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Wine markers in archeological potteries: detection by GC-MS at ultratrace levels

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Abstract

The detection of organic residues that remain absorbed into the pores of ceramic artifacts constitutes a source of information regarding their management. Taking into account the poor conservation state of the potteries and the low amount of the organic tracers together with the main drawbacks to get the relevant information concerning different aspects of past societies, the detection of organic biomarkers is still an analytical challenge. In this work, an improved analytical methodology to maximize the recovery of organic markers related to wine in archeological ceramics is presented. The developed method consists on the extraction of wine-related organic compounds including tartaric acid, malic acid, fumaric acid, succinic acid, citric acid, and syringic acid by means of ultrasonic probe-assisted extraction (UPAE) followed by a preconcentration step by mixed-mode strong anion exchange and reversed-phase solid-phase extraction (SPE) and a derivatization step prior to analysis by means of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Finally, the method was applied to real archeological ceramic fragments (two dolia), suspected to have been used to store wine, together with organic residues found inside two amphorae from Zaragoza (Spain).

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Acknowledgments

Laura Blanco-Zubiaguirre is grateful to the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) for her post-doctoral fellowship (DOKBERRI 2018-II).

Funding

This work has been financially supported the Government of the Basque Country (Research Groups of Excellence, Consolidated Groups Program, ref. IT-742-13).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Analytical Chemistry, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Barrio Sarriena, 48940, Leioa, Biscay, Spain

    Laura Blanco-Zubiaguirre, Maitane Olivares, Kepa Castro & Jose Antonio Carrero

  2. Research Centre for Experimental Marine Biology and Biotechnology (PIE), University of the Basque Country (UPV/ EHU), Plentzia, Basque Country, Spain

    Maitane Olivares

  3. Centro de Estudios Turiasonenses, 50500, Tarazona, Spain

    Carlos García-Benito, José Ángel García-Serrano & Julián Pérez-Pérez

  4. Instituto Universitario de investigación en Ciencias Ambientales de Aragón (IUCA), Universidad de Zaragoza, 50009, Zaragoza, Spain

    Josefina Pérez-Arantegui

Authors
  1. Laura Blanco-Zubiaguirre
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  2. Maitane Olivares
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  3. Kepa Castro
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Correspondence to Laura Blanco-Zubiaguirre.

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Blanco-Zubiaguirre, L., Olivares, M., Castro, K. et al. Wine markers in archeological potteries: detection by GC-MS at ultratrace levels. Anal Bioanal Chem 411, 6711–6722 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-019-02044-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-019-02044-1

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