Lipid Residues in Ancient Lipid Residues in Ancient African PotteryAfrican Pottery
Nadia GrahamNadia Graham11, Robert Berstan, Robert Berstan11, , Kathleen RyanKathleen Ryan22, Karega-Munene, Karega-Munene33, ,
Diane Gifford-GonzalezDiane Gifford-Gonzalez44, Darla , Darla DaleDale55 & Richard Evershed & Richard Evershed11
1 Organic Geochemistry Unit, Bristol Biogeochemistry Research Centre, School of Chemistry, University ofBristol, Cantock’s Close, Bristol BS8 1TS, U.K2Museum Applied Center for Archaeology, University of Pennsylvania, 3260 South Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, U.S.A3School of Arts and Sciences, United States International University, Thika Road Kasarani, Nairobi, Kenya, P.O. Box 14634 008004Department of Anthropology, University of California Santa Cruz, 351 Social Sciences 1, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, U.S.A5 Department of Anthropology, Washington University in Saint Louis, College of Arts and Sciences, St. Louis, MO 63130-4899
Lipids in Archaeological Lipids in Archaeological PotteryPottery
Present in all plants and animalsPresent in all plants and animals Lipids from foods are absorbed into Lipids from foods are absorbed into
the ceramic matrix during cookingthe ceramic matrix during cooking They remain trapped in the clay over They remain trapped in the clay over
archaeological timearchaeological time Degrade into component compoundsDegrade into component compounds
O
O
O
O
O
O
triacylglycerol or TAG (tristearin)
O
O
saturated fatty acid (stearic acid)
O
O
wax ester (tetraconsanyl palmitate)
n-alkanes (tetratriacontane)
OH
long chain alcohol (hexaconsanol)
O
O
unsaturated fatty acid (oleic acid)
OHcholesterol
African ArchaeologyAfrican Archaeology Split into geographical areasSplit into geographical areas
Cultures and chronologies: Cultures and chronologies: reconstructed based mainly on reconstructed based mainly on pottery ware and linguisticspottery ware and linguistics
Knowledge of daily life based Knowledge of daily life based on artifacts recovered and on artifacts recovered and anthropological observations anthropological observations of modern equivalentsof modern equivalents
Vast areas still unexplored Vast areas still unexplored archaeologicallyarchaeologically
Lipid analysis yet to be applied Lipid analysis yet to be applied to more than a handful of sitesto more than a handful of sites
Frontispiece (Phillipson, 2005)
SitesSites
G ogo Falls
Siror
Laikip ia
Adrar Bous
Gogo FallsGogo Falls
West bank of the West bank of the Kuja riverKuja river
Pottery from c. Pottery from c. 5000 – 1770 years 5000 – 1770 years before presentbefore present
Http://www.gallmankenya.org
Laikipia PlateauLaikipia Plateau E. of Lake VictoriaE. of Lake Victoria Occupation between Occupation between
3000 BP to Iron Age3000 BP to Iron Age Pottery from 3000 Pottery from 3000
BP – 1300 BPBP – 1300 BP
Laikipia Laikipia Nature Nature
ConservancyConservancy
Htt
p://k
emp
ockd
igita
l.co.
uk/d
igita
l2/f
inea
rt/p
hoto
gra
pher
s/m
cmas
ter/
Gog
o%
20F
alls
%20
-%
20L
arg
s.jp
g
SirorSiror
In western Kenya, 20 In western Kenya, 20 km from Lake Victoriakm from Lake Victoria
Dates of occupation Dates of occupation at this site: c. 7700 at this site: c. 7700 bp – 2800 bpbp – 2800 bp
Adrar Adrar BousBous Massif (large Massif (large block of bedrock)block of bedrock)
Edge of Tenerian Edge of Tenerian desert (Niger)desert (Niger)
Pottery from 9500 Pottery from 9500 BP and 3900 BPBP and 3900 BP
Tenerian Kiffian
Faunal RemainsFaunal Remains
Siror: Eight different Siror: Eight different kinds of fishkinds of fish
Laikipia: domestic Laikipia: domestic cattle, sheep and cattle, sheep and goatgoat
Adrar Bous: Adrar Bous: domestic cattle domestic cattle (Tenerian) and (Tenerian) and aquatic animals aquatic animals (Kiffian)(Kiffian)
Identifiable Faunal Remains - Gogo Falls
Fish66%
Cow25%
Warthog5%
Goat2%
Sheep2%
QuestionsQuestions Given the abundance and diversity of Given the abundance and diversity of
wild faunal remains at these sites, what wild faunal remains at these sites, what uses were the domesticates being put uses were the domesticates being put to?to?
