Analysis of 10 Experimental Sherds made with Cherokee Black Beans, and Three Soil Samples, With Suggestions for the Identification of Beans in the Analysis of Archaeological Residues

Experimental pottery sherds were cooked either with only Cherokee black beans, or a mixture of these beans, corn, and deer meat. Four sherds from each group were buried for one month to simulate archaeological diagenesis of residues, while one sample from each group was placed in a freezer for the month as a control. Soil samples were taken from all three levels of the area where the sherds were buried, and residue analysis was performed on all sherds. The goal of the study was to determine whether bean residues could be identified in lipid residues. Brassicasterol was identified as a possible sterol indicator for the presence of beans; however, the analysis was not successful in identifying a biomarker unique to beans in the residues. Suggestions for interpretation and directions for future study, including the investigation of phaseolic acid and a stable nitrogen isotope approach, are included.

Analysis of 10 Experimental Sherds made with Cherokee Black Beans, and Three Soil Samples, With Suggestions for the Identification of Beans in the Analysis of Archaeological Residues Report