Papers by Mélanie Roffet-Salque
In Megalityczny grobowiec kultury amfor kulistych z Kierzkowa. Milczący świadek kultu przodków z ... more In Megalityczny grobowiec kultury amfor kulistych z Kierzkowa. Milczący świadek kultu przodków z epoki kamienia / A Megalithic tomb of the Globular Amphora Culture from Kierzkowo in the Pałuki region - a silent witness of ancestor worship from the Stone Age. S. Nowaczyk, L. Pospieszny and I. Sobkowiak-Tabaka. Biskupin, Poland, Archaeological Museum in Biskupin.
Scientific Reports, 2017
Since their domestication in the Mediterranean zone of Southwest Asia in the eighth millennium BC... more Since their domestication in the Mediterranean zone of Southwest Asia in the eighth millennium BC, sheep, goats, pigs and cattle have been remarkably successful in colonizing a broad variety of environments. The initial steps in this process can be traced back to the dispersal of farming groups into the interior of the Balkans in the early sixth millennium BC, who were the first to introduce Mediterranean livestock beyond its natural climatic range. Here, we combine analysis of biomolecular and isotopic compositions of lipids preserved in prehistoric pottery with faunal analyses of taxonomic composition from the earliest farming sites in southeast Europe to reconstruct this pivotal event in the early history of animal husbandry. We observe a marked divergence between the (sub)Mediterranean and temperate regions of Southeast Europe, and in particular a significant increase of dairying in the biochemical record coupled with a shift to cattle and wild fauna at most sites north of the Balkan mountain range. The findings strongly suggest that dairying was crucial for the expansion of the earliest farming system beyond its native bioclimatic zone.
By Matlova, V., Roffet-Salque, M., Pavlu, I., Kyselka, J., Filip, V. and Evershed, R. P.
Archaeo... more By Matlova, V., Roffet-Salque, M., Pavlu, I., Kyselka, J., Filip, V. and Evershed, R. P.
Archaeological potsherds have become a valuable source of information about diet and the wider economies of ancient communities, especially through the analysis of lipids preserved in the microporous matrix of the ceramic vessels. This study investigated > 160 potsherds recovered from settlement phase 19 dated to 5160–5100 cal. BC from the Neolithic site of Bylany, one of the largest Linearbandkeramik (LBK) settlement in Central Europe. The aim was to investigate vessel use and animal management at the site and explore variations in organic residue composition and thus human activity at the household level. Pottery technology was also studied revealing a predominance of micro- and mesopores, indicating an advanced level of pottery production technology. > 70% of the analysed potsherds yielded appreciable amounts of lipids dominated by C16:0 and C18:0 fatty acids, with compound-specific carbon isotope compositions indicating origins predominantly from ruminant and non-ruminant animal fats. Detection of very long fatty acids, fatty alcohols and traces of terpene compounds originating from plants suggested a combination of meat- and plant-based diet components and specialised use of some vessels. However, evidence of the use of vessels for milk collection or processing was not detectable at Bylany, at least during the settlement phase investigated herein.
Regards croisés: quand les sciences archéologiques rencontrent l’innovation, edited by M. Balasse and P. Dillmann
In the absence of any direct evidence, the relative importance of meat and dairy productions to N... more In the absence of any direct evidence, the relative importance of meat and dairy productions to Neolithic prehistoric Mediterranean communities has been extensively debated. Here, we combine lipid residue analysis of ceramic vessels with osteo-archaeological age-at-death analysis from 82 northern Mediterranean and Near Eastern sites dating from the seventh to fifth millennia BC to address this question. The findings show variable intensities in dairy and nondairy activities in the Mediterranean region with the slaughter profiles of domesticated ruminants mirroring the results of the organic residue analyses. The finding of milk residues in very early Neolithic pottery (seventh millennium BC) from both the east and west of the region contrasts with much lower intensities in sites of northern Greece, where pig bones are present in higher frequencies compared with other locations. In this region, the slaughter profiles of all domesticated ruminants suggest meat production predominated. Overall, it appears that milk or the by-products of milk was an important foodstuff, which may have contributed significantly to the spread of these cultural groups by providing a nourishing and sustainable product for early farming communities.
Degraded animal fats, characterised by the presence of palmitic (C 16:0) and stearic (C 18:0) fat... more Degraded animal fats, characterised by the presence of palmitic (C 16:0) and stearic (C 18:0) fatty acids and related glycerolipids are the most common class of preserved lipids in organic residues trapped in the porous clay matrix of archaeological ceramic vessels. The ubiquitous presence of fatty acids in animal fats and plant oils precludes identification of fat types by the solely molecular composition of residues. Hence, animal fats are identified by determining their fatty acyl lipid distributions and stable carbon (δ 13 C) values allowing distinctions to be drawn between non-ruminant and ruminant, and dairy and ad-ipose fats. The Δ 13 C proxy (= δ 13 C 18:0-δ 13 C 16:0) originally proposed in the 1990s by Evershed and co-workers was based on modern reference fats sampled from animals raised in Britain on C 3 plant diets. Further analyses on adipose and dairy fats from ruminants grazing in a wide range of isoscapes have shown that the Δ 13 C proxy can be applied in mixed C 3 /C 4 environments, such as in Africa. Here we show, however, through the investigation of milk fats, how the Δ 13 C proxy can be perturbed when animals are reared on modern diets, specifically maize silage. It is thus shown that extreme care has to be taken when choosing modern reference fats for archaeological studies, and especially that insecurely sourced animal fats should be excluded from such databases.
