Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant: Patterns of Consumption: Ceramic Residue Analysis at Liangchengzhen, Shandong, China

在Robert Tykot博士的指导下，Rheta Lanehart将与山东大学的中美考古团队合作，研究中国古代各种陶瓷容器中脂质残留物的存在，以识别食物，如蛋白质，谷物和其他植物。这项研究的目的是确定不同空间和时间的食物消费模式。根据残留结果，将有可能对山东东南部凉城镇遗址与社会变迁有关的社会和仪式活动提供解释。中国是一个长期与食品消费的社会重要性联系在一起的地区，对凉城镇船只的调查提供了一个难得的机会，可以研究龙山时期（公元前2600-1900年）大区域中心的食品消费。关于龙山时期各区域中心的活动性质的信息有限，尽管已经推断出社会和仪式活动。梁城镇发掘队发现了一系列的工位层，包括400多个坑，许多房屋地基和几个墓葬。特别是这些坑中含有大量的陶瓷容器，这是该项目的主要数据来源。该研究将对从坑中挖掘出的各种陶瓷形式的残留物进行系统分析，这些残留物有望成为不同类型的社会关系，竞争或整合的证据。将采用气相色谱/质谱技术。先前在试点研究中确定的烷烃生物标志物将用于识别陶器残留物中的食物来源。随着时间的推移，将根据假定为提供坑和储存或垃圾坑的坑中存放的容器来解释消费活动的性质。此外，还将考虑到中心的空间和时间变化，以及对假设的首选食物（肉类、大米）的消费。该项目将为更广泛地应用脂质残留物研究来解释消费奠定基础，并将促进国际合作。研究结果将报告给中国当局，并发表在专业期刊上，以及在中国和美国的公众场所。研究报告将在中国进行，也将向南佛罗里达大学和其他地方的本科生和研究生进行。该研究的在线访问将通过Open Context和研究者创建的一个网站提供。

Under the guidance of Dr. Robert Tykot and in collaboration with the Sino-American archaeology team of Shandong University, Rheta Lanehart will investigate the presence of lipid residues in various types of ceramic vessels from ancient China in order to identify foodstuffs such as protein, grains, and other plants. The goal of the research is to identify different patterns of food consumption across space and time. Based upon the residue results, it will be possible to provide interpretations about social and ritual activities in relation to social change at the site of Liangchengzhen in southeastern Shandong province. China is an area long associated with the social importance of food consumption and the investigation of vessels from Liangchengzhen presents a rare opportunity to examine food consumption at a large regional Longshan period (ca. 2600-1900 BC) center. There is limited information about the nature of activities at Longshan period regional centers, although social and ritual activities have been inferred. The Liangchengzhen excavation team uncovered a series of occupation levels containing over 400 pits, numerous house foundations, and several burials. The pits in particular contain large quantities of ceramic vessels, the main source of data for the project. The research will provide a systematic analysis of the residues from a variety of ceramic forms excavated from pits that are promising for evidence of different kinds of social relations, competitive or integrative. A gas chromatography/mass spectrometry technique will be employed. Alkane biomarkers, previously identified in a pilot study, will be used to identify food sources in the pottery residues. Interpretations will be made about the nature of consumption activities over time on the basis of vessels deposited in pits that are hypothesized as offering pits and storage or trash pits. In addition, consideration will be given to spatial and chronological variation at the center with respect to the consumption of hypothesized preferred foods (meat, rice). The project will provide a foundation for broader applications of lipid residue research to the interpretation of consumption and will foster international collaboration. Findings from the research will be reported to Chinese authorities and published in professional journals as well as in venues for the general public, both Chinese and American. Presentations of the research will be given while in China and also to undergraduate and graduate students at the University of South Florida and elsewhere. Online access to the research will be available through Open Context and a website created by the researcher.