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?