Investigations of organic residues associated with archaeological pottery using modern analytical... more Investigations of organic residues associated with archaeological pottery using modern analytical chemical methods began in the 1970s. There was early recognition that the analysis of lipids (i.e. fats, waxes and resins) preserved in surface residues or the fabric of single pottery sherds, representative of single vessels, was a powerful method for defining pottery use at higher specificity. Subsequent developments saw a significant change of scale with studies usually involving lipid analyses of tens to hundreds of sherds per archaeological assemblage, providing information which extends beyond pottery use. The identification of animal and plant foodstuffs processed in pots lends insights into herding and farming; while trade in exotic organic goods can also be detected. Information about environment and climate can be derived from the isotopic composition of compounds detected in sherds, providing potentially novel avenues of investigation. The direct dating of lipids in pottery sherds is opening up new opportunities for building archaeological chronologies. The integration of lipid residue analyses with other environmental and cultural proxies in interdisciplinary projects is already providing unprecedented insights into past lifestyles from site to regional scales.
Roffet-Salque, M. and Evershed, R. P. (2015). Shifting pottery use and animal management at Kopyd... more Roffet-Salque, M. and Evershed, R. P. (2015). Shifting pottery use and animal management at Kopydłowo (Poland) traced through lipid residue analyses of pottery vessels. Kopydłowo, stanowisko 6. Osady neolityczne z pogranicza Kujaw i Wielkopolski. A. Marciniak, I. Sobkowiak-Tabaka, M. Bartkowiak and M. Lisowski. Pękowice-Poznań, Wydawnictwo Profil-Archeo: 133-142.
Lipid residue analysis of pottery vessels is an accepted complementary approach to traditional pottery studies. Lipids trapped in clay pores provide direct evidence of pottery use and give insights into foodstuffs processed in pots. The identification of animal-derived products, such as carcass and dairy products, gives information about aspects of animal management at archaeological sites. Herein are presented the results of the lipid residue analyses of 80 potsherds encompassing the LBK, LBPC and TRB periods at Kopydłowo. The results obtained demonstrate that: (i) ruminant carcass products were processed in pots during the LBK, LBPC and TRB periods; (ii) milk was processed using sieve vessels during the LBK most likely for the manufacture of cheese; (iii) milk was exploited extensively during the TRB being processed most extensively in beaker vessels.
by Alan Outram, Mélanie Roffet-Salque, Pascale Gerbault, Simona Mileto, Jessica Smyth, Lucija Soberl, Alfonso Alday, lotfi belhouchet, Mihael Budja, Gabriel Cooney, Miriam Cubas, Mariana Diniz, Cristina Fabbri, Jesus Gonzalez Urquijo, Daniela Hofmann, Isabel A . Hohle, James Mallory, Slavisa Peric, Olga S (Perić) Bajčev, Anne-Marie Pétrequin, Peter Stadler, Dushka Urem-Kotsou, Nenad Tasic, Sabine Wolfram, Jasna Vukovic, Pierre Pétrequin, Simone Mulazzani, Friedrich Lueth, Martin Mc Gonigle, Alasdair Whittle, and Lydia Zapata The pressures on honeybee (Apis mellifera) populations, resulting from threats by modern pesticid... more The pressures on honeybee (Apis mellifera) populations, resulting from threats by modern pesticides, parasites, predators and diseases, have raised awareness of the economic importance and critical role this insect plays in agricultural societies across the globe. However, the association of humans with A. mellifera predates post-industrial-revolution agriculture, as evidenced by the widespread presence of ancient Egyptian bee iconography dating to the Old Kingdom (approximately 2400 BC). There are also indications of Stone Age people harvesting bee products; for example, honey hunting is
interpreted from rock art in a prehistoric Holocene context and
a beeswax find in a pre-agriculturalist site. However, when and
where the regular association of A. mellifera with agriculturalists emerged is unknown. One of the major products of A. mellifera is beeswax, which is composed of a complex suite of lipids including n-alkanes, n-alkanoic acids and fatty acyl wax esters. The composition is highly constant as it is determined genetically through the insect’s biochemistry. Thus, the chemical ‘fingerprint’ of beeswax provides a reliable basis for detecting this commodity in organic residues preserved at archaeological sites, which we now use to trace the exploitation by humans of A. mellifera temporally and spatially. Here we present secure identifications of beeswax in lipid residues preserved in pottery vessels of Neolithic Old World farmers. The geographical range of bee product exploitation is traced in Neolithic Europe, the Near East and North Africa, providing the palaeoecological range of honeybees during prehistory. Temporally, we demonstrate that bee products were
exploited continuously, and probably extensively in some regions, at least from the seventh millennium cal BC, likely fulfilling a variety of technological and cultural functions. The close association of A. mellifera with Neolithic farming communities dates to the early onset of agriculture and may provide evidence for the beginnings of a domestication process.
