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Organic Residue Analysis in Archaeological Ceramics from Lahuradewa, India:Role of Contaminants


Affiliations
1 Department of Geology, Presidency University, Kolkata 700 073, India
2 Department of Archaeology and Classical Studies, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
 

Organic residue, often amorphous or invisible to the naked eye, cannot be characterized by using traditional archaeological techniques. Such residues are a result of plant and animal product processing either by heating or due to mechanical action1-4. Organic residues, in contrast to the food crusts, are often better preserved in the mineral matrices of the pottery fabric that protect the organic molecules from microbiological degradation4,5. The biomolecular components of organic residue are used as a tool to identify the source of the residue6, and to glean information on economic and subsistence practices associated with prehistoric cultural and technological traditions4,7-9. This makes organic residue analysis a well-established tool in geoarchaeology.
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  • Organic Residue Analysis in Archaeological Ceramics from Lahuradewa, India:Role of Contaminants

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Authors

Supriyo Kumar Das
Department of Geology, Presidency University, Kolkata 700 073, India
Santanu Ghosh
Department of Geology, Presidency University, Kolkata 700 073, India
Sven Isaksson
Department of Archaeology and Classical Studies, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
Kerstin Liden
Department of Archaeology and Classical Studies, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
Arunabha Dey
Department of Geology, Presidency University, Kolkata 700 073, India

Abstract


Organic residue, often amorphous or invisible to the naked eye, cannot be characterized by using traditional archaeological techniques. Such residues are a result of plant and animal product processing either by heating or due to mechanical action1-4. Organic residues, in contrast to the food crusts, are often better preserved in the mineral matrices of the pottery fabric that protect the organic molecules from microbiological degradation4,5. The biomolecular components of organic residue are used as a tool to identify the source of the residue6, and to glean information on economic and subsistence practices associated with prehistoric cultural and technological traditions4,7-9. This makes organic residue analysis a well-established tool in geoarchaeology.

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.18520/cs%2Fv115%2Fi8%2F1456-1458