Chemistry of archaeological animal fats.
Animal fats are preserved at archaeological sites in association with unglazed pottery, human and animal remains, and other deposits or hoards. High-temperature gas chromatography (HT-GC) and combined HT-GC/mass spectrometry (HT-GC/MS) has confirmed the presence of animal fats in lipid extracts of artifacts. Degradation products and pathways have been discerned through the analyses of archaeological finds and the products of laboratory and field-based decay experiments. The origins of preserved fats have been determined through detailed compositional analysis of their component fatty acids by GC, by GC/MS of dimethyl disulfide derivatives of monoenoic components, and by GC-combustion-isotope ratio-MS (GC-C-IRMS), to derive diagenetically robust delta(13)C values. Regiospecific analysis of intact triacylglycerols by high-performance liquid chromatography/MS (HPLC/MS), with atmospheric pressure chemical ionization, provides a further criterion for establishing the origin of fats. Preparative GC has been employed to isolate individual fatty acids from archaeological pottery in sufficient amounts for (14)C dating.
Organic Geochemistry Unit, Biogeochemistry Research Centre, School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Cantock's Close, Bristol BS8 1TS, UK.
Richard P
RP
Evershed
Stephanie N
SN
Dudd
Mark S
MS
Copley
Robert
R
Berstan
Andrew W
AW
Stott
Hazel
H
Mottram
Stephen A
SA
Buckley
Zoe
Z
Crossman
D000818:Animals; D001106:Archaeology; D002849:Chromatography, Gas; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D005223:Fats / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry*; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry
D005223:Fats