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Illuminating the Late Mesolithic: Residue analysis of 'blubber' lamps from Northern Europe
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Shallow oval bowls used on the Baltic coast in the Mesolithic have been suggested as oil lamps, burning animal fat. Here researchers confirm the use of four coastal examples as lamps burning blubber—the fat of marine animals, while an inland example burned fat from terrestrial mammals or freshwater aquatics—perhaps eels. The authors use a combination of lipid biomarker and bulk and single-compound carbon isotope analysis to indicate the origin of the residues in these vessels.
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... Sandstone slabs from the late Mesolithic (Ertebølle culture)/ early Neolithic (Funnelbeaker culture) site of Neustadt LA156 (Northern Germany) (Table 1, Fig. 1; 2) were chosen for this study due to the excellent preservation of the find material (Hartz, 2004). Thus, it allows for a high-resolution analysis that supplies information on subsistence and land use (Glykou, 2014;2016;2020;Klooß, 2011) including evidence for cooking (Courel et al., 2020;Craig et al., 2011;Heron et al., 2013) and thus provides sufficient background for a study on heating and fire use. Furthermore, reconstructions of fire technology and heating economy are most interesting for this time period due to the intensified land use strategies and a more sedentary lifeway at the transition from the Mesolithic to the Neolithic. ...
... This is especially true for the Ertebølle and Funnelbeaker settlements at the Baltic coast that testify continuity and rich yields of marine resources. Cooking of energy rich foods and the processing of fuels is verified by lipid analyses on ceramic blubber lamps and cooking vessels (Courel et al., 2020;2021;Craig et al., 2011;Heron et al., 2013). So far, the respective hearth structures and the fire economy are still Table 3; for full ID-numbers of slabs cf. ...
... Zooarchaeological studies document large numbers of marine mammals that have been processed here as valuable supplies (Glykou 2016;2020), requiring adequate cooking constructions. Lipid analyses of food crusts on ceramic cooking vessels (Craig et al., 2011) and of lamps (Heron et al., 2013) further emphasize the economic importance of the cooking of marine resources over the whole settlement period, which were only supplemented by ruminant products in the Neolithic. Bones were presumably cooked at low temperatures (<400 • C) (Glykou, 2020). ...
FTIR analyses were tested as reliable for the fast identification of heated sandstones from archaeological contexts and the differentiation of thermal activities. FTIR spectra of experimentally heated sandstone samples reveal distinctive peak changes depending on heating intensity. The method was applied to stone slabs from the late Mesolithic/ early Neolithic site of Neustadt LA 156 (Northern Germany), in order to reconstruct their individual functions in relation to fire and with this, hearth activities and hearth constructions. FTIR analyses prove different heat exposures of the individual stones that point to diverse functions in relation to fire and partly contradict assumptions from visual inspection. Most stones have been slightly to moderately heated, often from one side only, potentially taking advantage of the good heat capacity of sandstone. This case study for the identification of heated sandstones from archaeological contexts builds a basis for reconstructions of fire use, hearth constructions and thermal energy management in the late Mesolithic and early Neolithic, which played an important role in the intensified land use systems.
https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1giUa,rVDBfl1T
... To date, a limited number of chemical analyses have been conducted on these vessels. Some of these have yielded heat-alteration markers derived from aquatic fats that are presumed to have been combusted (Heron et al. 2013;Oras et al. 2017;Papakosta et al. 2019). However, systematic analysis of these intriguing artefacts over their distribution range throughout the circum-Baltic in particular is so far lacking. ...
... The analysis of use-derived residues associated with ceramic vessels offers a useful approach to determine the functional properties of oval bowls (Heron et al. 2013;Oras et al. 2017;Papakosta et al. 2019). Lipids (ie, fats, oils, and waxes) are readily identifiable using this approach and would be expected to be the major component if the vessels had been used as 'oil lamps'. ...
... Identification of specific molecular biomarkers and comparative analysis of the isotopic characteristics of bulk charred matter or specific lipid molecules has already been widely applied to prehistoric ceramic containers from the circum-Baltic (Craig et al. 2011;Robson 2015;Papakosta et al. 2019;Courel et al. 2020), providing an ideal comparative dataset. Organic residue analyses of oval bowls from the circum-Baltic have been more limited (Craig et al. 2011;Heron et al. 2013;Piezonka et al. 2016;Oras et al. 2017;Papakosta et al. 2019). ...
