Cooking up a Storm

Summary

Food is not only essential for survival but also an important element of any culture. Artifacts for the storage, preparation and serving of food and drink form a large proportion of archaeological assemblages demonstrating that this has always been the case. Understanding how these artifacts were used gives us valuable insight into our past. Organic residue analysis allows us to more accurately determine how a vessel was, in fact, used. My research looked at several vessels sourced from Thailand to determine if it was possible to undertake residue analysis in the changeable climate and conditions found in Southeast Asia. Residues were successfully extracted and preliminary interpretations were made of the results. Since this work was undertaken a number of successful organic residue analyses have been carried out in Southeast Asia. Using the new data these analyses afford, and through comparison with modern subsistence practices in Thailand, I aim to provide a more in-depth interpretation of my results and a fuller picture of what people were storing, cooking and serving in their ceramic vessels in the Bronze and Iron Ages of Thailand.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• The Science of Organic Residue Analysis and the Art of Cultural Interpretation II   •
• Society for American Archaeology 82nd Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC (2017)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 14934