Pots and lipids: molecular and isotope evidence of the food processing at Maharski prekop

Nives Ogrinc; Marinka Gams Petrišič; Dušan Žigon; Andreja Žibrat Gašparič; Mihael Budja

doi:10.4312/dp.39.25

Authors

Nives Ogrinc Department of Environmental Sciences, Jožef Stefan Institute, Ljubljana
Marinka Gams Petrišič Department of Environmental Sciences, Jožef Stefan Institute, Ljubljana
Dušan Žigon Department of Environmental Sciences, Jožef Stefan Institute, Ljubljana
Andreja Žibrat Gašparič Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana
Mihael Budja Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.4312/dp.39.25

Abstract

The pottery assemblage from the Maharski prekop site was analysed to obtain insights into vessel use and husbandry practices. Total lipid extracts of pottery samples were subjected to gas chromatography (GC), gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS), gas chromatography–combustion–isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC–C–IRMS) and soft ionisation electrospray mass spectrometric techniques ESI Q–TOF MS and ESI Q–TOF MS/MS. The charred organic deposits on vessels were AMS 14C dated. The results show that some vessels were used for cooking ruminant meat, while in other traces of mixed non–ruminant and ruminant meat or plants and animal meat cooking were identified. Some vessels were used for milk processing.