The decomposition of starch grains in soils: implications for archaeological residue analyses

Recent research involving starch grains recovered from archaeological contexts has highlighted the need for a review of the mechanisms and consequences of starch degradation specifically relevant to archaeology. This paper presents a review of the plant physiological and soil biochemical literature pertinent to the archaeological investigation of starch grains found as residues on artefacts and in archaeological sediments. Preservative and destructive factors affecting starch survival, including enzymes, clays, metals and soil properties, as well as differential degradation of starches of varying sizes and amylose content, were considered. The synthesis and character of chloroplast-formed 'transitory' starch grains, and the differentiation of these from 'storage' starches formed in tubers and seeds were also addressed. Findings of the review include the higher susceptibility of small starch grains to biotic degradation, and that protective mechanisms are provided to starch by both soil aggregates and artefact surfaces. These findings suggest that current reasoning which equates higher numbers of starch grains on an artefact than in associated sediments with the use of the artefact for processing starchy plants needs to be reconsidered. It is argued that an increased understanding of starch decomposition processes is necessary to accurately reconstruct both archaeological activities involving starchy plants and environmental change investigated through starch analysis. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hydroxide carbonates and oxide carbonate hydrate of rare earths grown on glass via a hydrothermal route

Carbonates of rare-earths, specifically hydroxide carbonate or oxide carbonate hydrate, could be prepared on common glass by a hydrothermal process involving thiourea. Examples presented in this paper include LaOHCO3, CeOHCO3 and EU2O(CO3)(2) . H2O structures formed on glass from solutions of thiourea and the relevant rare-earth reactants. The crystal structure and habit on the substrates were dependent on the preparative conditions; the influence of the concentrations of reactants and temperature on the crystal morphologies is illustrated. Second harmonic generation was found to occur in the crystals. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The significance of vivianite in archaeological settings

Vivianite is a bluish mineral sometimes encountered in archaeological deposits. It is notable for its tendency to change color from white or grayish to blue on exposure to air. Vivianite requires specific conditions for its formation-sources of iron, phosphate, and water, as well as low levels of oxygen and sulfide. Microbial activity is also thought to play a part in vivianite formation. The majority of archaeological texts do not discuss vivianite to any great degree, preventing a more detailed interpretation of site conditions and features. Vivianite was found in 25 exhumed burials from the North Brisbane Burial Ground, Queensland, Australia. Research indicated that bone or tissue samples for DNA analysis are best taken from areas distant from vivianite encrustations and that presence of vivianite has implications for artifact conservation. Vivianite at the North Brisbane Burial Grounds helped protect some skeletal and dental elements, preserved the impressions of metal coffin lacing, and also corroborated the oral history of temporary waterlogging and acted as a measure of pollution levels across the site. (c) 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Comparison of the pharmacokinetics of oxycodone and noroxycodone in male dark agouti and Sprague-Dawley rats: Influence of streptozotocin-induced diabetes

Purpose. The aims of this study are to evaluate whether cytochrome P450 (CYP)2D1/2D2-deficient dark agouti (DA) rats and/or CYP2D1/2D2-replete Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats are suitable preclinical models of the human, with respect to mirroring the very low plasma concentrations of metabolically derived oxymorphone seen in humans following oxycodone administration, and to examine the effects of streptozotocin-induced diabetes on the pharmacokinetics of oxycodone and its metabolites, noroxycodone and oxymorphone, in both rodent strains. Methods. High-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry was used to quantify the serum concentrations of oxycodone, noroxycodone, and oxymorphone following subcutaneous administration of bolus doses of oxycodone (2 mg/kg) to groups of nondiabetic and diabetic rats. Results. The mean (+/- SEM) areas under the serum concentration vs. time curves for oxycodone and noroxycodone were significantly higher in DA relative to SD rats (diabetic, p < 0.05; nondiabetic, p < 0.005). Serum concentrations of oxymorphone were very low (< 6.9 nM). Conclusions. Both DA and SD rats are suitable rodent models to study oxycodone's pharmacology, as their systemic exposure to metabolically derived oxymorphone (potent mu-opioid agonist) is very low, mirroring that seen in humans following oxycodone administration. Systemic exposure to oxycodone and noroxycodone was consistently higher for DA than for SD rats showing that strain differences predominated over diabetes status.

The HIPASS catalogue - III. Optical counterparts and isolated dark galaxies

We present the largest catalogue to date of optical counterparts for H I radio-selected galaxies, HOPCAT. Of the 4315 H I radio-detected sources from the H I Parkes All Sky Survey (HIPASS) catalogue, we find optical counterparts for 3618 (84 per cent) galaxies. Of these, 1798 (42 per cent) have confirmed optical velocities and 848 (20 per cent) are single matches without confirmed velocities. Some galaxy matches are members of galaxy groups. From these multiple galaxy matches, 714 (16 per cent) have confirmed optical velocities and a further 258 (6 per cent) galaxies are without confirmed velocities. For 481 (11 per cent), multiple galaxies are present but no single optical counterpart can be chosen and 216 (5 per cent) have no obvious optical galaxy present. Most of these 'blank fields' are in crowded fields along the Galactic plane or have high extinctions. Isolated 'dark galaxy' candidates are investigated using an extinction cut of A(Bj) < 1 mag and the blank-fields category. Of the 3692 galaxies with an A(Bj) extinction < 1 mag, only 13 are also blank fields. Of these, 12 are eliminated either with follow-up Parkes observations or are in crowded fields. The remaining one has a low surface brightness optical counterpart. Hence, no isolated optically dark galaxies have been found within the limits of the HIPASS survey.

