Ancient proteins from ceramic vessels at Çatalhöyük West reveal the hidden cuisine of early farmers

TY - JOUR

T1 - Ancient proteins from ceramic vessels at Çatalhöyük West reveal the hidden cuisine of early farmers

AU - Hendy, Jessica Ruth

AU - Colonese, Andre Carlo

AU - Franz, Ingmar

AU - Fernandes, Ricardo

AU - Fischer, Roman

AU - Orton, David Clive

AU - Lucquin, Alexandre Jules Andre

AU - Spindler, Luke

AU - Anvari, Jana

AU - Stroud, Elizabeth

AU - Biehl, Peter

AU - Speller, Camilla Filomena

AU - Boivin, Nicole

AU - Mackie, Meaghan

AU - Rakownikow Jersie-Christensen, Rosa

AU - Olsen, Jesper V

AU - Collins, Matthew James

AU - Craig, Oliver Edward

AU - Rosenstock, Eva

N1 - © The Author(s) 2018.

PY - 2018/10/3

Y1 - 2018/10/3

N2 - The analysis of lipids (fats, oils and waxes) absorbed within archaeological pottery has revolutionized the study of past dietary diets and culinary practices. However, this technique can lack taxonomic and tissue specificity and is often unable to disentangle signatures resulting from the mixing of different food products. Here, we extract ancient proteins from ceramic vessels from the West Mound of the key early farming site of Çatalhöyük in Anatolia, revealing that this community processed mixes of cereals, pulses, dairy and meat products, and that particular vessels may have been reserved for specialized foods (e.g., cow milk and milk whey). Moreover, we demonstrate that dietary proteins can persist on archaeological artefacts for at least 8000 years, and that this approach can reveal past culinary practices with more taxonomic and tissue-specific clarity than has been possible with previous bio-molecular techniques.

AB - The analysis of lipids (fats, oils and waxes) absorbed within archaeological pottery has revolutionized the study of past dietary diets and culinary practices. However, this technique can lack taxonomic and tissue specificity and is often unable to disentangle signatures resulting from the mixing of different food products. Here, we extract ancient proteins from ceramic vessels from the West Mound of the key early farming site of Çatalhöyük in Anatolia, revealing that this community processed mixes of cereals, pulses, dairy and meat products, and that particular vessels may have been reserved for specialized foods (e.g., cow milk and milk whey). Moreover, we demonstrate that dietary proteins can persist on archaeological artefacts for at least 8000 years, and that this approach can reveal past culinary practices with more taxonomic and tissue-specific clarity than has been possible with previous bio-molecular techniques.

KW - Adiposity

KW - Animals

KW - Carbon Isotopes

KW - Ceramics/chemistry

KW - Cooking

KW - Dairying

KW - Diet

KW - Edible Grain/chemistry

KW - Fabaceae/chemistry

KW - Farmers

KW - Geography

KW - Humans

KW - Proteins/analysis

KW - Ruminants

KW - Turkey

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85054309888&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1038/s41467-018-06335-6

DO - 10.1038/s41467-018-06335-6

M3 - Article

C2 - 30283003

SN - 2041-1723

VL - 9

JO - Nature Communications

JF - Nature Communications

M1 - 4064 (2018)

ER -