The primary objective of the investigation of the handmade pottery from Oss-Ussen was the composition of a detailed type-chronology of the locally produced pottery, preferably applicable to a... Show moreThe primary objective of the investigation of the handmade pottery from Oss-Ussen was the composition of a detailed type-chronology of the locally produced pottery, preferably applicable to a wider area than the Maaskant region. On basis of pottery assemblages from pits, wells etc. fourteen pottery phases have been defined (A2-N). They cover almost a millennium, starting around the beginning of the Early Iron Age (800 BC). For sixteen variables, mainly concerning morphology and decoration, developments in type-frequencies are presented in diagrams. The secondary analysis of the technological characteristics of this local ware did not reveal any significant differences between fine and coarse ware, considering both clay texture and temper. Another secondary study has been devoted to a rather large group of non-local handmade pottery, coming from the western coastal zone, in most cases probably containing seasalt (briquetage vessels). Its provenance has been established by combining diatom analyses and morphological characteristics. Moreover, shifts in supply routes are indicated on basis of chemical analyses (XRF). These may partly explain the changes in morphological types found in settlement sites in the hinterland. Show less
This study is aimed at the molecular characterisation of solid organic (food) residues preserved in an assemblage of vessels recovered from an indigenous settlement dating back to the Iron Age and... Show moreThis study is aimed at the molecular characterisation of solid organic (food) residues preserved in an assemblage of vessels recovered from an indigenous settlement dating back to the Iron Age and Roman period at Uitgeest – Groot Dorregeest (The Netherlands). Analytical thermal-fragmentation techniques such as Curie-point pyrolysis Mass Spectrometry and Direct Temperature-resolved Mass Spectrometry gave information about a wide range of compound classes as diverse as lipids, waxes, polynuclear aromatic compounds, oligosaccharides, small peptides and protein fragments, and a variety of thermally stable (more or less condensed) polymeric char structures. Multivariate analysis identified different chemotypes: groups of residues with comparable chemical characteristics. The biomolecular origin of these chemotypes was identified by comparison with experimentally charred reference materials and the application of complementary analytical techniques such as FTIR and 13C CP/MAS NMR. The chemotypes A1 and A2 consist of charred residues identified as starch-rich foods (mixed with either animal or plant products), chemotype C consists of protein-rich charred animal products without starch, chemotype B contains smoke condensates from wood fires, and chemotype D consists of special protein-rich and lipid-free foods or non-food products. Although many molecular characteristics of the original foods have been lost as a result of extensive thermal degradation and interpretation remains limited to general food groups, the results give valuable direct evidence of ancient diet and vessel-use. Show less
