chalcolithic sites in the southern Levant and they were also associated with bead manufacturing process in the Neolithic. Grooved basalts found on Early Natufian (ca. 14,000 BP) living floors at el-Wad Terrace, Mount Carmel, Israel, were the subject of microscopic use-wear analysis. Here we present the preliminary results of the research, introducing our functional reconstruction based on experiments. The most outstanding result is that traces on the perimeters, attributed to shaping of the artefact, are different from the traces inside the groove which are related to the use of the artefact. We conclude that the groove is a part of the instrument, shaped before its use in order to work the abraded materials. Traces indicate that the shaping of the perimeters was done by abrasion against a very hard rock, probably using water to enhance the smoothing of the stone. Traces inside the groove indicate, as was previously assumed for these artefacts, that the groove was used as a shaft straightener. However, traces also indicate that the groove was used to abrade different types of materials which might not be related to the preparation of shafts including reeds, wood, and especially minerals such as ochre. Our preliminary results indicate the multi-functional nature of these items shedding light on their production, use and discard history.

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“…Recent evidence from Mozambique speaks to the processing of wild Sorghum grains 105,000 y ago (17). Sorghum grains can be malted to produce beer (4,5), but the process requires inoculation with yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae). Middle Stone Age people could have added fermented fruit to the malted grains; or, insects (e.g., bees, Drosophila) could have landed on and inoculated the mix with yeast from their bodies.…”

Section: Ethanol and The Rise Of Homo Imbibensmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, there is scant evidence of directed fermentation before the onset of the Neolithic, approximately 10,000 B.C.E. (4). The earliest archaeological evidence of alcohol is associated with the cultivation (5) and initial domestication (6) of cereals during the early Neolithic ( Fig.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Ferment in the family tree

Dominy

2014

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

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What Was Brewing in the Natufian? An Archaeological Assessment of Brewing Technology in the Epipaleolithic

Cited by 115 publications

References 105 publications

A Genomic View of Lactobacilli and Pediococci Demonstrates that Phylogeny Matches Ecology and Physiology

A Genomic View of Lactobacilli and Pediococci Demonstrates that Phylogeny Matches Ecology and Physiology

The function of Early Natufian grooved basalt artefacts from el-Wad Terrace, Mount Carmel, Israel: Preliminary results of a use-wear analysis

Ferment in the family tree

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