New Chemical Evidence for the Use of Combed Ware Pottery Vessels as Beehives in Ancient Greece

摘要: Abstract Coarseware vessels from excavations at Isthmia, Greece, in contexts dating the Hellenistic and Roman periods, resemble ceramic beehives used by ancient Greeks still recent use on Cycladic islands Crete. Chemical investigations of absorbed residues were performed with aim obtaining direct evidence for these as beehives. High-temperature gas chromatography (HT-GC) HT-GC/mass spectrometry (HT-GC/MS) to screen lipid extracts presence compounds characteristic beeswax. Samples beeswax taken a 19C ethnographic beehive was reference material. Potsherds 10 pithoi recovered same Isthmia excavation served controls. A significant proportion sherds putative contained compounds, i.e. n- alkanes, wax esters, fatty acids long-chain alcohols congruent those seen δ 13 C values determined individual components means compound specific GC-combustion-isotope ratio mass (GC-C-IRMS). On basis molecular structures, carbon number distributions 16 40 studied shown contain None although two yielded consistent degraded triacylglycerols.