title: First molecular and isotopic evidence of millet processing in prehistoric pottery vessels.
abstract: Analysis of organic residues in pottery vessels has been successful in detecting a range of animal and plant products as indicators of food preparation and consumption in the past. However, the identification of plant remains, especially grain crops in pottery, has proved elusive. Extending the spectrum is highly desirable, not only to strengthen our understanding of the dispersal of crops from centres of domestication but also to determine modes of food processing, artefact function and the culinary significance of the crop. Here, we propose a new approach to identify millet in pottery vessels, a crop that spread throughout much of Eurasia during prehistory following its domestication, most likely in northern China. We report the successful identification of miliacin (olean-18-en-3β-ol methyl ether), a pentacyclic triterpene methyl ether that is enriched in grains of common/broomcorn millet (Panicum miliaceum), in Bronze Age pottery vessels from the Korean Peninsula and northern Europe. The presence of millet is supported by enriched carbon stable isotope values of bulk charred organic matter sampled from pottery vessel surfaces and extracted n-alkanoic acids, consistent with a C4plant origin. These data represent the first identification of millet in archaeological ceramic vessels, providing a means to track the introduction, spread and consumption of this important crop.
authors.affiliation: Department of Archaeological Sciences, University of Bradford, Richmond Road, Bradford BD7 1DP, UK.
authors.forename: Carl
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Heron
authors.affiliation: BioArCh, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5DD, UK.
authors.forename: Shinya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shoda
authors.affiliation: Department of Archaeological Sciences, University of Bradford, Richmond Road, Bradford BD7 1DP, UK.
authors.forename: Adrià
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Breu Barcons
authors.affiliation: Instytut Prahistorii, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Wieniawskiego 1, 61-712 Poznań, Poland.
authors.forename: Janusz
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Czebreszuk
authors.affiliation: Center for Integrative Geosciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, 06269, USA.
authors.forename: Yvette
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Eley
authors.affiliation: Department of Archaeological Sciences, University of Bradford, Richmond Road, Bradford BD7 1DP, UK.
authors.forename: Marise
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gorton
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pre- and Protohistoric Archaeology, Johanna-Mestorf-Straße 2-6, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Kiel, Germany.
authors.forename: Wiebke
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Kirleis
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pre- and Protohistoric Archaeology, Johanna-Mestorf-Straße 2-6, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Kiel, Germany.
authors.forename: Jutta
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kneisel
authors.affiliation: BioArCh, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5DD, UK.
authors.forename: Alexandre
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lucquin
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pre- and Protohistoric Archaeology, Johanna-Mestorf-Straße 2-6, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Kiel, Germany.
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.affiliation: Niigata Prefectural Museum of History, Sekihara 1, Nagaoka, Niigata 940-2035, Japan.
authors.forename: Yastami
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nishida
authors.affiliation: Department of Archaeology and Art History, Korea University, 2511 Sechong-ro, Jochiweon-up, Sejong-si, 339-700, South Korea.
authors.forename: Joon-Ho
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Son
authors.affiliation: BioArCh, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5DD, UK.
authors.forename: Oliver E
authors.initials: OE
authors.lastname: Craig