The study of organic residues as biomarkers in archaeology is predicated on the recovery and identification of molecular markers for biomaterials known to have been used in the past. These markers are often found degraded due to chemical breakdown and/or microbial activity and have traditionally focused on interpreting a material’s usage or origins. For example, the recovery of lipid residues in pot sherds have been used to identify usage. Modern mass spectrometry techniques provide a wealth of opportunities for residue analysis; in particular ‘omics’ techniques, including proteomics and metabolomics.