Authors: Roffet-Salque, M., Regert, M., Evershed, R. P., Outram, A. K., Cramp, L. J. E., Decavallas, O., Dunne, J., Gerbault, P., Mileto, S., Mirabaud, S., Pääkkönen, M., Smyth, J., Šoberl, L., Whelton, H. L., Alday-Ruiz, A., Asplund, H., Bartkowiak, M., Bayer-Niemeier, E., Belhouchet, L., Bernardini, F., Budja, M., Cooney, G., Cubas, M., Danaher, E. M., Diniz, M., Domboróczki, L., Fabbri, C., González-Urquijo, J. E., Guilaine, J., Hachi, S., Hartwell, B. N., Hofmann, D., Hohle, I., Ibáñez, J. J., Karul, N., Kherbouche, F., Kiely, J., Kotsakis, K., Lueth, F., Mallory, J. P., Manen, C., Marciniak, A., Maurice-Chabard, B., Mc Gonigle, M. A., Mulazzani, S., Özdoğan, M., Perić, O. S., Perić, S. R., Petrasch, J., Pétrequin, A.-M., Pétrequin, P., Poensgen, U., Pollard, C. J., Poplin, F., Radi, G., Stadler, P., Stäuble, H., Tasić, N., Urem-Kotsou, D., Vuković, J. B., Walsh, F., Whittle, A., Wolfram, S., Zapata-Peña, L. and Zoughlami, J.
Abstract:
Late Neolithic settlements dating to around 7000 cal. BC are widespread in Upper Mesop... more Abstract:
Late Neolithic settlements dating to around 7000 cal. BC are widespread in Upper Mesopotamia, however, the site of Tell Sabi Abyad is unique in the scale and quality of excavation, revealing an extensive architecture, huge numbers of domesticated animal bones, stone tools and potsherds. A previous study reported lipid residues in nearly 300 potsherds as part of a wider investigation of the origins of dairying in the Near East and Southeastern Europe. The aim of this paper is to interpret the organic residue findings in more detail, addressing such factors as the association of lipids in pottery with particular phases, ware types, and the faunal record. Overall, the recovery rate of lipids in sherds is low (14 % of the sherds investigated in this study yielded detectable lipids) and the mean lipid concentration for sherds containing lipids is ca. 82 µg g-1. These results are typical of sites from this period and general region (southern Mediterranean and Near East). Our interpretations indicate: (i) the use of specific ceramic categories of vessel for “cooking”, (ii) clear evidence of the extensive heating of vessels is deduced from the presence of ketones, formed from the condensation of fatty acids, in some vessels, (iii) strong differences in recovery rates possibly reflecting differences in use between different pottery types, (iv) in particular the Dark Faced Burnished Ware (DFBW) contained the highest frequency of residues (46 % yielded detectable lipids), (v) degraded animal fats were detectable, as evidenced by fatty acids with C18:0 in high abundance and in few cases tri-, di- and monoacylglycerols, (vi) the presence of abundant carcass fats is consistent with interpretations based on faunal assemblage of extensive meat exploitation, and (vii) four vessels dated to 6,400 to 5,900 cal BC yielded milk fat residues.
Lactase is the enzyme that breaks down the milk sugar lactose,
and in most mammals, including mo... more Lactase is the enzyme that breaks down the milk sugar lactose,
and in most mammals, including most humans, lactase
activity is down-regulated after the weaning period is completed.
However, in about 35% of adults worldwide, lactase
continues to be expressed throughout adulthood, a feature
termed lactase persistence (LP). Genetic evidence indicates
that LP is a recent human adaptation, and its current geographic
distribution correlates with the relative historical
importance of dairying in different human populations. Investigating
archaeological evidence for fresh milk consumption has
proved crucial in building an account of the joint evolution of
LP and dairying. A powerful technique for investigating food
processing, including milk processing, in ancient populations
is lipid residue analysis on archaeological pottery. We review
here the archaeological and genetic evidence available that
have contributed to a better understanding of the gene-culture
co-evolution of LP and dairying.
The introduction of dairying was a critical step in early agriculture, with milk products being r... more The introduction of dairying was a critical step in early agriculture, with milk products being rapidly adopted as a major component of the diets of prehistoric farmers and pottery-using late hunter-gatherers. The processing of milk, particularly the production of cheese, would have been a critical development because it not only allowed the preservation of milk products in a non-perishable and transportable form, but also it made milk a more digestible commodity for early prehistoric farmers. The finding of abundant milk residues in pottery vessels from seventh millennium sites from north-western Anatolia provided the earliest evidence of milk processing, although the exact practice could not be explicitly defined. Notably, the discovery of potsherds pierced with small holes appear at early Neolithic sites in temperate Europe in the sixth millennium bc and have been interpreted typologically as ‘cheese-strainers’, although a direct association with milk processing has not yet been demonstrated. Organic residues preserved in pottery vessels have provided direct evidence for early milk use in the Neolithic period in the Near East and south-eastern Europe, north Africa, Denmark and the British Isles, based on the δ13C and Δ13C values of the major fatty acids in milk. Here we apply the same approach to investigate the function of sieves/strainer vessels, providing direct chemical evidence for their use in milk processing. The presence of abundant milk fat in these specialized vessels, comparable in form to modern cheese strainers, provides compelling evidence for the vessels having being used to separate fat-rich milk curds from the lactose-containing whey. This new evidence emphasizes the importance of pottery vessels in processing dairy products, particularly in the manufacture of reduced-lactose milk products among lactose-intolerant prehistoric farming communities.
