Lipids archaeological samples

Giilapar, F. O., Susini, A. and Koln, M. (1990) Preservation and post mortem transformations of lipids in samples from a 4000 year old Nubian mummy. Journal of Archaeological Science 17, 691 659. 

Passi, S., Rothschildboros, M.C., Fasella, P., Nazzaroporro, M. and Whitehouse, D. (1981) An application of high performance liquid chromatography to analysis of lipids in archaeological samples. Journal of Lipid Research 22, 778 784. 

The identification of the specific source of lipids after the GC/MS analysis of an archaeological sample is by no means straightforward. The analysis is complicated... 

In the present chapter, we first provide some general information concerning the chemistry of waxes and lipids currently encountered in various items from our cultural heritage and we detail the main protocols based on direct mass spectrometry that have been developed so far. We then discuss the mass spectra obtained by EI-MS on a range of reference substances and materials sampled from museum and archaeological artefacts. We then focus on the recent possibilities supplied by electrospray ionisation for the elucidation of the structure of biomarkers of beeswax and animal fats. 

Figure 4.1 Analytical strategy in which direct mass spectrometry analyses using either elec tron ionisation or electrospray are used for detecting and identifying lipid substances in archaeological and museum samples...

Although analytical procedures based on GC/MS analysis usually involve a relatively long analysis time, requiring a wet chemical pretreatment of the samples, they are unsurpassed in their capacity to unravel the molecular composition of the lipids used in works of art and in archaeological findings at a molecular level. In addition to obtaining a qualitative molecular profile, GC permits quantitative or semi-quantitative measurements on specific molecules. 

Sterols are seldom detected in archaeological residues due to their low concentration and the tendency to undergo chemical degradation. In any case, the presence of sterols or of their oxidation products in a sample can help distinguish between animal and plant lipid materials cholesterol is the most abundant animal sterol, while campesterol and sitosterol are the two major plant ones. 

Charters, S., Evershed, R. P., Goad, L. J., et al. (1993). Quantification and distribution of lipid in archaeological ceramics implications for sampling potsherds for organic residue analysis and the classification of vessel use. Archaeometry 35 211-223. 

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