Pottery use by late Foragers and early Farmers in the Baltic
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Bradford
Department Name: Faculty of Life Sciences
Abstract
Whilst shapes, styles and decorations of prehistoric pots have been intensively studied by generations of archaeologists, what pots were actually used for has received much less attention, as until recently it has been extremely difficult to determine the original contents of ceramic vessels. However, using a combination of high-resolution chemical and isotopic methods, traces of foodstuffs and other products either absorbed into the ceramic fabric or preserved as visible surface deposits (sometimes called 'food crusts') can now be detected after thousands of years.
We propose to apply these techniques to a large number of prehistoric pots from Northern Germany and Denmark to examine the changing uses of pottery in the Baltic region during the 4th and 5th Millennia BC. This period is particularly important, as it is when the whole of Northern Europe witnessed massive economic, social and ideological changes, often directly associated with the arrival of agriculture and pastoralism. In particular, we will examine how changes in the use of pots and the introduction of new forms of pottery relate to these economic changes. This will provide a more detailed understanding of the persistence of undomesticated resources into the Neolithic, the rate and completeness of the transition to agriculture and will provide new insights into certain economic activities, such as dairying, which are not easily detectable using other methods.
We propose to apply these techniques to a large number of prehistoric pots from Northern Germany and Denmark to examine the changing uses of pottery in the Baltic region during the 4th and 5th Millennia BC. This period is particularly important, as it is when the whole of Northern Europe witnessed massive economic, social and ideological changes, often directly associated with the arrival of agriculture and pastoralism. In particular, we will examine how changes in the use of pots and the introduction of new forms of pottery relate to these economic changes. This will provide a more detailed understanding of the persistence of undomesticated resources into the Neolithic, the rate and completeness of the transition to agriculture and will provide new insights into certain economic activities, such as dairying, which are not easily detectable using other methods.
Publications
Craig OE
(2011)
Ancient lipids reveal continuity in culinary practices across the transition to agriculture in Northern Europe.
in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Craig OE
(2012)
Distinguishing wild ruminant lipids by gas chromatography/combustion/isotope ratio mass spectrometry.
in Rapid communications in mass spectrometry : RCM
Cubas M
(2020)
Latitudinal gradient in dairy production with the introduction of farming in Atlantic Europe.
in Nature communications
Heron C
(2015)
Illuminating the Late Mesolithic: residue analysis of 'blubber' lamps from Northern Europe
in Antiquity
Robson H
(2012)
Carbon and nitrogen isotope signals in eel bone collagen from Mesolithic and Neolithic sites in northern Europe
in Journal of Archaeological Science
Saul H
(2013)
Phytoliths in pottery reveal the use of spice in European prehistoric cuisine.
in PloS one
Saul H
(2012)
A systematic approach to the recovery and identification of starches from carbonised deposits on ceramic vessels
in Journal of Archaeological Science
Description | Continuity and change in food preparation and diet across the transition from hunting-gathering-fishing to farming in Northern Europe. Development and test of new methodology combining lipid biomarkers and single-compound carbon isotopes values for documenting marine and freshwater foods in prehistoric pottery. |
Exploitation Route | Application to early pottery use across the globe. |
Sectors | Culture Heritage Museums and Collections |
Description | Widely disseminated in the national and international press. Dietary change, food preparation and ancient cuisine. |
First Year Of Impact | 2011 |
Sector | Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections |
Impact Types | Cultural |
Description | Alexander von Humboldt Research Award |
Amount | € 60,000 (EUR) |
Organisation | Alexander von Humboldt Foundation |
Sector | Public |
Country | Germany |
Start | 08/2014 |
End | 08/2015 |