In the prehistoric green Sahara of Holocene North Africa—in contrast to the Neolithic of Europe a... more In the prehistoric green Sahara of Holocene North Africa—in contrast to the Neolithic of Europe and Eurasia—a reliance on cattle, sheep and goats emerged as a stable and widespread way of life, long before the first evidence for domesticated plants or settled village farming communities. The remarkable rock art found widely across the region depicts cattle herding among early Saharan pastoral groups, and includes rare scenes of milking; however, these images can rarely be reliably dated. Although the faunal evidence provides further confirmation of the importance of cattle and other domesticates, the scarcity of cattle bones makes it impossible to ascertain herd structures via kill-off patterns, thereby precluding interpretations of whether dairying was practiced. Because pottery production begins early in northern Africa the potential exists to investigate diet and subsistence practices using molecular and isotopic analyses of absorbed food residues. This approach has been successful in determining the chronology of dairying beginning in the ‘Fertile Crescent’ of the Near East and its spread across Europe. Here we report the first unequivocal chemical evidence, based on the δ13C and Δ13C values of the major alkanoic acids of milk fat, for the adoption of dairying practices by prehistoric Saharan African people in the fifth millennium BC. Interpretations are supported by a new database of modern ruminant animal fats collected from Africa. These findings confirm the importance of ‘lifetime products’, such as milk, in early Saharan pastoralism, and provide an evolutionary context for the emergence of lactase persistence in Africa.
Analyses of organic residues preserved in ceramic potsherds enable the identification of foodstu... more Analyses of organic residues preserved in ceramic potsherds enable the identification of foodstuffs processed in rchaeological vessels. Differences in the isotopic composition of fatty acids allow differentiation of non-ruminant and ruminant fats, as well as adipose and dairy fats. This paper investigates the trends in milk use in areas where sheep and goats are dominant in the faunal assemblage and in some sites from the inearbandkeramik culture. Sites include: Colle Santo Stefano, Abruzzo, Italy, and the Oldest to Young Linearbandkeramik sites of Zwenkau, Eythra and Brodau, Saxony, and Wang and Niederhummel, Bavaria, Germany. More than 160 potsherds were investigated including cooking pots, bowls, jars, and ceramic sieves. The lipid residues presented provide direct evidence for the processing of ruminant and non-ruminant commodities at Zwenkau and Eythra, despite the absence of faunal remains at the sites. No dairy residues were detected in potsherds from LBK sites, except in a ceramic sieve at Brodau. Lipids from non-ruminant and ruminant fats, including from dairy fats, were detected at the site of Colle Santo Stefano showing a reliance on dairy products during the first half of the sixth millennium at this site; where sheep and goats were the major domestic animals.
E arly Neolithic archaeological sites are characterized by finds of pottery and faunal remains th... more E arly Neolithic archaeological sites are characterized by finds of pottery and faunal remains that reflect the emergence of agriculture and the development of ceramic technologies.
Down on the farm, 10 000 years ago An archaeologist investigates dairying Mélanie Salque Key word... more Down on the farm, 10 000 years ago An archaeologist investigates dairying Mélanie Salque Key words farming fatty acids lipids isotopes To find out about how people lived in the past, archaeologists look at the items (called artefacts) these cultures left behind. Using chemical analysis of residues in the artefacts an enormous amount of additional information can be gleaned. In this article, Mélanie Salque of Bristol University describes how she investigates early dairy farming.
Conference Presentations by Mélanie Roffet-Salque
This interdisciplinary session will examine the introduction and spread of cattle-based agricultu... more This interdisciplinary session will examine the introduction and spread of cattle-based agriculture by the Neolithic farmers of Central Europe and its implications for modelling the Neolithisation of Northern and Central Europe beginning in the 6th millennium BC. This revolutionary shift in human subsistence strategy reshaped prehistoric European culture, biology and economy, in ways that underlie modern life worldwide.
The session aims to bring together biomolecular, isotopic and morphological studies of faunal, human and other archaeological remains to investigate herding practices. The impact of the introduction of dairying, detectable from organic residues in ceramics and the faunal skeletal-based proxies, into the Neolithic diet on the health and biology of Neolithic humans will also be examined.
The session will provide comprehensive assessments of the ways the first farmers of Central Europe managed and exploited their domesticated animals. Papers from the session will highlight the changing roles of domesticated animals in the diets, economies and evolutionary genetics of Neolithic communities in Central Europe.
We welcome papers on all aspects of the spread of cattle-based agriculture in Central Europe, asking the contributors to emphasise the role(s) and impacts of domesticated animal-based economies on the lives of Neolithic farmers.
Traditionally, pottery use has been discussed through morphotypological characteristics and mecha... more Traditionally, pottery use has been discussed through morphotypological characteristics and mechanic properties of the vessels (Rice 1987) but amorphous organic residues analysis has also greatly contributed to understand exploitation of natural resources during the Holocene (Evershed 2008). Nevertheless these methodologies are rarely combined due to the high fragmentation of pottery and to the impossibility to link ceramic content with specific shape. At the site of Clairvaux XIV (Middle Neolithic, NMB - 39e-37e century BC), the large and diversified corpus of ceramic vessels (377 vessels with restituted profiles) combined to anoxic condition favoring lipids preservation offers a unique opportunity to investigate the use of pottery to better understand lake dwelling Neolithic society (Pétrequin et Pétrequin 2015).
The corpus was first classified based on morphological and morphometric criteria. Chemical analysis of the lipids preserved into pottery walls or into carbonized surface residues were then carried out using an analytical strategy combining chromatographic (HT GC), spectrometric (HT GC-MS, NanoESI MS and MS/MS – Mirabaud et al. 2007) and isotopic (GC-C-IRMS) techniques.
