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Processing palm fruits in the Nile Valley — biomolecular evidence from Qasr Ibrim

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2015

Mark S. Copley ,
Richard P. Evershed ,
Pamela J. Rose ,
Alan Clapham ,
David N. Edwards  and
Mark C. Horton
Mark S. Copley
Affiliation:
School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Cantock's Close, Bristol BS8 1TS, England
Richard P. Evershed
Affiliation:
School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Cantock's Close, Bristol BS8 1TS, England
Pamela J. Rose
Affiliation:
The Egyptian Exploration Society, 3 Doughty Mews, London WC1 2PG, England
Alan Clapham
Affiliation:
The Egyptian Exploration Society, 3 Doughty Mews, London WC1 2PG, England
David N. Edwards
Affiliation:
School of Archaeological Studies, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, England
Mark C. Horton
Affiliation:
Department of Archaeology, University of Bristol, 43 Woodland Road, Bristol BS8 1UU, England
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Abstract

While palaeobotanical remains provide clear evidence for the exploitation of the date at various locations in Egypt and Nubia, it is the detection amongst lipid residues in closed form vessels of fatty acid distributions dominated by diagnostic short-chain fatty acids, i.e. C12:0 and C14:0′ that provides the first direct evidence for the processing of palm fruit in pottery vessels.

Keywords

Qasr IbrimNubiadate palmfatty acidsstable isotopes
Type
News & Notes
Information
Antiquity , Volume 75 , Issue 289 , September 2001 , pp. 538 - 542
Copyright
Copyright © Antiquity Publications Ltd. 2001

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