Lipid Analysis of Pottery from the Early Bronze Age II Burials at Ayia Triada Cave, Southern Euboea, Greece: Evidence for Ritualized Consumption?

Abstract

Ayia Triada Cave excavations revealed multiple human burials and evidence for feasting in Early Bronze Age (EBA) Greece. Associated pottery was subjected to gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) to investigate feasting in ritual contexts. Reported here are the first organic residue results from 69 sherds. Abundant residues were preserved, revealing heavy vessel use and multi‐resource mixtures, and echoing domestic consumption patterns. This research also identifies possible functions and associated products of certain EBA vessel types, for example, sauceboats. The linking of ordinary foods and vessels to an important rite of passage, like death, reinforces daily food practices, social relationships, and collective identity.