The data obtained on 95 pottery conducted to: (i) the identification of a broad diversity of commodities processed in the vessels, mainly from animal origin; (ii) the establishment of clear relationships between content, traces of cooking, shape and volumes of the vessels.
This study highlights some characteristic consumption pattern of the Neolithic people living at Clairvaux XIV in the first half of 4th millennium BC. First, a clear difference is observed between cooking pots and serving vessels. Dairy substances were significantly used in all category of ceramics but small individual vessels seem to be especially dedicated to the consumption or transformation of these high value products. The surprising low representation of fish and vegetable products may be due to the low fat-content of cereals and to the fact that lake resources were prepared and consumed without using ceramics (grilled, dried etc.). Non-food products as beeswax and birch bark tar were also detected in some pottery.
From the results of our work, we suggest that (i) depending on the commodity, it existed a large variety of transformation and consumption usages on this site, and (ii) dairy products possessed a particular status. These complex culinary customs carried out at Clairvaux XIV and highlighted by our integrative approach will be compared with data from other archaeological sites in order to build an overview of food practices in lacustrine Middle Neolithic societies.
Evershed, R. P. (2008). "Organic residue analysis in archaeology: the archaeological biomarker revolution." Archaeometry 50: 895-924.
Mirabaud, S., et al. (2007). "Molecular criteria for discriminating adipose fat and milk from different species by NanoESl MS and MS/MS of their triacylglycerols: Application to archaeological remains." Analytical Chemistry 79(16): 6182-6192.
Pétrequin P. & Pétrequin A.M. (ed.), 2015.- Clairvaux et le « Néolithique Moyen Bourguignon ». Cahiers de la MSHE C.N. Ledoux, Besançon, Presses Universitaires de Franche-Comté et Centre de Recherche Archéologique de la Vallée de l’Ain, 2 vol., 1430 p.
Rice, P. M. (1987). Vessel function: Form, Technology, and use. Pottery Function, a source book: 207-243
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Papers by Mélanie Roffet-Salque
Archaeological potsherds have become a valuable source of information about diet and the wider economies of ancient communities, especially through the analysis of lipids preserved in the microporous matrix of the ceramic vessels. This study investigated > 160 potsherds recovered from settlement phase 19 dated to 5160–5100 cal. BC from the Neolithic site of Bylany, one of the largest Linearbandkeramik (LBK) settlement in Central Europe. The aim was to investigate vessel use and animal management at the site and explore variations in organic residue composition and thus human activity at the household level. Pottery technology was also studied revealing a predominance of micro- and mesopores, indicating an advanced level of pottery production technology. > 70% of the analysed potsherds yielded appreciable amounts of lipids dominated by C16:0 and C18:0 fatty acids, with compound-specific carbon isotope compositions indicating origins predominantly from ruminant and non-ruminant animal fats. Detection of very long fatty acids, fatty alcohols and traces of terpene compounds originating from plants suggested a combination of meat- and plant-based diet components and specialised use of some vessels. However, evidence of the use of vessels for milk collection or processing was not detectable at Bylany, at least during the settlement phase investigated herein.
Lipid residue analysis of pottery vessels is an accepted complementary approach to traditional pottery studies. Lipids trapped in clay pores provide direct evidence of pottery use and give insights into foodstuffs processed in pots. The identification of animal-derived products, such as carcass and dairy products, gives information about aspects of animal management at archaeological sites. Herein are presented the results of the lipid residue analyses of 80 potsherds encompassing the LBK, LBPC and TRB periods at Kopydłowo. The results obtained demonstrate that: (i) ruminant carcass products were processed in pots during the LBK, LBPC and TRB periods; (ii) milk was processed using sieve vessels during the LBK most likely for the manufacture of cheese; (iii) milk was exploited extensively during the TRB being processed most extensively in beaker vessels.
interpreted from rock art in a prehistoric Holocene context and
a beeswax find in a pre-agriculturalist site. However, when and
where the regular association of A. mellifera with agriculturalists emerged is unknown. One of the major products of A. mellifera is beeswax, which is composed of a complex suite of lipids including n-alkanes, n-alkanoic acids and fatty acyl wax esters. The composition is highly constant as it is determined genetically through the insect’s biochemistry. Thus, the chemical ‘fingerprint’ of beeswax provides a reliable basis for detecting this commodity in organic residues preserved at archaeological sites, which we now use to trace the exploitation by humans of A. mellifera temporally and spatially. Here we present secure identifications of beeswax in lipid residues preserved in pottery vessels of Neolithic Old World farmers. The geographical range of bee product exploitation is traced in Neolithic Europe, the Near East and North Africa, providing the palaeoecological range of honeybees during prehistory. Temporally, we demonstrate that bee products were
exploited continuously, and probably extensively in some regions, at least from the seventh millennium cal BC, likely fulfilling a variety of technological and cultural functions. The close association of A. mellifera with Neolithic farming communities dates to the early onset of agriculture and may provide evidence for the beginnings of a domestication process.