Artificial illumination is a fundamental human need. Burning wood and other materials usually in hearths and fireplaces extended daylight hours, whilst the use of flammable substances in torches offered light on the move. It is increasingly understood that pottery played a role in light production. In this study, we focus on ceramic oval bowls, made and used primarily by hunter-gatherer-fishers of the circum-Baltic over a c. 2000 year period beginning in the mid-6th millennium cal BC. Oval bowls commonly occur alongside larger (cooking) vessels. Their function as 'oil lamps' for illumination has been proposed on many occasions but only limited direct evidence has been secured to test this functional association. This study presents the results of molecular and isotopic analysis of preserved organic residues obtained from 115 oval bowls from 25 archaeological sites representing a wide range of environmental settings. Our findings confirm that the oval bowls of the circum-Baltic were used primarily for burning fats and oils, predominantly for the purposes of illumination. The fats derive from the tissues of marine, freshwater, and terrestrial organisms. Bulk isotope data of charred surface deposits show a consistently different pattern of use when oval bowls are compared to other pottery vessels within the same assemblage. It is suggested that hunter-gatherer-fish-ers around the 55th parallel commonly deployed material culture for artificial light production but the evidence is restricted to times and places where more durable technologies were employed, including the circum-Baltic.
... Fish remains include marine, freshwater and migratory species (Schmölcke et al., 2007). Lipid analyses of food crusts on ceramic cooking vessels (Craig et al., 2011;Courel et al., 2020;Lucquin et al., 2023) and of lamps (Heron et al., 2013) document the cooking of marine resources as well as ruminant products. Phytolith analyses of ceramic food crusts revealed the cooking with spices . ...
... Most of our foodcrust samples have intermediate atomic C:N ratio values (n = 31/37 = 6.24-14.10), reflecting lipid-rich, but not pure lipid products Heron et al., 2013). This is supported by the positive correlation (Pearson R = 0.625, df = 34, p = < 0.05) between the C:N ratio and the lipid concentrations of the lipid extract of the same sample. ...
Ceramic technology makes an abrupt appearance in the New World Arctic at circa 2800 cal BP. While there is general consensus that the ultimate source of these Alaskan pottery traditions lay in continental NE Asia, the motivations for the adoption of pottery in Alaska have remained unclear. Through organic residue analysis we investigated the function of Norton pottery in Southwest Alaska, and the extent to which its function changed in later periods under the increasing northern influence of Thule culture in the region (from ca. 1000 cal BP). Our results show clear evidence of aquatic resource processing in all pottery vessels. Regional variability due to environmental and ecological differences are apparent in the pottery. The majority of Norton pottery was from inland riverine locations and the function of this early pottery was to process anadromous fish, with only limited evidence of other resources. After 1000 cal BP more sites appear on the coast, and while pottery technology changes dramatically at this time, this is not as clear in pottery function which remains aimed at local abundant aquatic resources. We hypothesize that pottery was adopted into Alaska as part of a riverine adaptation and suggest that targeted human exploitation of large riverine systems may have facilitated its expansion into Southwest Alaska. Furthermore, we suggest that this pattern might extend back into Siberia where Alaskan pottery originates.
... The analysis of lipid residues absorbed in pottery using chromatography, mass spectrometry and compound specific stable isotope techniques offers an effective method to disclose human subsistence activities in antiquity, which is especially favorable for sites with little faunal and botanical evidence. This approach has been successful in exploring ancient dairying spread (Chakraborty et al. 2020;Copley et al. 2003;Dunne et al. 2018;Evershed et al. 2008a), dietary habit (Casanova et al. 2020;Drieu et al. 2021;Dunne et al. 2019b;Mileto et al. 2017), vessel use (Dunne et al. 2019a;Matlova et al. 2017;Salque et al. 2013) and resource exploitation Heron et al. 2013;Rao et al. 2019) of archaeological communities in Europe, the Near East, Africa, South Asia, and other regions since the Neolithic. ...
The agro-pastoral ecotone in northern China has long been an essential interaction between the Central Plains and the Eurasian steppe. The Western Zhou Dynasty (1046–771 BCE), with the Central Plains as its political core area, occupied parts of the agro-pastoral ecotone around 3000 BP during its early extensive territorial expansion. However, little is known about the subsistence strategies of the agro-pastoral ecotone subordinated to the Western Zhou. In this study, lipid analysis was performed on potsherds from the Yaoheyuan site in northwest China. The results show that ancient people consumed millet, ruminant meat and dairy products, together with possible equine products. The low proportion of dairy exploitation indicates that ruminant animal management was meat-oriented, which may be related to lactase intolerance and cultural habits. The people at Yaoheyuan lived on an agro-pastoral economy with domesticated herbivores and rare pig consumption, revealing a turning point for the intensified pastoralism in the agro-pastoral ecotone around 3000 BP impacted by nomadic pastoralism in the Eurasian steppe and climate change. In particular, the lipid signals in Yaoheyuan pottery and the previously published data likely reflect that the heterogeneity of Zhou culture between the Central Plains and the agro-pastoral ecotone, and provide important insights into the multiple interactions between the Zhou and indigenous cultures.
