An Archaeologist's Guide to Organic Residues in Pottery

An Archaeologist's Guide to Organic Residues in Pottery PDF Author: Eleanora A. Reber
Publisher: University of Alabama Press
ISBN: 0817321225
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 225

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Book Description
"Organic residue analysis is a technical specialty that blends an unusual type of instrumental organic chemistry and archaeology. Because it is considered abstruse, archaeologists of all degrees of experience tend to struggle with how to apply the technology to archaeological questions and how to sample effectively in the field to answer these questions. "Organic Residues in Pottery" uses a case-study approach to explain the methods and application of organic residue analysis to archaeologists in a reader-friendly tone. The case studies come from Reber's more than twenty years of research. Pottery analysis is considered an important component of excavating a site. Organic pottery residues are made up of chemicals that absorb into pots over their use-lifetime. Analysis of the residues can allow fascinating interpretations of human behavior that are only recognizable from this analysis. The analysis allows archaeologists to interpret the ways that people have used pottery. For instance, pottery analysis can help reveal what people ate, whether different types of vessels were used for different cooking or foodstuffs preparation, and whether "elite" vessels were in use. Every residue comprises many different chemicals. Analysis includes a series of steps. Reber starts with basic information, such as how a residue forms in different environments. Other chapters discuss excavation of the residue (including extraction, instrumentation, and analysis), interpreting results, different contaminators, common substances found (e.g., caffeine and nicotine, maize, tree resins, and fish and shellfish), how to sample, how to talk with a lab analyst, and future benefits of residue analysis"--

An Archaeologist's Guide to Organic Residues in Pottery

An Archaeologist's Guide to Organic Residues in Pottery PDF Author: Eleanora A. Reber
Publisher: University of Alabama Press
ISBN: 0817321225
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 225

Get Book Here

Book Description
"Organic residue analysis is a technical specialty that blends an unusual type of instrumental organic chemistry and archaeology. Because it is considered abstruse, archaeologists of all degrees of experience tend to struggle with how to apply the technology to archaeological questions and how to sample effectively in the field to answer these questions. "Organic Residues in Pottery" uses a case-study approach to explain the methods and application of organic residue analysis to archaeologists in a reader-friendly tone. The case studies come from Reber's more than twenty years of research. Pottery analysis is considered an important component of excavating a site. Organic pottery residues are made up of chemicals that absorb into pots over their use-lifetime. Analysis of the residues can allow fascinating interpretations of human behavior that are only recognizable from this analysis. The analysis allows archaeologists to interpret the ways that people have used pottery. For instance, pottery analysis can help reveal what people ate, whether different types of vessels were used for different cooking or foodstuffs preparation, and whether "elite" vessels were in use. Every residue comprises many different chemicals. Analysis includes a series of steps. Reber starts with basic information, such as how a residue forms in different environments. Other chapters discuss excavation of the residue (including extraction, instrumentation, and analysis), interpreting results, different contaminators, common substances found (e.g., caffeine and nicotine, maize, tree resins, and fish and shellfish), how to sample, how to talk with a lab analyst, and future benefits of residue analysis"--

The Context of Organic Residues in Archaeological Vessels of Ceramic and Bronze

The Context of Organic Residues in Archaeological Vessels of Ceramic and Bronze PDF Author: Kristine Roberta Merriman
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Aegean Sea Region
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Organic Residue Analysis and the Earliest Uses of Pottery in the Ancient Middle East

Organic Residue Analysis and the Earliest Uses of Pottery in the Ancient Middle East PDF Author: Michael William Gregg
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780494609705
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
In this dissertation, I discuss the role of organic residue analysis in identifying economic activities and subsistence practices associated with the first uses of pottery in the Middle East, and present the results of my analyses of 280 potsherds recovered from 22 Neolithic and early Chalcolithic settlements dating between 7300 and 4300 cal BC. The adoption of pottery vessels in the early agricultural villages and pastoral encampments of the Middle East was not a uniform phenomenon, with this new technology not immediately of benefit, apparently, to all human groups. Results of my analyses have demonstrated that 'conventional' solvent extraction and alkaline hydrolysis techniques have limited utility in the recovery of diagnostic organic compounds from pottery from early ceramic horizons in the Middle East (Gregg et al. 2007), and that increased yields can be achieved through the use of a microwave-assisted liquid chromatography protocol (Gregg et al. 2009; Gregg and Slater in press). My research has established that there is greater diversity in the fractionation of stable carbon isotopes associated with the synthesis of fatty acids in domesticated animals than has previously been reported. In many instances, the ranges of modern isotopic values that have been used to categorize animal fats in archaeological potsherds in northern Europe cannot distinguish between the delta13C ratios of ancient dairy residues and carcass fats of ruminant and non-ruminant species in central Europe or the Middle East (Gregg et al. 2009; Gregg and Slater in press). In light of these results, I evaluate the diagnostic potential and limitations of different methodological approaches in the recovery and characterization of organic residues, and propose a series of measures that will allow more confident categorization of the substances in early pottery vessels from the Middle East. I also make a number of recommendations for archaeologists considering the use of organic residue analysis, and suggest some practical ideas on how to develop the degree of confidence necessary to assess the methods used in acquisition of molecular and isotopic data, and ultimately, to evaluate the adequacy of the analytical criteria used to address specific archaeological research questions.