Possible answers include:Possible answers include: Protein sourceProtein source Dairy productsDairy products BloodBlood
Were fish or terrestrial mammals the Were fish or terrestrial mammals the primary food source at Siror and Gogo primary food source at Siror and Gogo Falls?Falls?
MethodsMethods
Lipids PresentLipids Present
East Africa:East Africa: Gogo Falls: 22/48 sherds (46%) Gogo Falls: 22/48 sherds (46%) Laikipia: 3/13 sherds (23%)Laikipia: 3/13 sherds (23%) Siror: 2/8 sherds (25%)Siror: 2/8 sherds (25%)
West AfricaWest Africa Adrar Bous: 8/15 sherds (53%)Adrar Bous: 8/15 sherds (53%)
Total: 35/84 (42%) lipid-bearingTotal: 35/84 (42%) lipid-bearing
Results – Gogo FallsResults – Gogo Falls
10 20 30Time (min)
ISC FA18:0
C FA16:0
C FA15:0
C FA14:0
C FA18:1
C FA17:0
C17:0br
T52
Rel
ativ
e in
tens
ity
Triacylglycerols
Diacylglycerols
*** *T54
T50T48
T46D32D34D36
Fatty Acids
Results - LaikipiaResults - Laikipia
C FA16:0
C FA18:0
IS
Rel
ativ
e In
tens
ity
C FA1 7:0
C FA1 4:0
C FA15:0
C FA18:1
C17:0br
1 0 2 0 3 0
Time (min.)
Results - SirorResults - Siror
10 20 30Time (min)
IS
C FA18:0
C FA16:0
C FA17:0
C17:0br
Rel
ativ
e in
tens
ity Fatty Acids
Results – Adrar BousResults – Adrar Bous
10 20 30Time (min)
IS
C FA18:0
C FA16:0
Rel
ativ
e in
tens
ity Fatty Acids
Gogo Falls Sherd #08Gogo Falls Sherd #08
10 20 30Time (min)
ISC FA18:0
C FA16:0
Rel
ativ
e in
tens
ity Fatty Acids
C FA18:1
C FA20:1
C FA22:0
C FA20:0
Results: GC-C-IRMSResults: GC-C-IRMS
ConclusionsConclusions
42% of sherds were lipid-bearing42% of sherds were lipid-bearing Majority of lipids are animal fats, with Majority of lipids are animal fats, with
some plant waxessome plant waxes Source of lipids in one sherd (so far) Source of lipids in one sherd (so far)
may be aquatic fishmay be aquatic fish Source of CSource of C16:016:0 and C and C18:018:0 fatty acids fatty acids
may be non-ruminants (i.e. suids) may be non-ruminants (i.e. suids) with a high C4 dietwith a high C4 diet
Future WorkFuture Work
More sherds from various sites to be More sherds from various sites to be cleaned and extractedcleaned and extracted
GC-C-IRMS of fatty acids previously GC-C-IRMS of fatty acids previously recoveredrecovered
HTGC & GC-C-IRMS of reference fatsHTGC & GC-C-IRMS of reference fats
Base extraction of bound lipidsBase extraction of bound lipids
GC-MS of unknown compoundsGC-MS of unknown compounds
AcknowledgementsAcknowledgements
Richard EvershedRichard Evershed Robert BerstanRobert Berstan Kathleen Ryan, Karega-Munene, Kathleen Ryan, Karega-Munene,
Diane Gifford-Gonzalez, Darla DaleDiane Gifford-Gonzalez, Darla Dale Everyone in the Bristol OGUEveryone in the Bristol OGU This audience This audience
Questions?Questions?
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