Glossary Archaeological method and dating
Residue analysis
Also called: organic residue analysis
Chemical identification of traces of food, drink, oils, resins or drugs absorbed into or left on the inside of ancient vessels.
Fats, waxes, resins and other organic substances soak into unglazed pottery and can survive for thousands of years. Extracted and analysed, usually by chromatography and mass spectrometry, they can show what a vessel held or how it was used. Results depend on preservation and contamination, and one positive result for one vessel says little about its whole class.
The best-known Cypriot debate concerns the Base Ring juglets whose shape resembles an upturned opium-poppy head. The claim that they carried opium has been tested repeatedly, with uneven and disputed results (Medicine and Healing). Many questions about food and drink, such as when wine was first made on the island, still await residue analysis.
Related terms
- Archaeometry
The use of physical and chemical science to analyse archaeological materials: their date, composition, source and manufacturing technique.
- Use-wear analysis
The microscopic study of scratches, polish, chipping and abrasion on tools and vessels to work out how they were used.
- Zooarchaeology
The study of animal bones and shells from archaeological sites, used to reconstruct diet, herding, hunting and the ancient environment.
Where it appears
- Jars (Amphora)
- Base Ring Bull Vessels
- Base Ring Ware
- Bottles
- Flasks
- Food and Diet in Ancient Cyprus
- Medicine and Healing in Ancient Cyprus
- The Pottery of Ancient Cyprus
- Amphora
- Black-on-Red Ware
- Food Storage in Ancient Cyprus: Pits, Pithoi and Storerooms
- Jugs (Oinochoe)
and 5 more compendium pages