Authors: Roffet-Salque, M., Regert, M., Evershed, R. P., Outram, A. K., Cramp, L. J. E., Decavallas, O., Dunne, J., Gerbault, P., Mileto, S., Mirabaud, S., Pääkkönen, M., Smyth, J., Šoberl, L., Whelton, H. L., Alday-Ruiz, A., Asplund, H., Bartkowiak, M., Bayer-Niemeier, E., Belhouchet, L., Bernardini, F., Budja, M., Cooney, G., Cubas, M., Danaher, E. M., Diniz, M., Domboróczki, L., Fabbri, C., González-Urquijo, J. E., Guilaine, J., Hachi, S., Hartwell, B. N., Hofmann, D., Hohle, I., Ibáñez, J. J., Karul, N., Kherbouche, F., Kiely, J., Kotsakis, K., Lueth, F., Mallory, J. P., Manen, C., Marciniak, A., Maurice-Chabard, B., Mc Gonigle, M. A., Mulazzani, S., Özdoğan, M., Perić, O. S., Perić, S. R., Petrasch, J., Pétrequin, A.-M., Pétrequin, P., Poensgen, U., Pollard, C. J., Poplin, F., Radi, G., Stadler, P., Stäuble, H., Tasić, N., Urem-Kotsou, D., Vuković, J. B., Walsh, F., Whittle, A., Wolfram, S., Zapata-Peña, L. and Zoughlami, J.
Late Neolithic settlements dating to around 7000 cal. BC are widespread in Upper Mesopotamia, however, the site of Tell Sabi Abyad is unique in the scale and quality of excavation, revealing an extensive architecture, huge numbers of domesticated animal bones, stone tools and potsherds. A previous study reported lipid residues in nearly 300 potsherds as part of a wider investigation of the origins of dairying in the Near East and Southeastern Europe. The aim of this paper is to interpret the organic residue findings in more detail, addressing such factors as the association of lipids in pottery with particular phases, ware types, and the faunal record. Overall, the recovery rate of lipids in sherds is low (14 % of the sherds investigated in this study yielded detectable lipids) and the mean lipid concentration for sherds containing lipids is ca. 82 µg g-1. These results are typical of sites from this period and general region (southern Mediterranean and Near East). Our interpretations indicate: (i) the use of specific ceramic categories of vessel for “cooking”, (ii) clear evidence of the extensive heating of vessels is deduced from the presence of ketones, formed from the condensation of fatty acids, in some vessels, (iii) strong differences in recovery rates possibly reflecting differences in use between different pottery types, (iv) in particular the Dark Faced Burnished Ware (DFBW) contained the highest frequency of residues (46 % yielded detectable lipids), (v) degraded animal fats were detectable, as evidenced by fatty acids with C18:0 in high abundance and in few cases tri-, di- and monoacylglycerols, (vi) the presence of abundant carcass fats is consistent with interpretations based on faunal assemblage of extensive meat exploitation, and (vii) four vessels dated to 6,400 to 5,900 cal BC yielded milk fat residues.
and in most mammals, including most humans, lactase
activity is down-regulated after the weaning period is completed.
However, in about 35% of adults worldwide, lactase
continues to be expressed throughout adulthood, a feature
termed lactase persistence (LP). Genetic evidence indicates
that LP is a recent human adaptation, and its current geographic
distribution correlates with the relative historical
importance of dairying in different human populations. Investigating
archaeological evidence for fresh milk consumption has
proved crucial in building an account of the joint evolution of
LP and dairying. A powerful technique for investigating food
processing, including milk processing, in ancient populations
is lipid residue analysis on archaeological pottery. We review
here the archaeological and genetic evidence available that
have contributed to a better understanding of the gene-culture
co-evolution of LP and dairying.
Conference Presentations by Mélanie Roffet-Salque
The session aims to bring together biomolecular, isotopic and morphological studies of faunal, human and other archaeological remains to investigate herding practices. The impact of the introduction of dairying, detectable from organic residues in ceramics and the faunal skeletal-based proxies, into the Neolithic diet on the health and biology of Neolithic humans will also be examined.
The session will provide comprehensive assessments of the ways the first farmers of Central Europe managed and exploited their domesticated animals. Papers from the session will highlight the changing roles of domesticated animals in the diets, economies and evolutionary genetics of Neolithic communities in Central Europe.
We welcome papers on all aspects of the spread of cattle-based agriculture in Central Europe, asking the contributors to emphasise the role(s) and impacts of domesticated animal-based economies on the lives of Neolithic farmers.
The corpus was first classified based on morphological and morphometric criteria. Chemical analysis of the lipids preserved into pottery walls or into carbonized surface residues were then carried out using an analytical strategy combining chromatographic (HT GC), spectrometric (HT GC-MS, NanoESI MS and MS/MS – Mirabaud et al. 2007) and isotopic (GC-C-IRMS) techniques.
The data obtained on 95 pottery conducted to: (i) the identification of a broad diversity of commodities processed in the vessels, mainly from animal origin; (ii) the establishment of clear relationships between content, traces of cooking, shape and volumes of the vessels.
This study highlights some characteristic consumption pattern of the Neolithic people living at Clairvaux XIV in the first half of 4th millennium BC. First, a clear difference is observed between cooking pots and serving vessels. Dairy substances were significantly used in all category of ceramics but small individual vessels seem to be especially dedicated to the consumption or transformation of these high value products. The surprising low representation of fish and vegetable products may be due to the low fat-content of cereals and to the fact that lake resources were prepared and consumed without using ceramics (grilled, dried etc.). Non-food products as beeswax and birch bark tar were also detected in some pottery.
