Organic residue analysis shows sub-regional patterns in the use of pottery by Northern European hunter–gatherers

Blandine Courel; Harry Kenneth Robson; Alexandre Jules Andre Lucquin; Ekaterina Dolbunova; Ester Oras; Kamil Adamczak; Søren Andersen; Peter Moe Astrup; Maxim Charniauski; Agnieszka Czekaj-Zastawny; Igor Ezepenko; Sönke Hartz; Jacek Kabaciński; Andreas Kotula; Stanisław Kukawka; Ilze Loze; Andrey Mazurkevich; Henny Piezonka; Gytis Piličiauskas; Søren A. Sørensen; Helen M. Talbot; Aleh Tkachou; Maryia Tkachova; Adam Wawrusiewicz; John Meadows; Carl P. Heron; Oliver Edward Craig

doi:10.1098/rsos.192016

Organic residue analysis shows sub-regional patterns in the use of pottery by Northern European hunter–gatherers

Blandine Courel, Harry Kenneth Robson, Alexandre Jules Andre Lucquin, Ekaterina Dolbunova, Ester Oras, Kamil Adamczak, Søren Andersen, Peter Moe Astrup, Maxim Charniauski, Agnieszka Czekaj-Zastawny, Igor Ezepenko, Sönke Hartz, Jacek Kabaciński, Andreas Kotula, Stanisław Kukawka, Ilze Loze, Andrey Mazurkevich, Henny Piezonka, Gytis Piličiauskas, Søren A. SørensenHelen M. Talbot, Aleh Tkachou, Maryia Tkachova, Adam Wawrusiewicz, John Meadows, Carl P. Heron, Oliver Edward Craig

Archaeology

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

The introduction of pottery vessels to Europe has long been seen as closely linked with the spread of agriculture and pastoralism from the Near East. The adoption of pottery technology by hunter–gatherers in Northern and Eastern Europe does not fit this paradigm, and its role within these communities is so far unresolved. To investigate the motivations for hunter–gatherer pottery use, here, we present the systematic analysis of the contents of 528 early vessels from the Baltic Sea region, mostly dating to the late 6th–5th millennium cal BC, using molecular and isotopic characterization techniques. The results demonstrate clear sub-regional trends in the use of ceramics by hunter–gatherers; aquatic resources in the Eastern Baltic, non-ruminant animal fats in the Southeastern Baltic, and a more variable use, including ruminant animal products, in the Western Baltic, potentially including dairy. We found surprisingly little evidence for the use of ceramics for non-culinary activities, such as the production of resins. We attribute the emergence of these subregional cuisines to the diffusion of new culinary ideas afforded by the adoption of pottery, e.g. cooking and combining foods, but culturally contextualized and influenced by traditional practices.

Original language	English
Article number	192016
Number of pages	16
Journal	Royal Society Open Science
Volume	7
Issue number	192016
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.192016
Publication status	Published - 22 Apr 2020

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10.1098/rsos.192016Licence: CC BY

Courel et al. 2020
© 2020 The Authors
Final published version, 1.13 MBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

Courel, B., Robson, H. K., Lucquin, A. J. A., Dolbunova, E., Oras, E., Adamczak, K., Andersen, S., Moe Astrup, P., Charniauski, M., Czekaj-Zastawny, A., Ezepenko, I., Hartz, S., Kabaciński, J., Kotula, A., Kukawka, S., Loze, I., Mazurkevich, A., Piezonka, H., Piličiauskas, G., ... Craig, O. E. (2020). Organic residue analysis shows sub-regional patterns in the use of pottery by Northern European hunter–gatherers. Royal Society Open Science, 7(192016), Article 192016. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.192016

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title = "Organic residue analysis shows sub-regional patterns in the use of pottery by Northern European hunter–gatherers",

abstract = "The introduction of pottery vessels to Europe has long been seen as closely linked with the spread of agriculture and pastoralism from the Near East. The adoption of pottery technology by hunter–gatherers in Northern and Eastern Europe does not fit this paradigm, and its role within these communities is so far unresolved. To investigate the motivations for hunter–gatherer pottery use, here, we present the systematic analysis of the contents of 528 early vessels from the Baltic Sea region, mostly dating to the late 6th–5th millennium cal BC, using molecular and isotopic characterization techniques. The results demonstrate clear sub-regional trends in the use of ceramics by hunter–gatherers; aquatic resources in the Eastern Baltic, non-ruminant animal fats in the Southeastern Baltic, and a more variable use, including ruminant animal products, in the Western Baltic, potentially including dairy. We found surprisingly little evidence for the use of ceramics for non-culinary activities, such as the production of resins. We attribute the emergence of these subregional cuisines to the diffusion of new culinary ideas afforded by the adoption of pottery, e.g. cooking and combining foods, but culturally contextualized and influenced by traditional practices.",

author = "Blandine Courel and Robson, {Harry Kenneth} and Lucquin, {Alexandre Jules Andre} and Ekaterina Dolbunova and Ester Oras and Kamil Adamczak and S{\o}ren Andersen and {Moe Astrup}, Peter and Maxim Charniauski and Agnieszka Czekaj-Zastawny and Igor Ezepenko and S{\"o}nke Hartz and Jacek Kabaci{\'n}ski and Andreas Kotula and Stanis{\l}aw Kukawka and Ilze Loze and Andrey Mazurkevich and Henny Piezonka and Gytis Pili{\v c}iauskas and S{\o}rensen, {S{\o}ren A.} and Talbot, {Helen M.} and Aleh Tkachou and Maryia Tkachova and Adam Wawrusiewicz and John Meadows and Heron, {Carl P.} and Craig, {Oliver Edward}",

