Event Details

Cancelled: AIA Lecture: Using Residue Analysis to Explore...

Time: 12:00 pm til 1:00 pm

Location: UNF Archaeology Lab

Description: Using Residue Analysis to Explore Ancient Maya Recipes and Food-Processing Technologies
Lisa Duffy, Doctoral Candidate at the University of Florida

The food and drink of ancient societies is of great interest to scientists and the public alike. Food represents sustenance and also symbols. What we eat and drink is embedded in our cultural attitudes, but is also affected by the availability of resources. In areas like the ancient Maya world, it has been difficult to trace the material remains of many foods because they do not preserve well and, in this area of high biodiversity, are difficult to identify.

My colleagues and I at the University of Florida are investigating the foods and beverages consumed by the ancient Maya, by analyzing organic chemical residues and starch grains in pottery vessels and on stone grinding tools. Our techniques are interdisciplinary and include artifact analysis, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, and starch grain analysis by microscopy. I will explain how these analyses can help identify a broader range of food items and particularly, reveal ancient Maya “recipes.”

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