Archaeometric evidence for the earliest exploitation of lignite from the bronze age Eastern Mediterranean

Stephen Buckley; Robert C. Power; Maria Andreadaki-Vlazaki; Murat Akar; Julia Becher; Matthias Belser; Sara Cafisso; Stefanie Eisenmann; Joann Fletcher; Michael Francken; Birgitta Hallager; Katerina Harvati; Tara Ingman; Efthymia Kataki; Joseph Maran; Mario A.S. Martin; Photini J.P. McGeorge; Ianir Milevski; Alkestis Papadimitriou; Eftychia Protopapadaki; Domingo C. Salazar-García; Tyede Schmidt-Schultz; Verena J. Schuenemann; Rula Shafiq; Ingelise Stuijts; Dmitry Yegorov; K. Aslιhan Yener; Michael Schultz; Cynthianne Spiteri; Philipp W. Stockhammer

doi:10.1038/s41598-021-03544-w

Archaeometric evidence for the earliest exploitation of lignite from the bronze age Eastern Mediterranean

Stephen Buckley, Robert C. Power, Maria Andreadaki-Vlazaki, Murat Akar, Julia Becher, Matthias Belser, Sara Cafisso, Stefanie Eisenmann, Joann Fletcher, Michael Francken, Birgitta Hallager, Katerina Harvati, Tara Ingman, Efthymia Kataki, Joseph Maran, Mario A.S. Martin, Photini J.P. McGeorge, Ianir Milevski, Alkestis Papadimitriou, Eftychia ProtopapadakiDomingo C. Salazar-García, Tyede Schmidt-Schultz, Verena J. Schuenemann, Rula Shafiq, Ingelise Stuijts, Dmitry Yegorov, K. Aslιhan Yener, Michael Schultz, Cynthianne Spiteri, Philipp W. Stockhammer

Leon Recanati Institute for Maritime Studies

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

This paper presents the earliest evidence for the exploitation of lignite (brown coal) in Europe and sheds new light on the use of combustion fuel sources in the 2nd millennium BCE Eastern Mediterranean. We applied Thermal Desorption/Pyrolysis–Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry and Polarizing Microscopy to the dental calculus of 67 individuals and we identified clear evidence for combustion markers embedded within this calculus. In contrast to the scant evidence for combustion markers within the calculus samples from Egypt, all other individuals show the inhalation of smoke from fires burning wood identified as Pinaceae, in addition to hardwood, such as oak and olive, and/or dung. Importantly, individuals from the Palatial Period at the Mycenaean citadel of Tiryns and the Cretan harbour site of Chania also show the inhalation of fire-smoke from lignite, consistent with the chemical signature of sources in the northwestern Peloponnese and Western Crete respectively. This first evidence for lignite exploitation was likely connected to and at the same time enabled Late Bronze Age Aegean metal and pottery production, significantly by both male and female individuals.

Original language	English
Article number	24185
Journal	Scientific Reports
Volume	11
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-03544-w
State	Published - 17 Dec 2021

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
Open Access funding enabled and organized by Projekt DEAL. This research is part of Philipp W. Stockham-mer’s European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grant project ‘FoodTransforms: transformations of food in the Eastern Mediterranean Late Bronze Age’ (ERC-2015-StG 678901-FoodTransforms) funded by the European Research Council. The anthropological research in Tiryns was funded within the project “Negotiating Change – Cultural and Social Transformations in the Late 2nd Millennium BCE East Mediterranean: Case Studies from Tiryns, Greece, and Tell es-Safi/Gath, Israel” (German-Israel Foundation for Science and Research; GIF; Grant No. 1080–132.4/2009; Aren Maeir and Joseph Maran) as well as the German Research Foundation (MA 1058/7–1 and 7–2; Joseph Maran). Katerina Harvati is supported by the German Research Foundation (DFG FOR 2237) and the European Research Council (ERC CoG 724703). Joann Fletcher is supported by Pharos Research.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2021, The Author(s).

