Abstract
Often treated as an accessory science, organic residue analysis (ORA) has the capacity to illuminate otherwise hidden aspects of ancient technology, culture, and economy, and therein can play a central role in archaeological inquiry. Through ORA, both the intact vessel freshly excavated from a tomb and the sherd tucked away in a museum storage closet can offer insights into their contents, their histories, and the cultures that created them—provided the results can be carefully calibrated to account for their treatment during and after excavation. The case study below presents ORA data obtained from a range of artifacts from Late Bronze Age Crete, setting results from freshly-excavated and legacy objects alongside one another. Although legacy objects do tend to yield diminished results from both a quantitative and qualitative perspective, our comparative work has demonstrated both their value and untapped potential when their object biographies are carefully considered. It also sheds light on biomarker degradation processes, which have implications for methodologies of extraction and interpretation of legacy objects. Comparative studies such as these broaden the pool of viable ORA candidates, and therein amplify ORA’s ability to reveal patterns of consumption as well as ecological and environmental change. They also highlight the role and value of data-sharing in collaborative environments such as the OpenARCHEM archaeometric database.
Highlights
Often viewed as a scientific “sidecar”, organic residue analysis (ORA) is gradually becoming a core component of archaeological research design, as its capacity to illuminate otherwise invisible data becomes increasingly evident
Legacy objects do tend to yield diminished results from both a quantitative and qualitative perspective, our work has demonstrated both their value and untapped potential as proxies for cultural, commercial, or environmental change when object parameters and biographies are carefully considered [1]
Mass spectrum fragments for oleanolic acid clearly came out at 20.07 min from this third extraction. These identifications were confirmed by running chemical reference samples for each individual constituent compound, and through comparison with the chromatographic signatures from ethnobotanical samples extracted from Artemisia, Cistus, and Tilia sourced from Crete, and from ethnographic samples extracted from modern 18th century pithoi housed in the Museum of Cretan Ethnology Research Centre, which oral history and visual inspection documented had been used to store olive oil
Summary
Often viewed as a scientific “sidecar”, organic residue analysis (ORA) is gradually becoming a core component of archaeological research design, as its capacity to illuminate otherwise invisible data becomes increasingly evident. Legacy objects do tend to yield diminished results from both a quantitative and qualitative perspective (as their compounds are subject to greater degradation), our work has demonstrated both their value and untapped potential as proxies for cultural, commercial, or environmental change when object parameters and biographies are carefully considered [1] This is best illustrated through comparison between ORA results from freshly-excavated and legacy objects, an approach that offers valuable insight into the processes of Sustainability 2019, 11 FOR PEER REVIEW chemicraels,ueltnsvfrioromnfmreeshnltya-le,xcaanvdateadntahnrdolpegoagceynoibcjaelcltys,-ianndaupcperodacdhetghraatdoaffteirosnvatlhuaatblaeffinescitghtht einmto; tihtealso has significparnotceimssepsliocfacthioemnsicfaol,refnuvtiruornemmenettahl,oadnodloangtihersopoof gseanmicpallley-cinodllueccetdiodnegarnaddaitniotnertphartetaaffteicotnt.hem; Initthaelsocohmas psiagrnaiftiicvaentciamspelisctautidonysbfoerlofuwtu, rwe me eptrheosdeonlotg, iiens opfasraamllpelle, cOolRleActiroensaunldtsinttaekrpernetfartoiomn. We offer soomffeer psormeleimprienlaimryincaroymcommemnetsntosnonththeeirirrraammiiffiiccaatitoinosnfsorfothrethvearviaabrleiaebxlpereesxsiporneossf icoonmopof ucnodms,pounds, the signthifie csiagnncifeicoanfcveeosfsveelstsoepl toogproagprahpyh,ya, nanddtthhee oovveerraarcrhchinignvgavluaeluofeleogfalceygdaactya idnaOtaRiAnsOtuRdiAessatsuadies as a whole. wThhoislei.sTthhiseissethceonsedcoinndainsearsieersieosfosf hshoorrttssttuuddiieessuunndedretarktaeknewnitwh tihthe AthReCAHREMCHlibErMaryliobfrsaarmypolefssamples integraitnetdegirnatteodtihnetoOthpeeOnpAeRnACRHCEHMEMaracrhchaaeeoommeettrriiccddataatbaabsea,sae,naewneowpeno-pacecne-sas crecpeosssitroerpyo, rseistoourryc,er,esource, and puabnlidcaptuibolnicaotuiotnleotuftolert aforrcharacehoameoemtertircicddaattaa[[22]]
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