Molecular and isotopic demonstration of the processing of aquatic products in northern European prehistoric pottery

A number of charred surface residues, adhering to ceramic containers, were obtained from various coastal and inland sites in north-west Europe dating from the sixth to the fourth millennium cal BC. In order to investigate the use of these vessels and in particular to identify any marine products, the residues were subjected to carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analysis. Variation in carbon isotope ratios between different samples indicated that some vessels may have been used to process marine products. This analysis was corroborated by specific identification of aquatic products following structural and isotopic characterization of lipids extracted from selected samples.