Premium
How Did Mississippians Prepare Maize? The Application of Compound‐Specific Carbon Isotope Analysis to Absorbed Pottery Residues From Several Mississippi Valley Sites
Author(s) -
Reber E. A.,
Evershed R. P.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
archaeometry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.716
H-Index - 67
eISSN - 1475-4754
pISSN - 0003-813X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1475-4754.2004.00141.x
Subject(s) - pottery , isotopes of carbon , isotope analysis , residue (chemistry) , isotope , archaeology , carbon fibers , environmental chemistry , total organic carbon , environmental science , mineralogy , chemistry , geology , materials science , geography , organic chemistry , oceanography , physics , quantum mechanics , composite number , composite material
A newly developed compound‐specific stable carbon isotope technique allows the detection of maize in absorbed organic pottery residues. This method was applied to absorbed organic residues from a variety of Mississippi Valley potsherds, and successfully identified maize components. Maize was cooked in sampled vessels less often than expected, but otherwise fitted expected patterns of maize use derived from stable carbon isotope analysis of human bone from the region. Absorbed organic pottery residue analysis is useful in determining pottery use, particularly in concert with other analytical methods.