ASJC Scopus subject areas

General

Access to Document

10.1038/s41598-021-03544-w

Cite this

Buckley, S., Power, R. C., Andreadaki-Vlazaki, M., Akar, M., Becher, J., Belser, M., Cafisso, S., Eisenmann, S., Fletcher, J., Francken, M., Hallager, B., Harvati, K., Ingman, T., Kataki, E., Maran, J., Martin, M. A. S., McGeorge, P. J. P., Milevski, I., Papadimitriou, A., ... Stockhammer, P. W. (2021). Archaeometric evidence for the earliest exploitation of lignite from the bronze age Eastern Mediterranean. Scientific Reports, 11(1), Article 24185. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-03544-w

@article{e118c2264ddb4b3285293de643ff6bab,

title = "Archaeometric evidence for the earliest exploitation of lignite from the bronze age Eastern Mediterranean",

abstract = "This paper presents the earliest evidence for the exploitation of lignite (brown coal) in Europe and sheds new light on the use of combustion fuel sources in the 2nd millennium BCE Eastern Mediterranean. We applied Thermal Desorption/Pyrolysis–Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry and Polarizing Microscopy to the dental calculus of 67 individuals and we identified clear evidence for combustion markers embedded within this calculus. In contrast to the scant evidence for combustion markers within the calculus samples from Egypt, all other individuals show the inhalation of smoke from fires burning wood identified as Pinaceae, in addition to hardwood, such as oak and olive, and/or dung. Importantly, individuals from the Palatial Period at the Mycenaean citadel of Tiryns and the Cretan harbour site of Chania also show the inhalation of fire-smoke from lignite, consistent with the chemical signature of sources in the northwestern Peloponnese and Western Crete respectively. This first evidence for lignite exploitation was likely connected to and at the same time enabled Late Bronze Age Aegean metal and pottery production, significantly by both male and female individuals.",

author = "Stephen Buckley and Power, {Robert C.} and Maria Andreadaki-Vlazaki and Murat Akar and Julia Becher and Matthias Belser and Sara Cafisso and Stefanie Eisenmann and Joann Fletcher and Michael Francken and Birgitta Hallager and Katerina Harvati and Tara Ingman and Efthymia Kataki and Joseph Maran and Martin, {Mario A.S.} and McGeorge, {Photini J.P.} and Ianir Milevski and Alkestis Papadimitriou and Eftychia Protopapadaki and Salazar-Garc{\'i}a, {Domingo C.} and Tyede Schmidt-Schultz and Schuenemann, {Verena J.} and Rula Shafiq and Ingelise Stuijts and Dmitry Yegorov and Yener, {K. Aslιhan} and Michael Schultz and Cynthianne Spiteri and Stockhammer, {Philipp W.}",

note = "Funding Information: Open Access funding enabled and organized by Projekt DEAL. This research is part of Philipp W. Stockham-mer{\textquoteright}s European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grant project {\textquoteleft}FoodTransforms: transformations of food in the Eastern Mediterranean Late Bronze Age{\textquoteright} (ERC-2015-StG 678901-FoodTransforms) funded by the European Research Council. The anthropological research in Tiryns was funded within the project “Negotiating Change – Cultural and Social Transformations in the Late 2nd Millennium BCE East Mediterranean: Case Studies from Tiryns, Greece, and Tell es-Safi/Gath, Israel” (German-Israel Foundation for Science and Research; GIF; Grant No. 1080–132.4/2009; Aren Maeir and Joseph Maran) as well as the German Research Foundation (MA 1058/7–1 and 7–2; Joseph Maran). Katerina Harvati is supported by the German Research Foundation (DFG FOR 2237) and the European Research Council (ERC CoG 724703). Joann Fletcher is supported by Pharos Research. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2021, The Author(s).",

year = "2021",

month = dec,

day = "17",

doi = "10.1038/s41598-021-03544-w",

language = "English",

volume = "11",

journal = "Scientific Reports",

issn = "2045-2322",

publisher = "Nature Publishing Group",

number = "1",

}

Buckley, S, Power, RC, Andreadaki-Vlazaki, M, Akar, M, Becher, J, Belser, M, Cafisso, S, Eisenmann, S, Fletcher, J, Francken, M, Hallager, B, Harvati, K, Ingman, T, Kataki, E, Maran, J, Martin, MAS, McGeorge, PJP, Milevski, I, Papadimitriou, A, Protopapadaki, E, Salazar-García, DC, Schmidt-Schultz, T, Schuenemann, VJ, Shafiq, R, Stuijts, I, Yegorov, D, Yener, KA, Schultz, M, Spiteri, C & Stockhammer, PW 2021, 'Archaeometric evidence for the earliest exploitation of lignite from the bronze age Eastern Mediterranean', Scientific Reports, vol. 11, no. 1, 24185. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-03544-w

TY - JOUR

T1 - Archaeometric evidence for the earliest exploitation of lignite from the bronze age Eastern Mediterranean

AU - Buckley, Stephen

AU - Power, Robert C.

