The contents of unusual cone-shaped vessels (cornets) from the Chalcolithic of the southern Levant

Namdar, Dvory; Neumann, Ronny; Goren, Yuval; Weiner, Steve

doi:10.1016/j.jas.2008.10.004

Cited by 24 publications

(29 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…However, the gas chromatographic profile shows a textbook n ‐alkane distribution characteristic of petroleum, wherein both odd and even carbon number homologues are present at similar abundance: thus consideration of the entire n ‐alkane complement, rather than selected components, means that the null hypothesis must be accepted—these compounds do not unambiguously derive from beeswax. The recent report of Namdar et al. (in press) based an assignment of beeswax on similar n ‐alkane distributions, asserting that they can derive from heated‐treated beeswax.…”

Section: The Archaeological Biomarker Conceptmentioning

confidence: 99%

Organic Residue Analysis in Archaeology: The Archaeological Biomarker Revolution*

2008

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Organic residue analysis utilizes analytical organic chemical techniques to identify the nature and origins of organic remains that cannot be characterized using traditional techniques of archaeological investigation (because they are either amorphous or invisible). The field is founded upon the principle that the biomolecular, or biochemical, components of organic materials associated with human activity survive in a wide variety of locations and deposits at archaeological sites. The archaeological information contained in organic residues is represented by the biomolecular components of the natural products that contribute to the formation of a given residue. By applying appropriate separation (chromatographic) and identification (mass spectrometric) techniques, the preserved, and altered, biomolecular components of such residues can be revealed. Once identified, the Archaeological Biomarker Concept can be applied, wherein the structure and even isotopic composition(s) of a given biomolecule or suite of biomolecules (the ‘chemical fingerprint’) can be related to the compositions of organisms exploited by humans in the past. As the organic residue field emerges from its pre‐paradigmatic phase, and the organic residue revolution gathers pace, the way is open for challenging many long‐held archaeological hypotheses and offering new perspectives on the study of human activity in the past.

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Section: The Archaeological Biomarker Conceptmentioning

confidence: 99%

Organic Residue Analysis in Archaeology: The Archaeological Biomarker Revolution*

2008

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“…The second case study focuses on the interpretation of a sequence of C 23 to C 33 hydrocarbons, which were obtained from extracts of pottery Bcornets^(cone-shaped vessels) from occupational and burial contexts in Israel (Namdar et al 2009), dated to the Chalcolithic period (ca. 4700-3700 B.C.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Charting a Future Course for Organic Residue Analysis in Archaeology

McGovern¹,

Hall²

2015

J Archaeol Method Theory

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Working hypotheses, which draw upon as many relevant disciplines as possible to derive the maximum information from a very limited database, are key to the highly interdisciplinary field of organic residue analysis in archaeology, a branch of biomolecular archaeology. Archaeology and chemistry are most important for effectively developing and testing such hypotheses, but botany, zoology, geology, etc. also need to be taken into account. Archaeologically, the goal is to obtain as many relevant samples as possible from the best preserved and dated contexts, which have been subjected to the least degradation and disturbance by later natural processes and human handling, including washing and conservation treatment. Chemically, molecular biomarkers of natural products need to be defined and identified by the best and most appropriate techniques, together with bioinformatics searches and assessment of degradation. With ever-improving techniques and new data, previously analyzed samples need to be retested and hypotheses possibly reformulated. Consideration of three case studies illustrates this holistic approach to inductive hypothesis generation and deductive testing: (1) new chemical findings that attest to grape wine in amphoras on board the 14th c. B.C. Uluburun ship, the earliest recorded Mediterranean wreck; (2) recently published research on beeswax/mead in Chalcolithic Israel and Neolithic China and Poland; and (3) recent articles on milk products from 2nd millennium B.C. Central Asia and Neolithic Poland. Potential pitfalls leading to weak hypotheses and mistaken conclusions are described, and a more productive approach is proposed.

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“…Contrarily, biomarkers of beeswax are more stable and resistant to degradative processes; therefore, they have been detected in many archaeological and art historical contexts (Heron et al 1994;Mills and White 1994: 49;Regert et al 2001Regert et al , 2003aRegert et al and 2005Bonaduce and Colombini 2004;Lattuati-Derieux et al 2009). In archaeological ceramic vessels, beeswax was used for different purposes, such as a sealant, an adhesive or a plasticizer in the production of adhesives, a fuel for illumination, a waterproofing agent, an insect repellent, ingredient in the production of medicinal ointments and in lost wax technique used in copper industry (Needham and Evans 1987;Heron et al 1994;Charters et al 1995;Panagiotakopulu et al 1995;Evershed et al 1997;Aveling and Heron 1999;Garnier et al 2002;Regert et al 2003a;Regert 2004;Copley et al 2005a;Mayyas 2007: 359-360;Namdar et al 2009;Baeten et al 2010). However, the presence of beeswax usually implies the availability of honey of bees in that time (Heron et al 1994;McGovern et al 2004;Copley et al 2005a-c).…”

Section: General Properties and Uses Of Beeswax And Honey In Archaeolmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Beeswax is produced only by honeybees as a white color, but it darkens when contaminants are present. These contaminants include materials carried by bees4 and other materials from bee's body parts5 in addition to certain metals6 from other sources that have been in contact with beeswax (MAAREC 2005;Namdar et al 2009). However, beeswax has been found as invisible residue absorbed into porous fabrics of archaeological ceramics.…”

Section: The Occurrence Of Beeswax In Archaeological Ceramic Vesselsmentioning

confidence: 99%

حفظ شمع النحل فی قطع السیرامیک الأثریة: الوظیفة والأستخدام

مياس¹,

القضاة²,

دغلس³

et al. 2012

حولیات کلیة الآداب جامعة عین شمس

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This paper discusses the occurrence of beeswax residue in various archaeological ceramic vessels. Beeswax residue was detected in ceramics, from different sites in Europe, Near East and Far East, using analytical organic chemical techniques. The detection, preservation and degradation of beeswax residue in archaeological ceramics are discussed in this paper. Up to date, the preservation of beeswax in ceramics is dated back to the Neolithic period. Beeswax residue was not correlated with specific type of ceramics, it was found in different vessels regardless to their forms, sizes, fabrics, decorations and other physical properties. Vessels containing beeswax were used in the past for preparing, processing, storing and serving honey or beeswax, in addition to their use as beehives. Beeswax, however, was exploited in the past as a sealing (or coating) and waterproofing agent, a fuel for illumination, a plasticizer in adhesive production, an insect repellent, a one of the main ingredient used in the preparation of medicines and a substance for casting metal objects in the lost wax technique involved in metallurgy.

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The contents of unusual cone-shaped vessels (cornets) from the Chalcolithic of the southern Levant

Cited by 24 publications

References 23 publications

Organic Residue Analysis in Archaeology: The Archaeological Biomarker Revolution*

Organic Residue Analysis in Archaeology: The Archaeological Biomarker Revolution*

Charting a Future Course for Organic Residue Analysis in Archaeology

حفظ شمع النحل فی قطع السیرامیک الأثریة: الوظیفة والأستخدام

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