From the results of our work, we suggest that (i) depending on the commodity, it existed a large variety of transformation and consumption usages on this site, and (ii) dairy products possessed a particular status. These complex culinary customs carried out at Clairvaux XIV and highlighted by our integrative approach will be compared with data from other archaeological sites in order to build an overview of food practices in lacustrine Middle Neolithic societies.
Evershed, R. P. (2008). "Organic residue analysis in archaeology: the archaeological biomarker revolution." Archaeometry 50: 895-924.
Mirabaud, S., et al. (2007). "Molecular criteria for discriminating adipose fat and milk from different species by NanoESl MS and MS/MS of their triacylglycerols: Application to archaeological remains." Analytical Chemistry 79(16): 6182-6192.
Pétrequin P. & Pétrequin A.M. (ed.), 2015.- Clairvaux et le « Néolithique Moyen Bourguignon ». Cahiers de la MSHE C.N. Ledoux, Besançon, Presses Universitaires de Franche-Comté et Centre de Recherche Archéologique de la Vallée de l’Ain, 2 vol., 1430 p.
Rice, P. M. (1987). Vessel function: Form, Technology, and use. Pottery Function, a source book: 207-243
Archaeological potsherds have become a valuable source of information about diet and the wider economies of ancient communities, especially through the analysis of lipids preserved in the microporous matrix of the ceramic vessels. This study investigated > 160 potsherds recovered from settlement phase 19 dated to 5160–5100 cal. BC from the Neolithic site of Bylany, one of the largest Linearbandkeramik (LBK) settlement in Central Europe. The aim was to investigate vessel use and animal management at the site and explore variations in organic residue composition and thus human activity at the household level. Pottery technology was also studied revealing a predominance of micro- and mesopores, indicating an advanced level of pottery production technology. > 70% of the analysed potsherds yielded appreciable amounts of lipids dominated by C16:0 and C18:0 fatty acids, with compound-specific carbon isotope compositions indicating origins predominantly from ruminant and non-ruminant animal fats. Detection of very long fatty acids, fatty alcohols and traces of terpene compounds originating from plants suggested a combination of meat- and plant-based diet components and specialised use of some vessels. However, evidence of the use of vessels for milk collection or processing was not detectable at Bylany, at least during the settlement phase investigated herein.
Lipid residue analysis of pottery vessels is an accepted complementary approach to traditional pottery studies. Lipids trapped in clay pores provide direct evidence of pottery use and give insights into foodstuffs processed in pots. The identification of animal-derived products, such as carcass and dairy products, gives information about aspects of animal management at archaeological sites. Herein are presented the results of the lipid residue analyses of 80 potsherds encompassing the LBK, LBPC and TRB periods at Kopydłowo. The results obtained demonstrate that: (i) ruminant carcass products were processed in pots during the LBK, LBPC and TRB periods; (ii) milk was processed using sieve vessels during the LBK most likely for the manufacture of cheese; (iii) milk was exploited extensively during the TRB being processed most extensively in beaker vessels.
interpreted from rock art in a prehistoric Holocene context and
a beeswax find in a pre-agriculturalist site. However, when and
where the regular association of A. mellifera with agriculturalists emerged is unknown. One of the major products of A. mellifera is beeswax, which is composed of a complex suite of lipids including n-alkanes, n-alkanoic acids and fatty acyl wax esters. The composition is highly constant as it is determined genetically through the insect’s biochemistry. Thus, the chemical ‘fingerprint’ of beeswax provides a reliable basis for detecting this commodity in organic residues preserved at archaeological sites, which we now use to trace the exploitation by humans of A. mellifera temporally and spatially. Here we present secure identifications of beeswax in lipid residues preserved in pottery vessels of Neolithic Old World farmers. The geographical range of bee product exploitation is traced in Neolithic Europe, the Near East and North Africa, providing the palaeoecological range of honeybees during prehistory. Temporally, we demonstrate that bee products were
exploited continuously, and probably extensively in some regions, at least from the seventh millennium cal BC, likely fulfilling a variety of technological and cultural functions. The close association of A. mellifera with Neolithic farming communities dates to the early onset of agriculture and may provide evidence for the beginnings of a domestication process.
Authors: Roffet-Salque, M., Regert, M., Evershed, R. P., Outram, A. K., Cramp, L. J. E., Decavallas, O., Dunne, J., Gerbault, P., Mileto, S., Mirabaud, S., Pääkkönen, M., Smyth, J., Šoberl, L., Whelton, H. L., Alday-Ruiz, A., Asplund, H., Bartkowiak, M., Bayer-Niemeier, E., Belhouchet, L., Bernardini, F., Budja, M., Cooney, G., Cubas, M., Danaher, E. M., Diniz, M., Domboróczki, L., Fabbri, C., González-Urquijo, J. E., Guilaine, J., Hachi, S., Hartwell, B. N., Hofmann, D., Hohle, I., Ibáñez, J. J., Karul, N., Kherbouche, F., Kiely, J., Kotsakis, K., Lueth, F., Mallory, J. P., Manen, C., Marciniak, A., Maurice-Chabard, B., Mc Gonigle, M. A., Mulazzani, S., Özdoğan, M., Perić, O. S., Perić, S. R., Petrasch, J., Pétrequin, A.-M., Pétrequin, P., Poensgen, U., Pollard, C. J., Poplin, F., Radi, G., Stadler, P., Stäuble, H., Tasić, N., Urem-Kotsou, D., Vuković, J. B., Walsh, F., Whittle, A., Wolfram, S., Zapata-Peña, L. and Zoughlami, J.
