Distribution of Organic Residues in a Pottery Vessel from Cerro Maya, Belize

Summary

A reconstructed pottery cooking vessel dating to the Late Preclassic period from the ancient Maya site of Cerro Maya, Belize was sampled for absorbed organic residues. Samples were taken from multiple locations to look for differences in their distribution. Three interior regions –rim, mid-body and base—were sampled along with one from an exterior basal location as a control to evaluate for possible contaminants. Samples were processed using a high pressure liquid extraction technique for evaluation with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). The differential distribution of residues, such as lipids and alkaloids, has implications for sampling strategies of food-preparation vessels and also reflects specific vessel uses. A region of fire-blackening on the lower exterior surface of this Poknoboy Striped round bottomed jar suggests its use as a cooking pot. The residues recovered aid in the interpretation of the possible functional and social roles of this food preparation vessel, as well as the overall utility of using museum curated pottery artifacts for residue analysis.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 81st Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL (2016)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage