Morpho-chemical characterization of individual ancient starches retrieved on ground stone tools from Palaeolithic sites in the Pontic steppe
Abstract Despite the extensive literature on the retrieval of digestible starches from archaeological contexts, there are still significant concerns regarding their genuine origin and durability. Here, we propose a multi-analytical strategy to identify the authenticity of ancient starches retrieved...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2023-12-01
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| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-46970-8 |
| _version_ | 1797398073438109696 |
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| author | G. Birarda E. Badetti C. Cagnato G. Sorrentino I. Pantyukhina C. Stani S. Dal Zilio G. Khlopachev S. Covalenco T. Obada N. Skakun A. Sinitsyn V. Terekhina A. Marcomini C. Lubritto N. Cefarin L. Vaccari L. Longo |
| author_facet | G. Birarda E. Badetti C. Cagnato G. Sorrentino I. Pantyukhina C. Stani S. Dal Zilio G. Khlopachev S. Covalenco T. Obada N. Skakun A. Sinitsyn V. Terekhina A. Marcomini C. Lubritto N. Cefarin L. Vaccari L. Longo |
| author_sort | G. Birarda |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Despite the extensive literature on the retrieval of digestible starches from archaeological contexts, there are still significant concerns regarding their genuine origin and durability. Here, we propose a multi-analytical strategy to identify the authenticity of ancient starches retrieved from macrolithic tools excavated at Upper Paleolithic sites in the Pontic steppe. This strategy integrates the morphological discrimination of starches through optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy with single starch chemo-profiling using Fourier transform infrared imaging and microscopy. We obtained evidence of aging and biomineralization in the use-related starches from Palaeolithic sites, providing a methodology to establish their ancient origin, assess their preservation status, and attempt their identification. The pivotal application of this multidisciplinar approach demonstrates that the macrolithic tools, from which starches were dislodged, were used for food-processing across the Pontic Steppe around 40,000 years ago during the earliest colonization of Eurasia by Homo sapiens. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T01:19:27Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-57dfbe18ee99491f89f76bf214efc3c9 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T01:19:27Z |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-57dfbe18ee99491f89f76bf214efc3c92023-12-10T12:14:09ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222023-12-0113111410.1038/s41598-023-46970-8Morpho-chemical characterization of individual ancient starches retrieved on ground stone tools from Palaeolithic sites in the Pontic steppeG. Birarda0E. Badetti1C. Cagnato2G. Sorrentino3I. Pantyukhina4C. Stani5S. Dal Zilio6G. Khlopachev7S. Covalenco8T. Obada9N. Skakun10A. Sinitsyn11V. Terekhina12A. Marcomini13C. Lubritto14N. Cefarin15L. Vaccari16L. Longo17Elettra-Sincrotrone TriesteDepartment of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics, Ca’ Foscari University of VeniceUMR 8096 Archéologie des Amériques, CNRS, Université Paris 1 - Panthéon-SorbonneDepartment of Physics, University of TurinInstitute of History, Archaeology and Ethnology, Far-Eastern Branch, IHAE-FEB RASCERIC-ERICCNR IOMPeter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography (the Kunstkamera) of the Russian Academy of ScienceInstitute of Cultural Heritage, Academy of Sciences of MoldovaInstitute of Zoology, National Museum of Ethnography and Natural History of MoldovaInstitute for the History of Material Culture, IHC-RASInstitute for the History of Material Culture, IHC-RASPeter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography (the Kunstkamera) of the Russian Academy of ScienceDepartment of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics, Ca’ Foscari University of VeniceDepartment of Environmental, Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, University of Caserta “Luigi Vanvitelli”Elettra-Sincrotrone TriesteElettra-Sincrotrone TriesteDepartment of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics, Ca’ Foscari University of VeniceAbstract Despite the extensive literature on the retrieval of digestible starches from archaeological contexts, there are still significant concerns regarding their genuine origin and durability. Here, we propose a multi-analytical strategy to identify the authenticity of ancient starches retrieved from macrolithic tools excavated at Upper Paleolithic sites in the Pontic steppe. This strategy integrates the morphological discrimination of starches through optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy with single starch chemo-profiling using Fourier transform infrared imaging and microscopy. We obtained evidence of aging and biomineralization in the use-related starches from Palaeolithic sites, providing a methodology to establish their ancient origin, assess their preservation status, and attempt their identification. The pivotal application of this multidisciplinar approach demonstrates that the macrolithic tools, from which starches were dislodged, were used for food-processing across the Pontic Steppe around 40,000 years ago during the earliest colonization of Eurasia by Homo sapiens.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-46970-8 |
| spellingShingle | G. Birarda E. Badetti C. Cagnato G. Sorrentino I. Pantyukhina C. Stani S. Dal Zilio G. Khlopachev S. Covalenco T. Obada N. Skakun A. Sinitsyn V. Terekhina A. Marcomini C. Lubritto N. Cefarin L. Vaccari L. Longo Morpho-chemical characterization of individual ancient starches retrieved on ground stone tools from Palaeolithic sites in the Pontic steppe Scientific Reports |
| title | Morpho-chemical characterization of individual ancient starches retrieved on ground stone tools from Palaeolithic sites in the Pontic steppe |
| title_full | Morpho-chemical characterization of individual ancient starches retrieved on ground stone tools from Palaeolithic sites in the Pontic steppe |
| title_fullStr | Morpho-chemical characterization of individual ancient starches retrieved on ground stone tools from Palaeolithic sites in the Pontic steppe |
| title_full_unstemmed | Morpho-chemical characterization of individual ancient starches retrieved on ground stone tools from Palaeolithic sites in the Pontic steppe |
| title_short | Morpho-chemical characterization of individual ancient starches retrieved on ground stone tools from Palaeolithic sites in the Pontic steppe |
| title_sort | morpho chemical characterization of individual ancient starches retrieved on ground stone tools from palaeolithic sites in the pontic steppe |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-46970-8 |
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