Julia Becher | University of York (original) (raw)

Papers by Julia Becher

Research paper thumbnail of Buckley et al. 2021, Archaeometric Evidence for the Earliest Exploitation of Lignite from the Bronze Age Eastern Mediterranean

Scientific Reports, 2021

This paper presents the earliest evidence for the exploitation of lignite (brown coal) in Europe ... more 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.

Research paper thumbnail of Multi-purpose pots: Reconstructing early farmer behaviour at Lydenburg Heads site, South Africa, using organic residue analysis

Journal of Archaeological Science, 2024

About 2000 years ago, Bantu-speaking people introduced an agro-pastoral lifeway into southern Afr... more About 2000 years ago, Bantu-speaking people introduced an agro-pastoral lifeway into southern Africa and lived in northern and eastern lowland parts of the region by 700 CE. Also defined as the 'southern African Iron Age', pottery is the most common and diagnostic artefact category. The soil chemistry of several farming sites resulted in poor faunal preservation and especially within Mpumalanga Province, South Africa, the possibilities for dietary reconstructions based on bone assemblages is very limited. Furthermore, the majority of ceramic research on early farming communities (ca. 200-900 CE) has focused on typology and ethnoarchaeological interpretations. This study represents the first application of Organic Residue Analysis (ORA) applied to southern African early farming pottery to gain a deeper understanding of past human behaviour and subsistence patterns. We investigate the potential and evaluate future prospects of applying this method to southern African early farming pottery. A combined lipid biomarker (GC-MS) and compound specific isotope approach (GC-C-IRMS) was applied to pottery sherds (n = 40) from the Lydenburg Heads site (LHS), dating to the 7th century CE (Mzonjani facies) and 9th to 11th centuries CE (Doornkop facies), to test for lipid preservation, trace possible vessel use and dietary changes through time and embed the research data within the faunal and botanical record available. Our study provides first evidence for the processing of dairy products by early farmers in southern Africa. Both facies imply multipurpose functionality of the ceramics tested, demonstrated by the mixing of animal fats and plant oils. The obtained ORA data from LHS confirms the processing of ruminant carcass fats within both occupation facies, likely representing domestic animal fats, as well as the processing of wild nonruminant carcass fats within the earlier Mzonjani facies. The identification of ricinoleic acid in two vessels of the Doornkop facies, provides evidence for potential medicinal use. Preliminary data also indicate that dung could have been involved in different forms of pottery sealing and/or mending during both occupation facies. In this study, we begin to explore biomolecular evidence for dietary choices made by early farmers in southern Africa, shedding light on previously unexplored key products.

Research paper thumbnail of Organic Residue Analysis of Archaeological Pottery

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

Scientific Reports, 2021

This paper presents the earliest evidence for the exploitation of lignite (brown coal) in Europe ... more 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 evid...

Research paper thumbnail of Chaîne opératoire of Molly - an Indian elephant from the Wilhelma in Stuttgart – Bad Cannstatt Results of a 2nd workshop in Blaubeuren on the processing of skins with Proboscidian rib smoothers

In this 2nd workshop we tested smoothers for cleaning and processing skins, after reconstructing ... more In this 2nd workshop we tested smoothers for cleaning and processing skins, after
reconstructing the chaîne opératoire of the smoothers made out of Proboscidian ribs
during our 1st workshop (see other poster).
Our research question was whether shape and polish of smoothers are produced
during the processing of skin or whether this was prepared beforehand as part of the
chaîne opératoire. Furthermore, we compared the efficiency of these bone
smoothers with that of lithic scrapers for the cleaning of the skins.

Research paper thumbnail of Chaîne opératoire of Molly, an Indian elephant from the Wilhelma in Stuttgart – Bad Cannstatt. Results of a workshop in Blaubeuren on the processing of Proboscidian ribs as raw material for tools

Step 1: Obtaining a straight part of the rib The most suitable segment to manufacture smoothers a... more Step 1: Obtaining a straight part of the rib The most suitable segment to manufacture smoothers as found in the archaeological record is the ventral third of the rib. The applied methods were (a) crushing or (b) cutting/sawing through the compacta, followed by breaking the rib.