... coastal, estuarine/lagoonal and inland) throughout the circum-Baltic (see Robson et al. 2022), the location of the find spot (see Fig. 1) likely precludes a freshwater or terrestrial source of the residues. The sample also yielded a C:N atomic ratio of 20.0, which was similar to a dataset obtained from ceramic oval bowls throughout the circum-Baltic (Robson et al. 2022), implying a higher lipid fraction and less nitrogen-containing proteinaceous molecules in the residues, further supported by the lack of proteomic results, consistent with animal fats or oils (see Heron et al. 2013;Robson et al. 2022). Lipids were extracted (following Craig et al. 2013) from a second sample of residues (Sample 5; Lab no. ...
Slate was a prominent tool material in the Scandinavian Stone Age. However, details of tool function have relied on morphology and have added little to our understanding of their role in hunting and processing. Here, we demonstrate that it is possible to identify both the use-wear traces and residues from slate knives from northern Norway. By applying a multi-disciplinary approach incorporating experimentation, use-wear and organic residue analyses, we identified residues, including seal hair, and use-traces which indicate the tools were used to process fresh marine mammals.
... There is a big corpus of research labeled as "residue analyses" that analyzes floors, ceramic contents and remains in specific artifacts such as pipes or other unique objects or contexts (Barton, 2007;Brettell et al., 2017;Craig et al., 2020;Echeverría et al., 2014;Evershed, 2008;Heron et al., 2013;Heron & Evershed, 1993;Koh & Birney, 2019;Nugent, 2006;Pecci et al., 2013;Rosell et al., 2013;Sacchi et al., 2020;Tushingham et al., 2018, among others). These studies are mostly carried out through chemical and protein analyses and they usually correspond to late prehistory or to historical contexts. ...
Residue analysis has become the go-to analysis for archaeologists in recent years. This review, focusing on the plant remains as residues from knapped lithic tools, has been carried out to understand the role of plant residues analyses in archaeological as well as associated experimental research, the advancements made in the field and the state of the art. Thirty-nine research papers starting from 1976 till 2020 have been analyzed critically in this review. In spite of numerous exemplary researches, it was observed that there are still many challenges to be overcome. The paper also makes a humble attempt at providing some suggestions for future research.
Una escudilla con base de atlantes (No. Cat. MNCR 23242), asociada al tipo Buenos Aires Policromo, de la subregión arqueológica Diquís, sureste de Costa Rica, depositada en la colección del Museo Nacional de Costa Rica, presenta una masa o costra carbonizada en el fondo interior.
Análisis de residuos químicos y de gránulos de almidón fueron aplicados a una muestra de la masa. Los resultados permiten identificar la presencia de carbohidratos, residuos proteicos, ácidos grasos y sangre. Asimismo, se identificaron gránulos de almidón de maíz (Zea mays), fabáceas y, posiblemente, palmas. Las alteraciones morfológicas de los gránulos son consistentes con el proceso de cocimiento y carbonización de sustancias con líquido. Se infiere que la masa carbonizada en la escudilla MNCR 23242 fue producto de actividades de carácter ritual.
Radiocarbon dates of food residue on pottery from northern European inland areas seem to be influenced significantly by the freshwater reservoir effect ("hardwater" effect) stemming from fish and mollusks cooked in the pots. Bones of freshwater fish from Stone Age Åmose, Denmark, are demonstrated to be 100 to 500 14C yr older than their archaeological context. Likewise, food residues on cooking pots, seemingly used for the preparation of freshwater fish, are shown to have 14C age excesses of up to 300 yr. It is probable that age excesses of similar or even larger magnitude are involved in food residue dates from other periods and regions. Since this effect cannot, so far, be quantified and corrected for, 14C dating of food residue, which may potentially include material from freshwater ecosystems, should be treated with reserve.