AU - Andreadaki-Vlazaki, Maria

AU - Akar, Murat

AU - Becher, Julia

AU - Belser, Matthias

AU - Cafisso, Sara

AU - Eisenmann, Stefanie

AU - Fletcher, Joann

AU - Francken, Michael

AU - Hallager, Birgitta

AU - Harvati, Katerina

AU - Ingman, Tara

AU - Kataki, Efthymia

AU - Maran, Joseph

AU - Martin, Mario A.S.

AU - McGeorge, Photini J.P.

AU - Milevski, Ianir

AU - Papadimitriou, Alkestis

AU - Protopapadaki, Eftychia

AU - Salazar-García, Domingo C.

AU - Schmidt-Schultz, Tyede

AU - Schuenemann, Verena J.

AU - Shafiq, Rula

AU - Stuijts, Ingelise

AU - Yegorov, Dmitry

AU - Yener, K. Aslιhan

AU - Schultz, Michael

AU - Spiteri, Cynthianne

AU - Stockhammer, Philipp W.

N1 - Funding Information: Open Access funding enabled and organized by Projekt DEAL. This research is part of Philipp W. Stockham-mer’s European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grant project ‘FoodTransforms: transformations of food in the Eastern Mediterranean Late Bronze Age’ (ERC-2015-StG 678901-FoodTransforms) funded by the European Research Council. The anthropological research in Tiryns was funded within the project “Negotiating Change – Cultural and Social Transformations in the Late 2nd Millennium BCE East Mediterranean: Case Studies from Tiryns, Greece, and Tell es-Safi/Gath, Israel” (German-Israel Foundation for Science and Research; GIF; Grant No. 1080–132.4/2009; Aren Maeir and Joseph Maran) as well as the German Research Foundation (MA 1058/7–1 and 7–2; Joseph Maran). Katerina Harvati is supported by the German Research Foundation (DFG FOR 2237) and the European Research Council (ERC CoG 724703). Joann Fletcher is supported by Pharos Research. Publisher Copyright: © 2021, The Author(s).

PY - 2021/12/17

Y1 - 2021/12/17

N2 - This paper presents the earliest evidence for the exploitation of lignite (brown coal) in Europe and sheds new light on the use of combustion fuel sources in the 2nd millennium BCE Eastern Mediterranean. We applied Thermal Desorption/Pyrolysis–Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry and Polarizing Microscopy to the dental calculus of 67 individuals and we identified clear evidence for combustion markers embedded within this calculus. In contrast to the scant evidence for combustion markers within the calculus samples from Egypt, all other individuals show the inhalation of smoke from fires burning wood identified as Pinaceae, in addition to hardwood, such as oak and olive, and/or dung. Importantly, individuals from the Palatial Period at the Mycenaean citadel of Tiryns and the Cretan harbour site of Chania also show the inhalation of fire-smoke from lignite, consistent with the chemical signature of sources in the northwestern Peloponnese and Western Crete respectively. This first evidence for lignite exploitation was likely connected to and at the same time enabled Late Bronze Age Aegean metal and pottery production, significantly by both male and female individuals.

AB - This paper presents the earliest evidence for the exploitation of lignite (brown coal) in Europe and sheds new light on the use of combustion fuel sources in the 2nd millennium BCE Eastern Mediterranean. We applied Thermal Desorption/Pyrolysis–Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry and Polarizing Microscopy to the dental calculus of 67 individuals and we identified clear evidence for combustion markers embedded within this calculus. In contrast to the scant evidence for combustion markers within the calculus samples from Egypt, all other individuals show the inhalation of smoke from fires burning wood identified as Pinaceae, in addition to hardwood, such as oak and olive, and/or dung. Importantly, individuals from the Palatial Period at the Mycenaean citadel of Tiryns and the Cretan harbour site of Chania also show the inhalation of fire-smoke from lignite, consistent with the chemical signature of sources in the northwestern Peloponnese and Western Crete respectively. This first evidence for lignite exploitation was likely connected to and at the same time enabled Late Bronze Age Aegean metal and pottery production, significantly by both male and female individuals.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85121525539&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1038/s41598-021-03544-w

DO - 10.1038/s41598-021-03544-w

M3 - Article

C2 - 34921192

AN - SCOPUS:85121525539

SN - 2045-2322

VL - 11

JO - Scientific Reports

JF - Scientific Reports

IS - 1

M1 - 24185

ER -

Archaeometric evidence for the earliest exploitation of lignite from the bronze age Eastern Mediterranean

Abstract

Bibliographical note

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this