Molecular evidence for new foodways in the early colonial Caribbean: organic residue analysis at Isla de Mona, Puerto Rico

dc.contributor.authorBriggs, Lisa
dc.contributor.authorCooper, Jago
dc.contributor.authorCraig, Oliver E.
dc.contributor.authorHeron, Carl
dc.contributor.authorLucquin, Alexandre
dc.contributor.authorMilantchi, María Mercedes Martínez
dc.contributor.authorSamson, Alice
dc.date.accessioned2023-05-04T09:41:24Z
dc.date.available2023-05-04T09:41:24Z
dc.date.issued2023-05-03
dc.description.abstractCeramic objects account for over 90% of the cultural material recovered from archaeological sites in the Caribbean. However, little research has been conducted on molecular evidence for past food production from these same vessels. Forty ceramic sherds from Isla de Mona have been analysed by GC–MS and GC-C-IRMS in order to address questions surrounding foodways in the Greater Antilles prior to and post European arrival. We evaluate evidence for dietary changes to illuminate aspects of cultural exchange between Indigenous populations and the first generations of Spanish colonists. Here, we show that plant residues are found in a variety of pottery forms, with some evidence for non-ruminant and ruminant fats. The dearth of marine biomarkers is curious given the volume of fish bones found in archaeological contexts on Isla de Mona and may offer evidence for spit-roasting, pit-roasting, or the use of a ‘barbacoa’ to cook fish on the island. The ubiquity of plant residues in a variety of pottery forms may relate to the large-scale cultivation and export of cassava (Manihot esculenta) from the island. A Spanish olive jar revealed evidence of wine residues, which may constitute the earliest detection of wine residues in pottery found in the Americas.en_UK
dc.description.sponsorshipThe Wellcome Trust: Grant ref: 097365/Z/11/Z.en_UK
dc.identifier.citationBriggs L, Cooper J, Craig OE, Heron C, Lucquin A, Milantchi MMM & Samson A (2023) Molecular evidence for new foodways in the early colonial Caribbean: organic residue analysis at Isla de Mona, Puerto Rico, Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, Volume 15, Issue 5, May 2023, Article number 70en_UK
dc.identifier.eissn1866-9565
dc.identifier.issn1866-9557
dc.identifier.urihttps://doi.org/10.1007/s12520-023-01771-y
dc.identifier.urihttps://dspace.lib.cranfield.ac.uk/handle/1826/19586
dc.language.isoenen_UK
dc.publisherSpringeren_UK
dc.rightsAttribution 4.0 International*
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/*
dc.subjectOrganic residuesen_UK
dc.subjectColonial Caribbeanen_UK
dc.subjectPotteryen_UK
dc.subjectFoodwaysen_UK
dc.subjectDieten_UK
dc.subjectWineen_UK
dc.titleMolecular evidence for new foodways in the early colonial Caribbean: organic residue analysis at Isla de Mona, Puerto Ricoen_UK
dc.typeArticleen_UK

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