Haslam, M. (2004). The decomposition of starch grains in soils:. J Archaeol Sci 31 (12). Vol 31(12), pp. 1715-1734.
Title The title of the publication or report |
The decomposition of starch grains in soils: | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Subtitle The sub title of the publication or report |
implications for archaeological residue analyses | ||||
Issue The name of the volume or issue |
J Archaeol Sci 31 (12) | ||||
Series The series the publication or report is included in |
Journal of Archaeological Science | ||||
Volume Volume number and part |
31 (12) | ||||
Page Start/End The start and end page numbers. |
1715 - 1734 | ||||
Biblio Note This is a Bibliographic record only. |
The ADS have no files for download on this page but further information is available online, normally as an electronic version maintained by the Publisher, or held in a larger collection such as an ADS Archive. Please refer to the DOI or URI listed in the Relations section of this record to locate the information you require. In the case of non-ADS resources, please be aware that we cannot advise further on availability. | ||||
Publication Type The type of publication - report, monograph, journal article or chapter from a book |
Journal | ||||
Abstract The abstract describing the content of the publication or report |
Recent research involving starch grains recovered from archaeological contexts has highlighted the need for a review of the mechanisms and consequences of starch degradation specifically relevant to archaeology. The paper presents a review of the plant physiological and soil biochemical literature pertinent to the archaeological investigation of starch grains found as residues on artefacts and in archaeological sediments. Preservative and destructive factors affecting starch survival, including enzymes, clays, metals and soil properties, as well as differential degradation of starches of varying sizes and amylose content, were considered. The synthesis and character of chloroplast-formed 'transitory' starch grains, and the differentiation of these from 'storage' starches formed in tubers and seeds were also addressed. Findings of the review include the higher susceptibility of small starch grains to biotic degradation, and that protective mechanisms are provided to starch by both soil aggregates and artefact surfaces. These findings suggest that current reasoning which equates higher numbers of starch grains on an artefact than in associated sediments with the use of the artefact for processing starchy plants needs to be reconsidered. It is argued that an increased understanding of starch decomposition processes is necessary to accurately reconstruct both archaeological activities involving starchy plants and environmental change investigated through starch analysis. | ||||
Year of Publication The year the book, article or report was published |
2004 | ||||
Locations Any locations covered by the publication or report. This is not the place the book or report was published. |
|
||||
Source Where the record has come from or which dataset it was orginally included in. |
BIAB
(The British & Irish Archaeological Bibliography (BIAB))
|
||||
Relations Other resources which are relevant to this publication or report |
|
||||
Created Date The date the record of the pubication was first entered |
01 Jul 2005 |