Study of contents of ancient vessels

[guy]

 

Here is an interesting article describing studies to determine the contents of ancient containers from the Bronze Age Indus Valley civilization in modern-day Pakistan and northwest India, dated from 2600 to 2000 BCE.

 

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“Fatty molecules and microscopic remains from plants such as starch grains and phytoliths – silica structures deposited in many plant tissues – get embedded into vessels and can survive over long periods.”  In the new study, Suryanarayan and co-authors analysed such ‘leftovers’ in Copper and Bronze Age vessels – including pots, vases, goblets, jars, and platters – from today’s Gujarat, India.

“Our study is the first to combine starch grain and lipid residue analysis of ancient vessels in South Asia,” said Suryanarayan. “Our results show how the prehistoric people who made these vessels processed different foodstuffs and mixed them together, transforming them into meals.”

 

The findings can be used to further understand ancient trade routes: 

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In the vessels from Datrana, 99% of the starch grains were from grasses in the tribe Hordeeae, which includes wheat, barley, and rye and their wild relatives. But these aren’t native to Gujarat, which suggests that they were imported from other areas.

https://www.heritagedaily.com/2022/03/scientists-analyse-traces-of-ingredients-in-5300-to-4000-year-old-cooking-vessels/143098?amp

 

There was a previous thread about a similar analysis of the contents of a Roman cup that showed ambergris (called whale vomit):
 

 

 

A previous thread has shown the utility of assessing the contents of ancient Roman pottery. This study showed an ancient Roman flower pot was probably a chamber pot, instead.

 

 

Edited June 22 by guy