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Courel, B, Robson, HK , Lucquin, AJA, Dolbunova, E, Oras, E, Adamczak, K, Andersen, S, Moe Astrup, P, Charniauski, M, Czekaj-Zastawny, A, Ezepenko, I, Hartz, S, Kabaciński, J, Kotula, A, Kukawka, S, Loze, I, Mazurkevich, A, Piezonka, H, Piličiauskas, G, Sørensen, SA, Talbot, HM, Tkachou, A, Tkachova, M, Wawrusiewicz, A, Meadows, J, Heron, CP & Craig, OE 2020, 'Organic residue analysis shows sub-regional patterns in the use of pottery by Northern European hunter–gatherers', Royal Society Open Science, vol. 7, no. 192016, 192016. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.192016

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T1 - Organic residue analysis shows sub-regional patterns in the use of pottery by Northern European hunter–gatherers

AU - Courel, Blandine

AU - Robson, Harry Kenneth

AU - Lucquin, Alexandre Jules Andre

AU - Dolbunova, Ekaterina

AU - Oras, Ester

AU - Adamczak, Kamil

AU - Andersen, Søren

AU - Moe Astrup, Peter

AU - Charniauski, Maxim

AU - Czekaj-Zastawny, Agnieszka

AU - Ezepenko, Igor

AU - Hartz, Sönke

AU - Kabaciński, Jacek

AU - Kotula, Andreas

AU - Kukawka, Stanisław

AU - Loze, Ilze

AU - Mazurkevich, Andrey

AU - Piezonka, Henny

AU - Piličiauskas, Gytis

AU - Sørensen, Søren A.

AU - Talbot, Helen M.

AU - Tkachou, Aleh

AU - Tkachova, Maryia

AU - Wawrusiewicz, Adam

AU - Meadows, John

AU - Heron, Carl P.

AU - Craig, Oliver Edward

PY - 2020/4/22

Y1 - 2020/4/22

N2 - The introduction of pottery vessels to Europe has long been seen as closely linked with the spread of agriculture and pastoralism from the Near East. The adoption of pottery technology by hunter–gatherers in Northern and Eastern Europe does not fit this paradigm, and its role within these communities is so far unresolved. To investigate the motivations for hunter–gatherer pottery use, here, we present the systematic analysis of the contents of 528 early vessels from the Baltic Sea region, mostly dating to the late 6th–5th millennium cal BC, using molecular and isotopic characterization techniques. The results demonstrate clear sub-regional trends in the use of ceramics by hunter–gatherers; aquatic resources in the Eastern Baltic, non-ruminant animal fats in the Southeastern Baltic, and a more variable use, including ruminant animal products, in the Western Baltic, potentially including dairy. We found surprisingly little evidence for the use of ceramics for non-culinary activities, such as the production of resins. We attribute the emergence of these subregional cuisines to the diffusion of new culinary ideas afforded by the adoption of pottery, e.g. cooking and combining foods, but culturally contextualized and influenced by traditional practices.

AB - The introduction of pottery vessels to Europe has long been seen as closely linked with the spread of agriculture and pastoralism from the Near East. The adoption of pottery technology by hunter–gatherers in Northern and Eastern Europe does not fit this paradigm, and its role within these communities is so far unresolved. To investigate the motivations for hunter–gatherer pottery use, here, we present the systematic analysis of the contents of 528 early vessels from the Baltic Sea region, mostly dating to the late 6th–5th millennium cal BC, using molecular and isotopic characterization techniques. The results demonstrate clear sub-regional trends in the use of ceramics by hunter–gatherers; aquatic resources in the Eastern Baltic, non-ruminant animal fats in the Southeastern Baltic, and a more variable use, including ruminant animal products, in the Western Baltic, potentially including dairy. We found surprisingly little evidence for the use of ceramics for non-culinary activities, such as the production of resins. We attribute the emergence of these subregional cuisines to the diffusion of new culinary ideas afforded by the adoption of pottery, e.g. cooking and combining foods, but culturally contextualized and influenced by traditional practices.

U2 - 10.1098/rsos.192016

DO - 10.1098/rsos.192016

M3 - Article

SN - 2054-5703

VL - 7

JO - Royal Society Open Science

JF - Royal Society Open Science

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