University of Bristol

Graduate Student, Archaeology and Anthropology

Other Affiliations: University of Bristol, Chemistry

Thesis Title: POTS FOR THE AFTERLIFE: Organic Residue Analysis of British Bronze Age Pottery from Funerary Contexts

About

Pottery represents a significant proportion of archaeological materials. Our understanding of the use of domestic coarse wares has benefited greatly from typological and stylistic analyses, together with technological studies of fabrics. Further information can now be gained by investigating the bio-molecular compositions of surface and absorbed organic residues, thereby affording new insights into the modes of use of individual vessels, the commodities processed in them, and the wider economy. Pottery also played a significant role in prehistoric funerary practices, and is thus extensively represented amongst grave goods.
The Early Bronze Age (c. 2400-1500BC) is a period of significant technological, social and ideological change.  This is reflected is in the widespread adoption of individual burials with accompanying grave goods.  Whereas Neolithic pottery rarely occurs in direct association with funerary deposits, during the Bronze Age, ceramics occur both as grave goods and funerary containers.  A key question is whether these vessels were being used differently to domestic wares (which are typologically and technologically identical). Directly investigating their contents would allow us to better understand both the social and ideological changes which were occurring during this period, and offer unique insights into foods consumed at the grave-side or ‘in the afterlife’.
Substantial work carried out in the field of archaeological chemistry (Evershed et al 2001) has shown that organic residues survive in the clay wall ceramic matrix for many millennia; characterisation of such residues indicates the former contents of pots.  This project proposes to directly address the function of ceramic vessels recovered from Bronze Age burial and domestic contexts from various sites in Britain, through organic residue analysis. The results of such analyses will be correlated to pottery typology, size and especially regional variations, which might provide evidence for the adoption of different mortuary practices between regions. The project proposes to analyse ca. 500 vessels, from assemblages recovered during development-led excavations and archive material from museum collections from sites throughout Britain, thereby providing a substantial comparative dataset.  Preliminary investigative work has already shown the widespread occurrence of lipids in Bronze Age domestic wares (Copley et al., 2005), with more recent work on burial urns, e.g. two Bronze Age urns from Bulford, Wiltshire, showing exceptional preservation of lipids. These latter findings ensure the success of the project.
The application of organic residues analysis will clarify the complex and often inseparable relationship between the secular and ritual spheres in prehistory.  Since food was a facilitator of social relations (Morris 2002), organic residue analysis presents a new opportunity to better understand the domestic and ideological functions of material culture in an active, rather than passive, role.
A doctoral research project provides an ideal medium for addressing the range of new and longstanding questions concerning Bronze Age funerary vessels highlighted above. Since we are proposing an interdisciplinary project it requires both a thorough understanding of archaeological issues in addition to knowledge and experience in the underlying chemistry. The applicant has demonstrable qualifications and experience in both fields and is thus ideally equipped to undertake the project.

References
M.S. Copley, R. Berstan, S.N. Dudd, S. Aillaud, A.J. Mukherjee, V. Straker, S. Payne & R.P. Evershed. Processing of milk products in pottery vessels through British prehistory. Antiquity (2005) 79, 895-908.

Evershed R.P., Dudd S.N., Lockheart M.J. and S. Jim. 2001. Lipids in Archaeology. In: D.R. Brothwell and A.M. Pollard (eds.) Handbook of Archaeological Sciences: Chapter 28, 331-349. Chichester: John Wiley and Son Ltd.

Morris E.L. 2002. Staying alive: the function and use of prehistoric ceramics. In: A. Woodward and J.D. Hill (eds.) Prehistoric Britain: the ceramic basis: 54-61. Oxford: Oxbow.