The Effect of Conservation Treatments on Organic Residues in Archaeological Ceramics

The Effect of Conservation Treatments on Organic Residues in Archaeological Ceramics PDF Author: Sophia L. Carman
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Antiquities
Languages : en
Pages : 65

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Book Description
Conservation treatments, while focused on preserving the physical form of a ceramic vessel, may inadvertently have a negative impact on other information stored in preserved organic residues that may remain on or in the object. This research investigates the effect of common conservation treatments on the preservation of organic residues in order to better understand how conservation treatments commonly used in the field and laboratory can affect the integrity of organic residues in archaeological ceramic sherds. Olive oil, an organic residue that is frequently found in the archaeological record of the Near East, was applied in an experimental setting to the surface of archaeological ceramic sherds. The sherds then underwent various conservation treatments, such as mechanical cleaning, soaking in water over various periods of time, and acid cleaning. Residue retention was quantified by organic extraction followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. The results suggest that increasing the soaking time of a sherd in water decreases the amount of residue retained, and the addition of mechanical cleaning further reduces residue retention. The data gathered from this study can assist in predicting the condition of organic residues on ceramics based on previous conservation treatments and shed light on the integrity of organic residues on previously conserved objects.

Organic Residue Analysis and Archaeology

Organic Residue Analysis and Archaeology PDF Author: Julie Dunne
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781848024847
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
This document provides guidance for good practice in the recovery, analysis and publication of organic residues from archaeological sites. It has been written for a range of archaeological professionals, including local authority archaeology officers, archaeological units and consultants, project managers, museum curators, conservators and pottery specialists, with the aim of ensuring that approaches are suitable, cost-effective and informative. The objectives of the guidelines are to: * inform practicing archaeologists of the principles and potential applications of organic residue analysis (ORA) * provide clear and coherent guidance on organic residues recovery, sampling and analysis * demonstrate the research potential of the approach The Supporting Information document contains further detail on terms and concepts used in ORA and analytical techniques used to identify organic residues, together with guidance on where future research themes involving ORA might usefully be targeted. A thematically organised bibliography and details of where to access literature relating to ORA is also included. It also incorporates a short section on reporting, publishing and digital archiving, and guidance for museum curators and conservators in archiving ceramics with potential to be used for ORA.

Organic Residue Analysis and the First Uses of Pottery in the Ancient Middle East

Organic Residue Analysis and the First Uses of Pottery in the Ancient Middle East PDF Author: Michael W. Gregg
Publisher: BAR International Series
ISBN: 9781407304731
Category : Archaeological chemistry
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
This volume discusses the role of organic residue analysis in identifying economic activities and subsistence practices associated with the first uses of pottery in the Middle East, and presents the results of analysis of 280 potsherds recovered from 22 Neolithic and early Chalcolithic settlements dating between 7300 and 4300 cal BC. It also formulates guidelines and suggests future directions for the use of organic residue analysis.

The analysis of organic residues from archaeological ceramics

The analysis of organic residues from archaeological ceramics PDF Author: Carl P. Heron
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 378

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Book Description


Understanding Pottery Function

Understanding Pottery Function PDF Author: James M. Skibo
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 1461441994
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 200

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Book Description
The 1992 publication of Pottery Function brought together the ethnographic study of the Kalinga and developed a method and theory for how pottery was actually used. Since then, there have been considerable advances in understanding how pottery was actually used, particularly in the area of residue analysis, abrasion, and sooting/carbonization. At the 20th anniversary of the book, it is time to assess what has been done and learned. One of the concerns of those working in pottery analysis is that they are unsure how to “do” use-alteration analysis on their collection. Another common concern is understanding intended pottery function—the connections between technical choices and function. This book is designed to answer these questions using case studies from the author and his colleagues for applying use-alteration analysis to infer actual pottery function. The focus of Understanding Pottery Function is on how practicing archaeologists can infer function from their ceramic collection.

Theory and Practice of Archaeological Residue Analysis

Theory and Practice of Archaeological Residue Analysis PDF Author: H. Barnard
Publisher: British Archaeological Reports Oxford Limited
ISBN:
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 296

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Book Description
Organic residues include a broad range of materials that can be analyzed at a macro-, micro- or molecular level. They represent the carbon-based remains (in combination with H, N, O, P and S) of fungi, plants, animals and humans. Organic residue analysis is a relatively new technique to archaeology. The chapters of this volume bring together scholars from across the globe and attest to the diverse range of analytical methods, material types, spatio-temporal cultural units and research questions to which organic residue analysis has been applied. They are partly the proceedings of a symposium on this subject, held on 31 March 2005 in Salt Lake City (Utah) during the 70th Annual Meeting of the Society for American Archaeology, and partly the result of invitations to contribute forwarded to many active in this field.

The Analylsis of Organic Residues from Archaeological Ceramics

The Analylsis of Organic Residues from Archaeological Ceramics PDF Author: Carl Peter Heron
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description