Seeing red: the use of Congo Red dye to identify cooked and damaged starch grains in archaeological residues

Starchy plant foods are significant in the diet of almost all peoples. Archaeologically, however, preservation of such plants is limited, and direct evidence of plant use by past people is also rare. Although starch grains can be preserved on artefacts used to process starchy plants, it is very difficult to identify grains damaged by processing methods such as milling or cooking. We present a method for identifying such damaged starch grains using Congo Red staining to identify cooking or milling activities in the past subsistence behaviour of Aboriginal people of southeast Queensland, Australia. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Archaeological Identification and Significance of ÉSAG (Agricultural Storage Pits) at Kaman-Kalehöyük, Central Anatolia

Evidence for the presence of storage pits described in Hittite texts by the Sumerogram "ÉSAG" is presented from Kaman-Kalehöyük, a multi-period tell site in central Turkey occupied during the second and first millennia BC. Small earthen pits matching the description of "ÉSAG" were part of the normal suite of domestic installations at the site throughout the period. Similar to pits seen across western Eurasia, they were probably used to store seed corn or seed for trade. Large earthen pits (>7m in diameter) were also present that matched the description of the "ÉSAG" form, and in some cases contained archaeological cereal remains. Evidence from Kaman shows "ÉSAG" were part of Anatolian life for at least 4,000 years and suggests that the term was generic for lined, earthen storage pits. The presence of so many small pits at Kaman-Kalehöyük showed that it was an agricultural production site for much of its existence. The appearance of the large pits, confined to the Hittite period, reflects centralised control of grain supply, probably by the Hittite Kingdom, and fits a pattern seen at other sites in the region during the second millennium BC. /// Hitit metinlerinde Sumerogram "ÉSAG" ile tanimlanan depo çukurlarinin varliğina dair kanit, Orta Anadolu'da M.Ö. İkinci ve Birinci binde iskan edilmiş çok dönemli bir yerleşim alani olan Kaman-Kalehöyük'ten taninmaktadir. Küçük toprak çukurlar "ÉSAG" in tanimlamasina uygun olarak bu dönem süresince normal ev düzeninin bir parçasi olarak karşimiza çikmiştir. Çukurlar, Bati Avrasya'daki benzer çukurlar gibi olasilikla ticaret maksadi ile misir tohumu ya da tohum muhafaza etmişlerdir. "ÉSAG" formunun tanimina uyan büyük toprak çukurlara (çapi 7m. den büyük) rağmen bunlarin tahil depolama ile ilgili bağlantilari tam olarak belirlenmemiştir. Kaman'daki delil, "ÉSAG" in en az 4,000 yildir Anadolu yaşaminin bir parçasi olduğunu ve bu sözcüğün sivanmiş toprak çukurlar için kullanildiğini işaret etmektedir. Kaman-Kalehöyük'te ele geçen birçok küçük çukur, yerleşimin varliğini sürdürdüǧü sürecin büyük bir bölümünde zirai üretim yapildiğini göstermektedir. Hitit Döneminde büyük çukurlarin ortaya çikmasi muhtemelen Hitit Kralliği tarafindan gerçekleştirilen tahil tedarikinin merkezi kontrolünü yansitmakta ve M.Ö. İkinci binde bu bölgedeki diğer yerleşim alanlarinda görülen şekle uymaktadir.

Potential misidentification of in situ archaeological tool-residues: starch and conidia

Microscopic identification of organic residues in situ on the surface of archaeological artefacts is an established procedure. Where soil components morphologically similar to use-residue types exist within the soil, however, there remains the possibility that these components may be misidentified as authentic residues. The present study investigates common soil components known as conidia, fungal spores which may be mistaken for starch grains. Conidia may exhibit the rotating extinction cross under cross-polarised light commonly diagnostic of starch, and may be morphologically indistinguishable from small starch grains, particularly at the limits of microscope resolution. Conidia were observed on stone and ceramic archaeological artefacts from Honduras, Palau and New Caledonia, as well as experimental artefacts from Papua New Guinea. The findings act as a caution that in situ analysis of residues, and especially of those less than 5 mu m in size, may be subject to misidentification. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An archaeology of the instant? Action and narrative in microscopic archaeological residue analyses

The discovery and interpretation of microscopic residues on stone artefacts is an expanding front within archaeological science, allowing reconstructions of the past use of specific tools. With notable exceptions, however, the field has seen little theoretical development, relying largely on a rationale in which either individual findings are widely generalized or the age of the site determines the importance of the results. Here an approach to residue interpretation is proposed that draws on notions of narrative, scale, action and agency as one means of expanding the theoretical scope and application of residue studies. It is suggested that the individual resonance of the findings of residue analyses with people in the present day can be used to provide a more nuanced understanding of past actions, which in turn allows both better integration and communication of those findings within and outside the archaeological comm unity, and begins to overcome the problems associated with the typically small sample sizes analysed in stone-tool residue studies.

A short note on starch and xylem of Colocasia esculenta (taro) in archaeological deposits from Pitcairn Island, southeast Polynesia

We present results of starch analysis of archaeological deposits from Pitcairn Island. High concentrations of starch grains preserved in cell membranes, and xylem tracheary elements, consistent with introduced Colocasia esculenta (taro) were found. Because of limited age control, we are uncertain if the microfossils are prehistoric. Problems associated with identifying taxa with small starch grains in extractions from weathered deposits are highlighted. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.