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 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


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.

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.

Archaeological Chemistry

Archaeological Chemistry PDF Author: A Mark Pollard
Publisher: Royal Society of Chemistry
ISBN: 1782626115
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 458

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Book Description
The application of chemistry within archaeology is an important and fascinating area. It allows the archaeologist to answer such questions as "what is this artefact made of?", "where did it come from?" and "how has it been changed through burial in the ground?", providing pointers to the earliest history of mankind. Archaeological Chemistry begins with a brief description of the goals and history of archaeological science, and the place of chemistry within it. It sets out the most widely used analytical techniques in archaeology and compares them in the light of relevant applications. The book includes an analysis of several specific archaeological investigations in which chemistry has been employed in tracing the origins of or in preserving artefacts. The choice of these investigations conforms to themes based on analytical techniques, and includes chapters on obsidian, ceramics, glass, metals and resins. Finally, it suggests a future role for chemical and biochemical applications in archaeology. Archaeological Chemistry enables scientists to tackle the fundamental issues of chemical change in the archaeological materials, in order to advance the study of the past. It will prove an essential companion to students in archaeological science and chemistry, field and museum archaeologists, and all those involved in conserving human artefacts.

Archaeology Meets Science

Archaeology Meets Science PDF Author: Holley Martlew
Publisher: Oxbow Books
ISBN: 1782974547
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 621

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Book Description
The 'Archaeology meets Science' project is currently transforming our understanding of the Minoan and Mycenaean civilisations, through the in-depth application of state of the art scientific analyses to ceramic artefacts and skeletal material. This book is the fruit of this acclaimed research, which was carried out between 1997 and 2003, and presented in an exhibition in a number of museums across Europe and the United States, starting with the National Archaeological Museum in Athens. Moving beyond the standard archaeological format of illustrations with descriptions of contexts, the book analyses each object from the inside , and consequently each has a different story to tell. Organic residue and stable isotope analysis has extended our knowledge beyond anything previously gleaned through conventional archaeological research, and we now have a much better understanding of the food and drink consumed by ordinary people in Bronze Age Greece. There are some fascinating insights, such as the origin of modern Greek retsina, which was traced first to the time of Agamemnon, then to Crete in the 17th century BC and finally to the Early Minoan Period, c. 2000 BC. The book provides the primary scientific evidence on which the world renowned scientists who have carried out this work have based their conclusions.

The Oxford Handbook of Archaeological Ceramic Analysis

The Oxford Handbook of Archaeological Ceramic Analysis PDF Author: Alice M. W. Hunt
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0199681538
Category : Antiques & Collectibles
Languages : en
Pages : 777

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Book Description
This volume draws together topics and methodologies essential for the socio-cultural, mineralogical, and geochemical analysis of archaeological ceramic, one of the most complex and ubiquitous archaeomaterials in the archaeological record. It provides an invaluable resource for archaeologists, anthropologists, and archaeological materials scientists.

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.

Organic Residue Analysis and Archaeology

Organic Residue Analysis and Archaeology PDF Author: Julie Dunne
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781848024830
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 This guidance was commissioned by Historic England and written by University of Bristol-based organic residue specialists, with contributions from the Universities of Bradford and York, in consultation with pottery specialists, museum curators, field archaeologists, local authority curators and Historic England.

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