Mixed results of seven methods for organic residue analysis applied to one vessel with the residue of a known foodstuff

Non-linear relationship between bulk δ13C and percent maize in carbonized cooking residues and the potential of false-negatives in detecting maize

“…Lipids are more depleted in d 13 C values than other components (Brognoli and Farquhar, 2000;O'Leary, 1981), and we know that clay vessels do absorb lipids (Barnard et al, 2007), which should result in more enriched bulk d 13 C values in cooking residues than cooking in impermeable vessels such as glass beakers. To assess whether absorption of lipids into the native clay pots would impact bulk d 13 C values of the remaining residues, each of the plant resources was also boiled in unglazed experimental clay pots and sampled using procedures identical to those used with the glass beakers.…”

Reassessing the northern limit of maize consumption in North America: stable isotope, plant microfossil, and trace element content of carbonized food residue

“…Stable carbon isotope values can be expected to provide a general indicator of the d 13 C values of predominate foodstuffs within the residues (Barnard et al, 2007;Craig et al, 2007;Hart et al, 2007). Stable nitrogen isotope values will also provide a measure of residue composition with respect to terrestrial versus aquatic protein resources (Craig et al, 2007;Morton and Schwarcz, 2004).…”

“…In other parts of the Americas, maize phytoliths and starch granules have been successfully extracted from food residue and soils, enabling key insight into the history of early agricultural economies (Hart et al, 2003;Pearsall, 2002;Pearsall et al, 2003;Pearsall et al, 2004b;Piperno, 2003;Staller and Thompson, 2002). In contrast, few previous studies have examined stable C and N isotope, and trace element, content of carbonized food residue (Barnard et al, 2007;Craig et al, 2007;Fie et al, 1990;Hart et al, 2007;Morton and Schwarcz, 2004;Sherriff et al, 1995), and no study has combined all of these analyses. We believe, however, that in combination these complementary proxies offer a powerful tool for understanding the relative importance, and possible provenience, of cultigens in small-scale prehistoric societies.…”

Archaeological ceramics from eastern Africa: past approaches and future directions

“…Various analytical techniques can be used to identify organic residues on pot interiors and in their fabrics (e.g. Barnard et al 2007), but these applications have only rarely been employed in Sub-Saharan Africa (although see Copley et al 2004;Dunne et al 2012;Fewlass 2015). However, as a growing number of scholars in eastern Africa have recently shown, basic typologies can also be usefully re-examined through the lens of function, without the need for expensive techniques.…”