Phytoliths recovered from foodcrust on ceramic of EBK (Late Mesolithic Ertebølle culture) and TRB (Early Neolithic Funnel Beaker culture) style.

<p>Phytoliths recovered from foodcrust on ceramic of EBK (Late Mesolithic Ertebølle culture) and TRB (Early Neolithic Funnel Beaker culture) style.</p

Early contexts from which spices have been recovered, with photomicrographs of globular sinuate phytoliths recovered from the pottery styles illustrated.

<p>Showing, A) A map of Europe showing an inset of the study area and sites from which the pot residues were acquired;, including also the Near East and northern Africa indicating early contexts where spices have been recovered: a) Menneville, France (<i>Papaver somniferum</i> L.), b) Eberdingen, Germany (<i>Papaver somniferum</i> L.), c) Seeberg, Switzerland (<i>Papaver somniferum</i> L.), d) Niederwil, Switzerland (<i>Papaver somniferum</i> L.), e) Swiss Lake Villages, Switzerland (<i>Anethum graveolens</i> L.), f) Cueva de los Murcielags, Spain (<i>Papaver somniferum</i> L.), g) Hacilar, Turkey (<i>Capparis spinosa</i> L.), h) Tell Abu Hureya, Syria (<i>Caparis spinosa</i> L.), i) Tell ed-Der, Syria (<i>Coriandrum sativum</i> L. and <i>Cuminum cyminum</i> L.), j) Khafaji, Iraq (Cruciferae family), k) Tell Aswad, Syria (<i>Capparis spinosa</i> L.), l) Nahal Hemar Cave, Israel (<i>Coriandrum sativum</i> L.), m) Tutankhamun's tomb, Egypt (<i>Coriandrum sativum</i> L.), n) Tomb of Kha, Egypt (<i>Cuminum cyminum</i> L.), o) Tomb of Amenophis II, Egypt (<i>Anethum graveolens</i> L.), p) Hala Sultan Tekke, Cyprus (<i>Capparis spinosa</i> L.), q) Heilbronn, Germany (<i>Papaver somniferum</i> L.), r) Zeslawice, Poland (<i>Papaver somniferum</i> L.) [compiled using 8–17]. B) Hunter-gatherer pointed-based vessel (on the left) and Early Neolithic flat-based vessel (on the right). C) Scanning Electron Microscope image of a globular sinuate phytolith embedded in a food residue, D) optical light microscope image of modern <i>Alliaria petiolata</i> globular sinuate phytoliths, and E) optical light microscope image of archaeological globular sinuate phytolith examples.</p

A summary of the major lipid classes identified in the samples where globular sinuate phytoliths occurred, including carbon stable isotope values of major fatty acids.

<p>FFA – Free fatty acids, IFA – Isoprenoid fatty acids, APFA – ω-(o-alkylphenyl)fatty acids, MAG – monoacylglycerols, DAG – diacylglycerols.</p