1,153 research outputs found
Roman diet and trade: evidence from organic residues on pottery sherds recovered at the Roman town of Calleva Atrebatum (Silchester Hants.)
The analysis of organic residues from pottery sherds using Gas-Chromatography with mass-spectroscopy (GC-MS) has revealed information about the variety of foods eaten and domestic routine at Silchester between the second and fourth–sixth centuries A.D. Two results are discussed in detail: those of a second-century Gauloise-type amphora and a fourth-century SE Dorset black-burnished ware (BB1) cooking pot, which reveal the use of pine pitch on the inner surface of the amphora and the use of animal fats (ruminant adipose fats) and leafy vegetables in cooking at the Roman town of Silchester, Hants
Ageing of resin from Pinus species assessed by infrared spectroscopy
Resins obtained from Pinus genus species have been widely used in very different fields throughout history. As soon as the resins are secreted, molecular changes start altering their chemical, mechanical and optical properties. The ageing processes are complex, and the chemical and structural changes associated with resin degradation are not yet fully known. Many questions still remain open, for instance changes happening in pimaranes, one of the two diterpenoid constituents of the resin. A systematic study of the ageing process of Pinus resins is done through Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) using chemical standards and complementing the obtained results with gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis when necessary. Moreover, long-term degradation processes are also investigated through the analysis of a selection of dated historical resins. This study overcomes the limitations of GC/MS and brings new information about the reactions and interactions between molecules during Pinus resin ageing processes. It also provides information about which bonds are affected and unaffected, and these can be used as specific markers of the degradation and of the resins themselves. [Figure not available: see fulltext.]Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft
Organic residue analysis of Egyptian votive mummies and their research potential
YesVast numbers of votive mummies were produced in Egypt during the Late Pharaonic, Ptolemaic, and Roman
periods. Although millions remain in situ, many were removed and have ultimately entered museum
collections around the world. There they have often languished as uncomfortable reminders of antiquarian
practices with little information available to enhance their value as artefacts worthy of conservation or
display. A multi-disciplinary research project, based at the University of Manchester, is currently
redressing these issues. One recent aspect of this work has been the characterization of natural products
employed in the mummification of votive bundles. Using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry and the
well-established biomarker approach, analysis of 24 samples from 17 mummy bundles has demonstrated
the presence of oils/fats, natural waxes, petroleum products, resinous exudates, and essential oils. These
results confirm the range of organic materials employed in embalming and augment our understanding of
the treatment of votives. In this first systematic initiative of its kind, initial findings point to possible trends in
body treatment practices in relation to chronology, geography, and changes in ideology which will be
investigated as the study progresses. Detailed knowledge of the substances used on individual bundles
has also served to enhance their value as display items and aid in their conservation.RCB is supported by a PhD studentship from the Art and Humanities Research Council (43019R00209). L.M. and S.A.W. are supported by a Leverhulme Trust Research Project Award (RPG-2013-143)
Chemical Plant Defense Against Herbivores
Herbivores can damage plant productivity and fitness because plants have improved defense mechanisms such as physical barriers, association with other organisms such as ants, and chemical defense. In that, separate plant species produce different chemical molecules. Chemical compounds involved in plant defense can act in several facts: decreased palatability, like a poison, such as a stunner, and increased gene defense expression, among others. In this chapter, we approach several examples of chemical molecules produced by plants to defend themselves, including biochemical metabolic pathways, as well as ecological and evolutive implications
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