Research paper thumbnail of Buckley et al. 2021, Archaeometric Evidence for the Earliest Exploitation of Lignite from the Bronze Age Eastern Mediterranean

Scientific Reports, 2021

This paper presents the earliest evidence for the exploitation of lignite (brown coal) in Europe ... more 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.

Research paper thumbnail of Multi-purpose pots: Reconstructing early farmer behaviour at Lydenburg Heads site, South Africa, using organic residue analysis

Journal of Archaeological Science, 2024

About 2000 years ago, Bantu-speaking people introduced an agro-pastoral lifeway into southern Afr... more About 2000 years ago, Bantu-speaking people introduced an agro-pastoral lifeway into southern Africa and lived in northern and eastern lowland parts of the region by 700 CE. Also defined as the 'southern African Iron Age', pottery is the most common and diagnostic artefact category. The soil chemistry of several farming sites resulted in poor faunal preservation and especially within Mpumalanga Province, South Africa, the possibilities for dietary reconstructions based on bone assemblages is very limited. Furthermore, the majority of ceramic research on early farming communities (ca. 200-900 CE) has focused on typology and ethnoarchaeological interpretations. This study represents the first application of Organic Residue Analysis (ORA) applied to southern African early farming pottery to gain a deeper understanding of past human behaviour and subsistence patterns. We investigate the potential and evaluate future prospects of applying this method to southern African early farming pottery. A combined lipid biomarker (GC-MS) and compound specific isotope approach (GC-C-IRMS) was applied to pottery sherds (n = 40) from the Lydenburg Heads site (LHS), dating to the 7th century CE (Mzonjani facies) and 9th to 11th centuries CE (Doornkop facies), to test for lipid preservation, trace possible vessel use and dietary changes through time and embed the research data within the faunal and botanical record available. Our study provides first evidence for the processing of dairy products by early farmers in southern Africa. Both facies imply multipurpose functionality of the ceramics tested, demonstrated by the mixing of animal fats and plant oils. The obtained ORA data from LHS confirms the processing of ruminant carcass fats within both occupation facies, likely representing domestic animal fats, as well as the processing of wild nonruminant carcass fats within the earlier Mzonjani facies. The identification of ricinoleic acid in two vessels of the Doornkop facies, provides evidence for potential medicinal use. Preliminary data also indicate that dung could have been involved in different forms of pottery sealing and/or mending during both occupation facies. In this study, we begin to explore biomolecular evidence for dietary choices made by early farmers in southern Africa, shedding light on previously unexplored key products.

Research paper thumbnail of Organic Residue Analysis of Archaeological Pottery

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

Scientific Reports, 2021

This paper presents the earliest evidence for the exploitation of lignite (brown coal) in Europe ... more 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 evid...

Research paper thumbnail of Chaîne opératoire of Molly - an Indian elephant from the Wilhelma in Stuttgart – Bad Cannstatt Results of a 2nd workshop in Blaubeuren on the processing of skins with Proboscidian rib smoothers

In this 2nd workshop we tested smoothers for cleaning and processing skins, after reconstructing ... more In this 2nd workshop we tested smoothers for cleaning and processing skins, after
reconstructing the chaîne opératoire of the smoothers made out of Proboscidian ribs
during our 1st workshop (see other poster).
Our research question was whether shape and polish of smoothers are produced
during the processing of skin or whether this was prepared beforehand as part of the
chaîne opératoire. Furthermore, we compared the efficiency of these bone
smoothers with that of lithic scrapers for the cleaning of the skins.

Research paper thumbnail of Chaîne opératoire of Molly, an Indian elephant from the Wilhelma in Stuttgart – Bad Cannstatt. Results of a workshop in Blaubeuren on the processing of Proboscidian ribs as raw material for tools

Step 1: Obtaining a straight part of the rib The most suitable segment to manufacture smoothers a... more Step 1: Obtaining a straight part of the rib The most suitable segment to manufacture smoothers as found in the archaeological record is the ventral third of the rib. The applied methods were (a) crushing or (b) cutting/sawing through the compacta, followed by breaking the rib.