Dear Histarch & Artifact Readers,
    Have recently read W. B. Emery's _A Funerary Repast in an Egyptian Tomb of
the Archaic Period_ (Leiden, 1962) and was surprized to learn that food
remains are excavated in such condition as to be "readily identified."  I
assume this identification process did not include the more recent lipid
analysis etc. that researchers employ to identify fragrances & such from
ancient pottery.  I wonder what this identification process might have
included besides eyeball identification of bones & berries.  I would also very
much like to know what other reports there are of excavated food remains.  My
impression up until now was that Western archaeo-food specialists were limited
to some grains, nuts, oils, bits of bone & leather but otherwise had to
extract residues from pottery.
    The reason I ask:  I am a Sinologist (not an archaeologist) who is very
much concerned with the material culture of ancient China.  I am writing a
book on ritual feasting and am particularly interested in mortuary feasts
(those held in temples above ground and those placed in the tomb). As a side
but related topic I am writing an article with a conservation scientist and an
art historian discussing the food remains in a perfectly preserved lacquarware
earcup (C14 dated to 2nd century BCE but stylistically must be at least 3rd
century BCE) owned by a collector I visited in Belgium (who allowed me to take
samples of the food remains for analysis).
    My impression from talking with conservators and archaeologists in China
is that food remains are commonly found but rarely reported.  The reason for
this is multifold.  No money for scientific analysis (lack of equipment).  A
lack of realization that food residues are important data.  When they clean
the bronze vessels (with vinegar and sometimes harsher chemicals), they clean
out the residues. [Ironically, pottery considered less valuable is often
stuffed into the storerooms with minimal cleaning.  I have viewed many bone
remains there.]
    One purpose in making a big deal about the food remains in this earcup is
to increase awareness of the importance of such analysis (I hope to publish
the article in a Hong Kong journal and maybe later write a Chinese version for
publication in a journal specializing in the region where I believe this dish
came from).  The other purpose is obviously simply because analysis of one
dish in a mortuary feast provides some tangible evidence to contrast with
information from the ritual texts and inscriptions (my specialty).
    By the way, the famous Mawangdui tomb (2nd century BCE) was replete with
an enormas repast--the subject of a special report (in Chinese).  The method
of identification involved scientific observation (weighing, visual
description).  Other methods of analysis were not available (that was the
seventies).
    I would be very interested in hearing more about excavated feasts/food
outside of China.  Am aware of some of Evershed's work and the book _The
analysis of Prehistoric Diets_.
    I apologize for the multiple postings.  Thank you.
 
                                            C. A. Cook
                                            Lehigh University
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