Morning session - part 1 11:15-12:45
Dietary Practices of a Rural Society in Western Germany Under Rome: Lipid Analysis of Pottery Covering Major Historical Transitions (1st to 4th Century CE)
George Janzen (1) - Leandra Schunk (1) - Arno Braun (2) - Sabine Hornung (2) - Sabine Fiedler (1)
Geographical Institute, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany (1) - Institute of Pre- and Early History, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany (2)
Keywords: Organic residue analysis, Roman Germany, Diachronic study
Organic residue analysis of archaeological pottery allows us to study the economies (subsistence, trade), social structure, and ritual practices of past populations, as well as observe the development of these aspects through time. In our study, we analyzed 142 pottery sherds from two settlements (a vicus and a villa rustica) near Hermeskeil (co. Trier-Saarburg) in Western Germany, populated by the Treveri people. These sites cover the timeframe from the onset of Roman rule in the area (Late La Tène/Early Imperial) to the economic decline caused by political unrest and frequent Germanic raids (mid-3rd to mid-4th century CE). The sherds were subjected to multiple (2–3 ×) sampling, sequential extractions (solvent followed by acidified methanol extraction), and gas chromatographic analysis. Up to 93 % of the vessels contained significant amounts of lipids (> 5 µg gpottery-1). Multiple sampling was shown to have helped to achieve that number. The vast majority of extracts bore signatures associated with animal fats, while plant biomarkers were exceedingly rare. Principal component analysis indicated a relatively monotonous diet. In addition, thermal decomposition products were detected in high abundance at one of the sites. Some of these compounds have not been previously reported. The aim of this project is to track dietary practices in a geographically limited context during a historically significant era that saw a change in power, a period of prosperity and integration into an empire-wide trade network, the Crisis of the Third Century, and finally economic collapse and displacement.
