Reconstructing diet and pottery technology of the Early Bronze Age 'Kura-Araxes culture': a multi-analytical approach

The Kura-Araxes (KA) cultural phenomenon, dated to the Early Bronze Age (EBA, 4th and 3rd millennium, c. 3500-2500 BCE) is primarily characterised by the emergence of a homogeneous ‘material culture package’ in settlements across the South Caucasus (Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan), as well as territories extending to the Levant and Ancient Near East. More specifically, one of the major EBA craft products associated with the KA corresponds to a homogeneous style of black-burnished pottery in the South Caucasus, known as Early Transcaucasian Ware and other synonymous terms in the literature. An interdisciplinary approach is conducted on a wide selection of ceramic samples representing the KA culture, in order to reconstruct pottery technology, direct evidence of pottery use, and dietary practices. Archaeological sites and potsherd samples selected span eight coeval KA settlements across Armenia: Gegharot, Karnut-1, Margahovit, Mokhra-Blur, Norabak-1, Shengavit, Sotk-2 and Talin Tombs. The analysis of KA pottery is carried out using an integrated multi-analytical approach to contribute to our understanding of cultural attributes, through (1) chaîne opératoire, (2) pottery use and dietary inferences. Stereomicroscopy, thin-section petrography, and scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive x-ray analysis (SEM-EDS) are employed in order to reconstruct pottery fabric pastes and the transmission of technology across coeval KA settlements. Additionally, absorbed lipid residues from pottery are analysed using gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and gas chromatography-compound-isotope-ratio mass spectrometry (GC-C-IRMS), to determine the organic products produced, consumed and to reconstruct pottery function and subsistence practices. Results from petrographic analyses suggest a local household industry production, spanning diverse technological procedures in raw materials and manufacturing at each settlement (i.e., the use of volcanic ash, grog and igneous rock fragments). Results from organic residue analysis provide compelling evidence for a diversified diet across settlements, comprising plant processing, dairying, animal carcass fats and aquatic commodities. The remarkable preservation of diagnostic plant lipid biomarkers, notably long-chain fatty acids (C20 to C28) and n-alkanes (C23 to C33) in organic residues from sites in Armenia has enabled identification of the earliest processing of plants in ceramic vessels of the region. These findings expand our current interpretation regarding the nature and fabric of the prescribed EBA Kura-Araxes communities residing in Armenia, South Caucasus. It is hoped that, in the future, new evidence in pottery analyses framed with archaeological evidence will increase our current understanding of the Kura-Araxes cultural phenomenon and the overall socio-economic structure of EBA communities

Geochemical ­Prospection­ and the Identification ­of Site­ Activity ­Areas

The archaeological record is much more than distinct, intentionally produced features and objects, such as buildings, earthworks, hearths, ditches, pits, artefacts, and ecofacts. The analysis of spatial patterning in the geochemistry of soils and sediments has been deployed at a range of scales, from features, buildings to whole sites and wider landscapes. A challenge is that geochemical prospection and the identification of activity areas can rarely be effective if only a single analytical method is used. Geochemical prospection involves the identification of spatial patterning within features, buildings, sites, and landscapes, and therefore requires a degree of systematic sampling. The use of phosphates for archaeological prospection and site activity area analysis is dependent on its long-term stability and immobility in soils. Though phosphorus is by far the most widely measured element in archaeological soils for prospection purposes, many other elements are also affected by human activities and thus can be used as indicators

Diversification of diet questions the homogeneity of the Early Bronze Age Kura-Araxes Cultural Phenomenon

The Kura-Araxes (KA) cultural phenomenon (dated to the Early Bronze Age, c. 3500/3350-2500 BCE) is primarily characterised by the emergence of a homogeneous pottery style and a uniform 'material culture package' in settlements across the South Caucasus, as well as territories extending to the Ancient Near East and the Levant. It has been argued that KA societies practised pastoralism, despite a lack of direct examination of dietary and culinary practices in this region. Here, we report the first analyses of absorbed lipid residues from KA pottery to both determine the organic products produced and consumed and to reconstruct subsistence practices. Our results provide compelling evidence for a diversified diet across KA settlements in Armenia, comprising a mixed economy of meat and plant processing, aquatic fats and dairying. The preservation of diagnostic plant lipid biomarkers, notably long-chain fatty acids (C20 to C28) and n-alkanes (C23 to C33) has enabled the identification of the earliest processing of plants in pottery of the region. These findings suggest that KA settlements were agropastoral exploiting local resources. Results demonstrate the significance of applying biomolecular methods for examining dietary inferences in the South Caucasus region

Diverse dietary practices across the Early Bronze Age 'Kura-Araxes culture' in the South Caucasus.

The Kura-Araxes (KA) cultural phenomenon (dated to the Early Bronze Age, c. 3500/3350-2500 BCE) is primarily characterised by the emergence of a homogeneous pottery style and a uniform 'material culture package' in settlements across the South Caucasus, as well as territories extending to the Ancient Near East and the Levant. It has been argued that KA societies practised pastoralism, despite a lack of direct examination of dietary and culinary practices in this region. Here, we report the first analyses of absorbed lipid residues from KA pottery to both determine the organic products produced and consumed and to reconstruct subsistence practices. Our results provide compelling evidence for a diversified diet across KA settlements in Armenia, comprising a mixed economy of meat and plant processing, aquatic fats and dairying. The preservation of diagnostic plant lipid biomarkers, notably long-chain fatty acids (C20 to C28) and n-alkanes (C23 to C33) has enabled the identification of the earliest processing of plants in pottery of the region. These findings suggest that KA settlements were agropastoral exploiting local resources. Results demonstrate the significance of applying biomolecular methods for examining dietary inferences in the South Caucasus region

Plant lipid calculations.

P/S ratios, CPI, Paq, and classification of trimethylsilylated TLEs. P/S ratio = relative abundance ratio of C16:0/C18:0 fatty acids, where values greater than 4 indicate a plant origin. CPI = measures the relative abundance of odd-over-even carbon chain lengths; CPI values for all plant species have strong odd-chain preferences, ranging between 1.6 and 82.1 [99, 100, 127]. Paq = emergent and non-emergent aquatic macrophyte input; Paq Paq 0.1–0.4 to emergent macrophytes, and Paq 0.4–1.0 to submerged or floating macrophytes [101]. N/D–not determined, signal intensity too low. (DOCX)</p