Starch and Phytolith Analysis of Drinking and Cooking Wares from Early Bronze Age IV Tell Qarqur, Syria

Summary

This is an abstract from the "From the Agricultural to the AI Revolution: Analytical Advances in Paleoethnobotany" session, at the 90th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

This project investigates cooking and brewing techniques from Early Bronze Age IV Tell Qarqur using starch and phytolith residue analysis methods. The ceramic samples are from two contexts: Area A: a kitchen with stores of bitter vetch and Area E: a suspected temple site. Both contexts were chosen for the likelihood of their associated pottery being used for cooking or serving starch-based products, such as bread, porridge, and beer. Microscopic analysis of residues revealed starch granules and phytoliths, which was compared to modern samples to determine plant taxa and biochemical changes. Results of this study show no evidence of bitter vetch processing within the vessels sampled. There is evidence of wheat and barley starch being modified from cooking and brewing. Interestingly, some sherds reveal a large number of flax fibers, which have evidence of being spun, suggesting some vessels may have been used for fiber processing or used textiles as cooking tools. One vessel also shows remains of starch spherulites, likely the result of cooking processing involving rapid boiling and then cooling or acid modification. This analysis provides valuable insights into the diet, craft production, and culinary practices of Orontes River Valley communities during a time of great transition.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 90th Annual Meeting, Denver, CO (2025)   •
• From the Agricultural to the AI Revolution: Analytical Advances in Paleoethnobotany

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 52553