Late Neolithic settlements dating to around 7000 cal. BC are widespread in Upper Mesopotamia, however, the site of Tell Sabi Abyad is unique in the scale and quality of excavation, revealing an extensive architecture, huge numbers of domesticated animal bones, stone tools and potsherds. A previous study reported lipid residues in nearly 300 potsherds as part of a wider investigation of the origins of dairying in the Near East and Southeastern Europe. The aim of this paper is to interpret the organic residue findings in more detail, addressing such factors as the association of lipids in pottery with particular phases, ware types, and the faunal record. Overall, the recovery rate of lipids in sherds is low (14 % of the sherds investigated in this study yielded detectable lipids) and the mean lipid concentration for sherds containing lipids is ca. 82 µg g-1. These results are typical of sites from this period and general region (southern Mediterranean and Near East). Our interpretations indicate: (i) the use of specific ceramic categories of vessel for “cooking”, (ii) clear evidence of the extensive heating of vessels is deduced from the presence of ketones, formed from the condensation of fatty acids, in some vessels, (iii) strong differences in recovery rates possibly reflecting differences in use between different pottery types, (iv) in particular the Dark Faced Burnished Ware (DFBW) contained the highest frequency of residues (46 % yielded detectable lipids), (v) degraded animal fats were detectable, as evidenced by fatty acids with C18:0 in high abundance and in few cases tri-, di- and monoacylglycerols, (vi) the presence of abundant carcass fats is consistent with interpretations based on faunal assemblage of extensive meat exploitation, and (vii) four vessels dated to 6,400 to 5,900 cal BC yielded milk fat residues.
and in most mammals, including most humans, lactase
activity is down-regulated after the weaning period is completed.
However, in about 35% of adults worldwide, lactase
continues to be expressed throughout adulthood, a feature
termed lactase persistence (LP). Genetic evidence indicates
that LP is a recent human adaptation, and its current geographic
distribution correlates with the relative historical
importance of dairying in different human populations. Investigating
archaeological evidence for fresh milk consumption has
proved crucial in building an account of the joint evolution of
LP and dairying. A powerful technique for investigating food
processing, including milk processing, in ancient populations
is lipid residue analysis on archaeological pottery. We review
here the archaeological and genetic evidence available that
have contributed to a better understanding of the gene-culture
co-evolution of LP and dairying.
The session aims to bring together biomolecular, isotopic and morphological studies of faunal, human and other archaeological remains to investigate herding practices. The impact of the introduction of dairying, detectable from organic residues in ceramics and the faunal skeletal-based proxies, into the Neolithic diet on the health and biology of Neolithic humans will also be examined.
The session will provide comprehensive assessments of the ways the first farmers of Central Europe managed and exploited their domesticated animals. Papers from the session will highlight the changing roles of domesticated animals in the diets, economies and evolutionary genetics of Neolithic communities in Central Europe.
We welcome papers on all aspects of the spread of cattle-based agriculture in Central Europe, asking the contributors to emphasise the role(s) and impacts of domesticated animal-based economies on the lives of Neolithic farmers.
The corpus was first classified based on morphological and morphometric criteria. Chemical analysis of the lipids preserved into pottery walls or into carbonized surface residues were then carried out using an analytical strategy combining chromatographic (HT GC), spectrometric (HT GC-MS, NanoESI MS and MS/MS – Mirabaud et al. 2007) and isotopic (GC-C-IRMS) techniques.
The data obtained on 95 pottery conducted to: (i) the identification of a broad diversity of commodities processed in the vessels, mainly from animal origin; (ii) the establishment of clear relationships between content, traces of cooking, shape and volumes of the vessels.
This study highlights some characteristic consumption pattern of the Neolithic people living at Clairvaux XIV in the first half of 4th millennium BC. First, a clear difference is observed between cooking pots and serving vessels. Dairy substances were significantly used in all category of ceramics but small individual vessels seem to be especially dedicated to the consumption or transformation of these high value products. The surprising low representation of fish and vegetable products may be due to the low fat-content of cereals and to the fact that lake resources were prepared and consumed without using ceramics (grilled, dried etc.). Non-food products as beeswax and birch bark tar were also detected in some pottery.
From the results of our work, we suggest that (i) depending on the commodity, it existed a large variety of transformation and consumption usages on this site, and (ii) dairy products possessed a particular status. These complex culinary customs carried out at Clairvaux XIV and highlighted by our integrative approach will be compared with data from other archaeological sites in order to build an overview of food practices in lacustrine Middle Neolithic societies.
Evershed, R. P. (2008). "Organic residue analysis in archaeology: the archaeological biomarker revolution." Archaeometry 50: 895-924.
Mirabaud, S., et al. (2007). "Molecular criteria for discriminating adipose fat and milk from different species by NanoESl MS and MS/MS of their triacylglycerols: Application to archaeological remains." Analytical Chemistry 79(16): 6182-6192.
Pétrequin P. & Pétrequin A.M. (ed.), 2015.- Clairvaux et le « Néolithique Moyen Bourguignon ». Cahiers de la MSHE C.N. Ledoux, Besançon, Presses Universitaires de Franche-Comté et Centre de Recherche Archéologique de la Vallée de l’Ain, 2 vol., 1430 p.
Rice, P. M. (1987). Vessel function: Form, Technology, and use. Pottery Function, a source book: 207-243