Doctoral Dissertations
Date of Award
12-2024
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy
Major
Chemistry
Major Professor
David M. Jenkins
Committee Members
Shawn R. Campagna, Thanh Do, Aleydis Van de Moortel
Abstract
In the absence of written records, prehistoric archaeology is heavily dependent on the analysis of physical remains for information regarding past societies. While there is a wealth of knowledge to be gained from traditional archaeological methods, chemical analysis of artifacts can offer a crucial complement. Recent examples have shown the value of detailed organic residue analysis, especially on archaeological pottery, which takes advantage of the most recent advances in analytical instrumentation to answer questions of archaeological relevance. In this dissertation, two distinct avenues of archaeological organic residue analysis are pursued. In the first, standard methods of lipid analysis are applied to Late Bronze Age pottery collected from Greece in order to examine the impact of the broad sociopolitical changes that occurred during this time period on the cooking practices of the elite residents at the site of Mitrou. As diet and culture are often closely related, such an analysis can illuminate how Mitrou’s culture may have been shaped by an outside power. In the second avenue, methodological investigations were performed that serve to drive the field of archaeochemistry forward. An innovative method of determining the presence of wine residues in ancient pottery was developed and tested on both modern replica and archaeological pottery, employing novel organic biomarkers and an original derivatization method. Additionally, an examination of laboratory-based contamination in fatty acid analysis is also performed, with the aim of identifying the best method of curtailing it. The work presented herein successfully synthesizes two disparate fields, and demonstrates the value of cooperation between chemists and archaeologists. While the vast majority of this dissertation pertains to archaeological organic residue analysis, a fraction is also committed to organometallic catalysis. Chiral epoxides produced by asymmetric catalysis are examined by GC-MS for enantiomeric excess, with novel separation parameters being developed for each one.
Recommended Citation
Stafford, Vernon H. III, "Detection and Interpretation of Organic Residues in Archaeological Pottery. " PhD diss., University of Tennessee, 2024.
https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss/11328