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

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"--

Organic Residue Analysis and Archaeology

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

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 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

Book Description


Organic Residue Analysis and Archaeology

Organic Residue Analysis and Archaeology PDF Author: Julie Dunne
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781848024830
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

A Consumer's Guide to Archaeological Science

A Consumer's Guide to Archaeological Science PDF Author: Mary E. Malainey
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 1441957049
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 600

Book Description
Many archaeologists, as primarily social scientists, do not have a background in the natural sciences. This can pose a problem because they need to obtain chemical and physical analyses on samples to perform their research. This manual is an essential source of information for those students without a background in science, but also a comprehensive overview that those with some understanding of archaeological science will find useful. The manual provides readers with the knowledge to use archaeological science methods to the best advantage. It describes and explains the analytical techniques in a manner that the average archaeologist can understand, and outlines clearly the requirements, benefits, and limitations of each possible method of analysis, so that the researcher can make informed choices. The work includes specific information about a variety of dating techniques, provenance studies, isotope analysis as well as the analysis of organic (lipid and protein) residues and ancient DNA. Case studies illustrating applications of these approaches to most types of archaeological materials are presented and the instruments used to perform the analyses are described. Available destructive and non-destructive approaches are presented to help archaeologists select the most effective technique for gaining the target information from the sample. Readers will reach for this manual whenever they need to decide how to best analyze a sample, and how the analysis is performed.

Pottery in Archaeology

Pottery in Archaeology PDF Author: Clive Orton
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 9780521445979
Category : Crafts & Hobbies
Languages : en
Pages : 296

Book Description
A 'state of the art' guide to pottery analysis providing information on recent scientific developments and the latest statistical techniques.

Pottery Analysis, Second Edition

Pottery Analysis, Second Edition PDF Author: Prudence M. Rice
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 0226923223
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 594

Book Description
Just as a single pot starts with a lump of clay, the study of a piece’s history must start with an understanding of its raw materials. This principle is the foundation of Pottery Analysis, the acclaimed sourcebook that has become the indispensable guide for archaeologists and anthropologists worldwide. By grounding current research in the larger history of pottery and drawing together diverse approaches to the study of pottery, it offers a rich, comprehensive view of ceramic inquiry. This new edition fully incorporates more than two decades of growth and diversification in the fields of archaeological and ethnographic study of pottery. It begins with a summary of the origins and history of pottery in different parts of the world, then examines the raw materials of pottery and their physical and chemical properties. It addresses ethnographic and ethnoarchaeological perspectives on pottery production; reviews the methods of studying pottery’s physical, mechanical, thermal, mineralogical, and chemical properties; and discusses how proper analysis of artifacts can reveal insights into their culture of origin. Intended for use in the classroom, the lab, and out in the field, this essential text offers an unparalleled basis for pottery research.