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Home / Equine Research Bank / Archaeol Anthropol Sci / Direct 14C dating of equine products preserved in archaeolog...
Archaeological and anthropological sciences2022; 14(9); 175; doi: 10.1007/s12520-022-01630-2

Direct 14C dating of equine products preserved in archaeological pottery vessels from Botai and Bestamak, Kazakhstan.

Abstract: Direct and accurate radiocarbon dating of lipid residues preserved in ceramics is a recently established method that allows direct dating of specific food products and their inception in human subsistence strategies. The method targets individual fatty acids originating from animal fats such as ruminant dairy, ruminant adipose, non-ruminant adipose and aquatic fats. Horse lipid residues found in Central Asian pottery vessels are also directly dateable using this new method. Here we present the identification of equine lipid residues preserved in two pottery assemblages from the Neolithic and Eneolithic in Kazakhstan and their direct C dating. The site of Botai, previously radiocarbon-dated to the 4th millennium BC, was used as a reference to evaluate the dates obtained directly on horse lipids. The direct dating of equine products extracted from Botai potsherds are shown to be compatible with previous C dates at the site. The site of Bestamak, lacking previousC measurements, had been relatively dated to the Neolithic based on pottery typologies. The direct dating of equine residues made it possible to anchor the pottery assemblage of Bestamak in the 6th millennium BC confirming their Neolithic attribution. These findings demonstrate the potential for dating horse products through a compound-specific approach, while highlighting challenges in C dating individual fatty acids from lipid extracts in which their abundances differ substantially. Unassigned: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12520-022-01630-2.
© The Author(s) 2022.
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Publication Date: 2022-08-18 PubMed ID: 35996450PubMed Central: PMC9388454DOI: 10.1007/s12520-022-01630-2Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The research article details the successful use of direct radiocarbon dating on horse lipid residues found in ancient pottery in Botai and Bestamak, Kazakhstan. This novel method helps to accurately date specific food products and better understand historical human subsistence strategies.

Direct Dating of Lipid Residues

  • The study focuses on a novel method that allows the direct and precise dating of lipid residues preserved in ceramics.
  • This method specifically looks at individual fatty acids originating from animal fats such as ruminant dairy, ruminant adipose, non-ruminant adipose and aquatic fats.
  • The researchers highlight that horse lipid residues found in pottery from Central Asia can also be directly dated using this technique.

Application on Pottery from Kazakhstan

  • The researchers identified equine lipid residues in pottery from two sites in Kazakhstan, Botai and Bestamak, from the Neolithic and Eneolithic periods and directly dated them using carbon-14.
  • The site of Botai, previously dated to the 4th millennium BC, was used as a reference to assess the accuracy of the dates obtained directly from horse lipids.

Confirmation and Implications of the Findings

  • The study successfully confirms the previous C14 dates at the Botai site and provides the first direct dates for the Bestamak site, which puts it in the 6th millennium BC, corroborating its Neolithic attribution based on pottery typologies.
  • This underscores the effectiveness of this innovative approach to date horse products.
  • However, the researchers also highlight some challenges to this method, particularly in dating individual fatty acids from lipid extracts where their abundances vary significantly.

Conclusion

  • Overall, the successful application of direct radiocarbon dating on lipid residues in ancient pottery holds promise for archaeologists and historians. It can refine our understanding of human subsistence strategies and the inception of specific dietary practices in the past.

Cite This Article

APA
Casanova E, Knowles TDJ, Outram AK, Stear NA, Roffet-Salque M, Zaibert V, Logvin A, Shevnina I, Evershed RP. (2022). Direct 14C dating of equine products preserved in archaeological pottery vessels from Botai and Bestamak, Kazakhstan. Archaeol Anthropol Sci, 14(9), 175. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12520-022-01630-2

Publication

Archaeological and anthropological sciences
ISSN: 1866-9557
NlmUniqueID: 101606755
Country: Germany
Language: English
Volume: 14
Issue: 9
Pages: 175
PII: 175

Researcher Affiliations

Casanova, Emmanuelle
  • Organic Geochemistry Unit, School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Cantock's Close, Bristol, BS81TS UK.
  • Present Address: UMR7209 Archaeozoology and Archaeobotany, Centre national de la recherche scientifique/Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CP56 55 rue Buffon, 75005 Paris, France.
Knowles, Timothy D J
  • Organic Geochemistry Unit, School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Cantock's Close, Bristol, BS81TS UK.
  • Bristol Radiocarbon Accelerator Mass Spectrometry Facility, University of Bristol, 43 Woodland Road, Bristol, BS81UU UK.
Outram, Alan K
  • Department of Archaeology, University of Exeter, Laver Building, North Park Road, Exeter, EX4 4QE UK.
Stear, Natalie A
  • Organic Geochemistry Unit, School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Cantock's Close, Bristol, BS81TS UK.
Roffet-Salque, Mélanie
  • Organic Geochemistry Unit, School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Cantock's Close, Bristol, BS81TS UK.
Zaibert, Viktor
  • Institute of Archaeology and Steppe Civilizations, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, 71 Al-Farabi St, Almaty, Kazakhstan.
Logvin, Andrey
  • Archaeological Laboratory, Kostanay Regional University Named After A. Baitursynov, Baitursynov St., 47, Kostanay, Kazakhstan.
Shevnina, Irina
  • Archaeological Laboratory, Kostanay Regional University Named After A. Baitursynov, Baitursynov St., 47, Kostanay, Kazakhstan.
Evershed, Richard P
  • Organic Geochemistry Unit, School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Cantock's Close, Bristol, BS81TS UK.
  • Bristol Radiocarbon Accelerator Mass Spectrometry Facility, University of Bristol, 43 Woodland Road, Bristol, BS81UU UK.

Conflict of Interest Statement

Conflict of interestThe authors declare no competing interests.

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