Organic residue analysis of Red Lustrous Wheelmade Ware vessels traded across the eastern Mediterranean during the Late Bronze Age
Red Lustrous Wheelmade Ware (RLWm ware) transport and storage vessels have been excavated from Late Bronze Age (LBA) sites across the eastern Mediterranean. These distinctive vessels were traded for the valuable commodity they contained so far unidentified. Seventy-three sherds (61 RLWm ware, 12 in local fabrics) and two visible residues were analysed for organic residues using standard lipid extraction techniques. Seven residues from a previous study were re-examined. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry identified four materials - beeswax, bitumen, fat/oil and resin. Beeswax, found only in vessels from Hittite sites in Turkey, was probably used as a post-firing treatment. Fat/oil, present in some sherds from every site, represents the contents of the vessels and showed many of the characteristics of degraded plant oil. Two examples contained a plant sterol and three yielded ricinoleic acid, a biomarker for castor oil. Gas-chromatography compound-specific isotope ratio mass spectrometry of selected residues excluded dairy products, ruminant animal fats and fish oils as source materials for the fats/oils, while comparison with a small database of modern oils created during this study does not exclude plant
Steele, Valerie J.
Red Lustrous Wheelmade Ware ; Organic residues ; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry ; Compound specific stable isotope analysis ; Fats and oils ; Trade ; Late Bronze Age ; Eastern Mediterranean ; Beeswax ; High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) ; Storage vessels
Organic residue analysis of Red Lustrous Wheelmade Ware vessels traded across the eastern Mediterranean during the Late Bronze Age. Red Lustrous Wheelmade Ware (RLWm ware) transport and storage vessels have been excavated from Late Bronze Age (LBA) sites across the eastern Mediterranean. These distinctive vessels were traded for the valuable commodity they contained so far unidentified. Seventy-three sherds (61 RLWm ware, 12 in local fabrics) and two visible residues were analysed for organic residues using standard lipid extraction techniques. Seven residues from a previous study were re-examined. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry identified four materials - beeswax, bitumen, fat/oil and resin. Beeswax, found only in vessels from Hittite sites in Turkey, was probably used as a post-firing treatment. Fat/oil, present in some sherds from every site, represents the contents of the vessels and showed many of the characteristics of degraded plant oil. Two examples contained a plant sterol and three yielded ricinoleic acid, a biomarker for castor oil. Gas-chromatography compound-specific isotope ratio mass spectrometry of selected residues excluded dairy products, ruminant animal fats and fish oils as source materials for the fats/oils, while comparison with a small database of modern oils created during this study does not exclude plant
organic_residue analysis red ware vessel trade across_eastern mediterranean red ware ware transport storage vessel excavate lba sit across_eastern mediterranean distinctive vessel trade valuable commodity contain far unidentified seventy sherd ware local fabric visible residue analyse organic_residue use standard lipid extraction technique residues previous_study re_examined gas_chromatography mass_spectrometry identify_four material bitumen fat oil resin find vessel hittite sit turkey probably use post firing treatment fat oil present sherd every site represent content vessel show many characteristic degrade plant oil example contain plant yield oil gas_chromatography compound specific isotope_ratio mass_spectrometry select residue exclude dairy product animal fat fish oil source_material comparison small database modern oil create study exclude plant