(ORDO NEWS) — Archaeologists have discovered Neolithic pottery in Scotland with traces of food. An article about this was published in Nature Communications.
Agriculture and the manufacture of ceramics appeared in Europe and western Asia in the 10th millennium BC in the Middle East in the fertile crescent zone.
In the 8th millennium BC, migrants from the Middle East began to spread throughout Europe and bring this technology with them.
The Neolithic revolution reached Scotland, located at the other end of Europe, relatively late, in the 3rd millennium BC.
Scientists from the University of Bristol, led by Lucy Cramp, examined 59 pottery fragments from the Isle of Lewis in the north of the British Isles.
They were discovered during a survey of ancient settlements on this island dating back to 3640-3360 BC.
The authors performed surface chemical analysis using a gas chromatograph, which is well suited for the analysis of organic residues.
Among the identified residues, saturated fatty acids, the breakdown products of animal fats, predominated.
The analysis of stable carbon isotopes showed that more than half of the studied samples were the remains of dairy products, in several cases – the meat of ruminants.
In 16 samples from all four sites, scientists found plant remains. Characteristic homologues led to the conclusion that
At the same time, traces of both grain and dairy products were simultaneously found on eight samples.
In one case, traces of wheat were mixed with traces of meat. Scientists suggest that people mixed these products to get a more tasty and nutritious porridge.
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