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Compound-specific stable carbon isotopic detection of pig product processing in British Late Neolithic pottery

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2015

Anna J. Mukherjee ,
Robert Berstan ,
Mark S. Copley ,
Alex M. Gibson  and
Richard P. Evershed
Anna J. Mukherjee
Affiliation:
Organic Geochemistry Unit, Bristol Biogeochemistry Research Centre, School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Cantock's Close, Bristol BS8 1TS, UK
Robert Berstan
Affiliation:
Organic Geochemistry Unit, Bristol Biogeochemistry Research Centre, School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Cantock's Close, Bristol BS8 1TS, UK
Mark S. Copley
Affiliation:
Organic Geochemistry Unit, Bristol Biogeochemistry Research Centre, School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Cantock's Close, Bristol BS8 1TS, UK
Alex M. Gibson
Affiliation:
Department of Archaeological Sciences, University of Bradford, Bradford, West Yorkshire BD7 1DP, UK
Richard P. Evershed*
Affiliation:
Organic Geochemistry Unit, Bristol Biogeochemistry Research Centre, School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Cantock's Close, Bristol BS8 1TS, UK
*
*Author for correspondence (Email: r.p.evershed@bristol.ac.uk)
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Extract

By extracting lipids from potsherds and determining the δ13C of the most abundant fatty acids, degraded fats from ruminant animals, such as cattle, and non-ruminant animals, such as pigs, can be distinguished. The authors use this phenomenon to investigate Late Neolithic pig exploitation and find that the pig ‘signature’ was more frequently found among residues from Grooved Ware than other prehistoric pottery types.

Keywords

NeolithicBritainarchaeological chemistryfatty acidsGrooved WarepigsresiduesruminantsTAGs
Type
Method
Information
Antiquity , Volume 81 , Issue 313 , 1 September 2007 , pp. 743 - 754
Copyright
Copyright © Antiquity Publications Ltd. 2007

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