Organic residues in archaeology - the highs and lows of recent research

YesThe analysis of organic residues from archaeological materials has become increasingly important to our understanding of ancient diet, trade and technology. Residues from diverse contexts have been retrieved and analysed from the remains of food, medicine and cosmetics to hafting material on stone arrowheads, pitch and tar from shipwrecks, and ancient manure from soils. Research has brought many advances in our understanding of archaeological, organic residues over the past two decades. Some have enabled very specific and detailed interpretations of materials preserved in the archaeological record. However there are still areas where we know very little, like the mechanisms at work during the formation and preservation of residues, and areas where each advance produces more questions rather than answers, as in the identification of degraded fats. This chapter will discuss some of the significant achievements in the field over the past decade and the ongoing challenges for research in this area.Full text was made available in the Repository on 15th Oct 2015, at the end of the publisher's embargo period

Analytical methods for the characterization of organic dyes in artworks and in historical textiles

Dyes are among the most significant components in works of art and archaeological findings. In the scientific examination of historical artefacts, the identification of natural dyestuffs is a challenging task, due to the complexity of their chemical composition and the possible presence of mixtures of chromophores and degradation products. For this reason, in the last few decades, new analytical procedures and techniques have been developed and improved for the characterisation of organic dyes and their identification in micro samples. This review looks at the chemical composition of natural organic dyeing materials used in the field of the Cultural Heritage and focuses on several analytical methods based on spectrometric and chromatographic techniques which have contributed to the study of organic dyes in works of art and archaeological findings