Nordvestsjaelland har en usaed-vanlig stor og varieret bestand af fortidsminder. En del af aeren for denne tilstand tilkommer Histo-risk Samfund for Holbaek Amt, som ved sin grundlaeggelse for 100 år siden satte sig som et af sine tre formål "at fremdrage og frede om stedlige Minder". 1 Åmosen (fig. 2) er i denne forbin-delse af saerlig interesse både som et sted, hvor der er fremdra-get enestående maengder af be-tydningsfulde arkaeologiske fund og som stedet, hvor der er gjort en saerlig indsats for at bevare fortidsminder. Fra 1938 og de føl-gende tre årtier gennemførte Nationalmuseet her en af de største samlede forsknings-og nødgravningskampagner, som til dato er set i Danmark. I 1993-95 blev kongerigets hidtil største, arkaeologisk begrundede areal-fredning etableret på Bodal Gods i Store Åmose. For øjeblikket undersøger Miljøministeriet og Kulturministeriet, om det kan også for kultur, religion og befolk-ningstaethed. Tegning Henning E. Jensen. Fig. 1. An artist's vision of the first farmer in north-western Zealand. The introduction of agriculture about 6000 years ago had far-reaching consequences on the subsistence economy of the region and a large influence on culture, religion and demography. Drawing Henning E. Jensen. 35 Fra Nordvestsjaelland. Årbog for kulturhistorien i Nordvestsjaelland 2005-6, side 35-54. Historisk Samfund for Nordvestsjaelland. VEJLØ PRINT A/S, Kalundborg. 36 lade sig gøre at sikre sårbar natur og kulturarv i østlige Store Åmose via et storstilet naturgen-opretningsprojekt. Samtidig er der fra lokalt hold taget initiativ til at etablere en Naturpark Åmo-sen-Tissø med et formål, der på bedste vis harmonerer med visionen fra Historisk Samfunds grundlaeggelse for 100 år siden om at formidle og beskytte amtets mest betydningsfulde for-tidsminder. På de følgende sider berettes om, hvordan landbruget kom til egnen – belyst ved knog-ler og skeletter af tamokser, som er fundet i Åmosen.
Central questions in the classical debate on the neolithisation of Denmark and Scania are reformulated and tested. A transitional stage between the Ertebølle and the Funnel Beaker Cultures is outlined. Consideration is also given to C14-dates of food residues on pottery, which are demonstrated to be significantly affected by reservoir effect.
The introduction of livestock took place no later than ca. 3950 cal. BC. TRB pottery was present at the same time or a little later. Phenomena usually considered typically neolithic, such as polished flint axes and monumental graves, were absent in the initial stages of the Neolithic. For several centuries subsequent to the introduction of farming, part of the population continued to subsist primarily on marine resources.
Three explanatory models for the introduction of agriculture are evaluated: migration, food crisis, and socio-economic competition. The original arguments in support of the first explanation are demonstrated to be false, but the model may be re-formulated as a variant of the third. The second appears to be of little explanatory relevance but has potential for future substantiation. It is suggested that the main reason for the introduction of livestock and cereals was the social prestige and personal pleasure that could be gained by those who distributed and consumed products of farming – which may have included beverages such as beer.
The introduction of cattle husbandry and cultivation is described as just one aspect of a long-term process of socio-economic transformation – a process characterised by continuous innovation and inflation of social and ritual symbols.
Study of the Palaeolithic lamps which no true definition existed and whose technical, morphological, and functional characteristics and spatial and chronological distribution were very little known.
This brief article is a book review of "The Emergence of Pottery: Technology and Innovation in Ancient Societies" by William K. Barnett and John Hoopes.
Pre-colonial herding communities from coastal sites in South Africa are known to have exploited sheep and seal products. Animal bone assemblages from various archaeological sites on Kasteelberg on the west coast suggest that these species dominated the economy of the region. This appears to be mirrored in different pottery vessel types, and it has been suggested that one particular vessel type, spouted wares, is associated with dairying. Organic residue analysis of 20 potsherds from spouted vessels has revealed that, rather than being associated with the processing of dairy products, these vessels were actually predominantly used to process marine-derived animal products.
What was burned in lamps in the prehistoric Mediterranean? Olive oil, as one would first suppose? Analysis of absorbed lipids preserved in the fabric of lamps and conical cups from the Minoan site of Mochlos in eastern Crete shows for the first time that beeswax was used as an illuminant.
The readily available N-Boc arylhydrazines undergo efficient Fischer cyclizations to provide the indoles in good yields, when reacted with enolizable ketones.
