View article

The development of a research field at the border between analytical chemistry and archaeology, namely biomolecular archaeology, provides new methods for the study of organic remains highly sensitive to natural decay. Using infrared spectroscopy, gas chromatography and mass spectrometry, it is now possible to chemically identify a series of natural substances preserved in archaeological environments. This paper details the amorphous organic residues discovered in ancient pottery or adhering to flint tools and presents an overview of the analytical methodology developed in our laboratories for the characterization of such remains. Various natural products could be identified, such as animal or plant fats, beeswax or birch bark tar, this latter substance being an adhesive made by a controlled heating of white birch bark.