Ancient proteins from ceramic vessels at Çatalhöyük West reveal the hidden cuisine of early farmers

• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-06335-6
• Publication Date: 2018-09-27T15:27:35Z
• Authors: Jessica Hendy; Andre C. Colonese; Ingmar Franz; Ricardo Fernandes; Roman Fischer; David Orton; Alexandre Lucquin; Luke Spindler; Jana Anvari; Elizabeth Stroud; Peter F. Biehl; Camilla Speller; Nicole Boivin; Meaghan Mackie; Rosa R. Jersie-Ch...; Jesper V. Olsen; Matthew J. Collins; Oliver E. Craig; Eva Rosenstock
• Keywords: 0301 basic medicine; 2. Zero hunger; Carbon Isotopes; Ceramics; Farmers; Geography; Turkey; Science; Q; Proteins; Fabaceae; Ruminants; Article; Diet; Dairying; 03 medical and health sciences; Animals; Humans; Cooking; Edible Grain; Adiposity

AbstractThe analysis of lipids (fats, oils and waxes) absorbed within archaeological pottery has revolutionized the study of past diets and culinary practices. However, this technique can lack taxonomic and tissue specificity and is often unable to disentangle signatures resulting from the mixing of different food products. Here, we extract ancient proteins from ceramic vessels from the West Mound of the key early farming site of Çatalhöyük in Anatolia, revealing that this community processed mixes of cereals, pulses, dairy and meat products, and that particular vessels may have been reserved for specialized foods (e.g., cow milk and milk whey). Moreover, we demonstrate that dietary proteins can persist on archaeological artefacts for at least 8000 years, and that this approach can reveal past culinary practices with more taxonomic and tissue-specific clarity than has been possible with previous biomolecular techniques.