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Direct morpho-chemical characterization of elusive plant residues from Aurignacian Pontic Steppe ground stones

View ORCID ProfileG. Birarda, View ORCID ProfileC. Cagnato, View ORCID ProfileI. Pantyukhina, View ORCID ProfileC. Stani, View ORCID ProfileN. Cefarin, G. Sorrentino, View ORCID ProfileE. Badetti, View ORCID ProfileA. Marcomini, View ORCID ProfileC. Lubritto, G. Khlopachev, View ORCID ProfileS. Covalenco, T. Obada, N. Skakun, View ORCID ProfileL. Vaccari, View ORCID ProfileL. Longo
doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.07.23.212324
G. Birarda
1Elettra-Sincrotrone Trieste, S.S. 14 - km 163,5 in AREA Science Park, 34149 Basovizza, Trieste ITALY
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  • For correspondence: giovanni.birarda@elettra.eu
C. Cagnato
2Université Paris 1 - Panthéon-Sorbonne, UMR 8096 Archéologie des Amériques, France
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I. Pantyukhina
3Institute of History, Archaeology and Ethnology of the Peoples of the Far-East, Far-Eastern Branch of the RAS
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C. Stani
1Elettra-Sincrotrone Trieste, S.S. 14 - km 163,5 in AREA Science Park, 34149 Basovizza, Trieste ITALY
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N. Cefarin
1Elettra-Sincrotrone Trieste, S.S. 14 - km 163,5 in AREA Science Park, 34149 Basovizza, Trieste ITALY
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G. Sorrentino
4Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Torino, Italy
5STARC-The Cyprus Institute, Nicosia, Cyprus
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E. Badetti
6DAIS Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics, Università Ca’ Foscari Venezia, Italy
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A. Marcomini
6DAIS Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics, Università Ca’ Foscari Venezia, Italy
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C. Lubritto
7DiSTABIF Università degli Studi della Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Caserta, Italy
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G. Khlopachev
8Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography, St. Petersburg, Russia
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S. Covalenco
9Institute of Cultural Heritage, Academy of Sciences of Moldova, Moldova
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T. Obada
10Institute of Zoology, National Museum of Ethnography and Natural History of Moldova, Moldova
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N. Skakun
11Institute for the History of Material Culture, IHMC-RAS St. Petersburg, Russia
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L. Vaccari
1Elettra-Sincrotrone Trieste, S.S. 14 - km 163,5 in AREA Science Park, 34149 Basovizza, Trieste ITALY
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L. Longo
6DAIS Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics, Università Ca’ Foscari Venezia, Italy
7DiSTABIF Università degli Studi della Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Caserta, Italy
12ADM School, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
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Abstract

Direct evidence for the intentional processing of starch-rich plants during the Paleolithic is scant, and that evidence is often compromised by concerns over preservation and contamination. Our integrated, multimodal approach couples wear-trace analysis with chemical imaging methods to identify the presence of genuine ancient starch candidates (ASC) on ground stones used in the Pontic Steppe starting around 40,000 years ago. Optical and electron microscopy coupled with infrared spectromicroscopy and imaging provide morphological and chemical profiles for ASCs, that partially match the vibrational polysaccharide features of modern reference starches, highlighting diagenetic differences ranging from partial oxidation to mineralization. The results suggest the intentional processing of roots and tubers by means of mechanical tenderization and shed light on the role of dietary carbohydrates during Homo sapiens’ (HS) colonization of Eurasia, demonstrating a long acquaintance with predictable calorific foods, crucial to maintain homeostasis during the harsh conditions of the Late MIS 3 (40-25 ky).

Competing Interest Statement

The authors have declared no competing interest.

Footnotes

  • ↵* laura.longo{at}unive.it

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Direct morpho-chemical characterization of elusive plant residues from Aurignacian Pontic Steppe ground stones
G. Birarda, C. Cagnato, I. Pantyukhina, C. Stani, N. Cefarin, G. Sorrentino, E. Badetti, A. Marcomini, C. Lubritto, G. Khlopachev, S. Covalenco, T. Obada, N. Skakun, L. Vaccari, L. Longo
bioRxiv 2020.07.23.212324; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.07.23.212324
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Direct morpho-chemical characterization of elusive plant residues from Aurignacian Pontic Steppe ground stones
G. Birarda, C. Cagnato, I. Pantyukhina, C. Stani, N. Cefarin, G. Sorrentino, E. Badetti, A. Marcomini, C. Lubritto, G. Khlopachev, S. Covalenco, T. Obada, N. Skakun, L. Vaccari, L. Longo
bioRxiv 2020.07.23.212324; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.07.23.212324

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