Analyses of charred organic remains

Abstract

Charred organic remains from a selection of archaeological excavations were analysed to determine the biological origin of their content. Analysis methods focused on microscopic examination searching for micro- and macrobotanical remains, and chemical analysis searching for proteins and lipids. In combination, these methods revealed interesting details of the content of each sample.
It was possible lo trace lipids and proteins, as well as cereals, seeds of weeds and other plant and fungal remains. The results form the basis of a classification of charred organic remains, presented elsewhere, and shed important new light on ancient Swedish diet.