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Looking for Ancient Fish Products Through Invisible Biomolecular Residues in the Roman Production Vats from the Atlantic Coast

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Abstract

As organic materials, fish and its derivative products are perishable and break down rapidly and ultimately disappear. Unless they include bones or scales, the only means of identifying them in the archaeological record is through the identification of the chemical constituents that are left behind after decomposition. Fish flesh mainly consists of proteins and lipids. Since these molecules are unstable they degrade irreversibly after death or discard, losing a significant part of the original chemical elements, consequently hampering or complicating their identification. In this paper, two main types of fish products are considered: raw, salted or cooked fish, and fermented fish-based products. In the first case, the degradation of the native markers results from chemical post-depositional degradation, and eventually thermal degradation during cooking. In the second case, the biochemical processes involve bacteria that cause the rapid decomposition of fish as part of the process of forming fish sauces, such as Roman garum. To detect and identify fish products we combined experimental archaeology and organic analyses. The identification of the degradation products of cholesterol appeared to provide a strong indicator for detecting the presence of fish sauces. Analysis of samples taken from fish-salting vats located along the Atlantic coast (Marsa, Baelo Claudia, Troia, Kerlaz, and Etel) with samples taken from actual experimental garum sauces made from mackerel (Scomber scombrus), sardines (Sardina pilchardus), and/or oysters (Ostreidae), revealed the presence of common markers of fermented fish-based products. The application of the analytical methodology described here to structures involved in ancient fish sauce manufacture and storage has enabled investigation of the production of the sauces by searching directly for the fish markers on the inner sides of the containers. For the first time the addition of molluscs and fruits in the fish product has been identified as part of the process of manufacturing garum.

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Notes

  1. For a definition of the products see Grimal and Monod 1952, more recently García-Vargas et al. 2014 and, from a different perspective Grainger 2014.

  2. A commercial inscription written on the surface of certain amphorae, that specifies information such as origin, destination, type of product, etc.

  3. Melanogrammus aeglefinus, Gadus morhua, Molva molva, Merluccius merluccius, Platichthys flesus.

  4. Anguilla anguilla, Salmo salar, Clupea harengus, Scomber scombrus, Thunninae, Sardina pilchardus.

  5. For further information see Bernal-Casasola et al. 2007 and this volume.

  6. This sterol is often identified as brassicasterol, the 24α isomer, having a mass spectrum very close to that of crinosterol, the 24β isomer. It was shown that “stereochemistry at C-24 is phylogenetically significant: vascular plants have the α-stereochemistry, while algae and fungi possess the opposite configuration”, e.g. the 24β (Zimmerman and Djerassi 1991). As microalgae are a main nutriment of oysters, the detected sterol is preferably attributed to crinosterol (= (22E)-campesta-5,22-dien-3β-ol) and not brassicasterol (= (22E)-ergosta-5,22-dien-3β-ol).

  7. As mentioned above, crinosterol is often noted brassicasterol. In some articles, the doubt is noted as 24α/β-isomers or as crinosterol/brassicasterol.

  8. Creveruntque genera ad infinitum: sicuti garum ad colorem mulsi veteris, adeoque dulutam suavitatem, ut bibi possit (Pliny HN 31.44).

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Acknowledgements

This paper is part of project GARVM II (HAR-2016-78691-P) funded by MINECO of the Spanish Government/FEDER. The authors are very grateful to Rebecca Nicholson and Dimitra Mylona for their constructive help with this text.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. SAS Laboratoire N. Garnier, 32 rue de la Porte Robin, 63270, Vic le Comte, France

    Nicolas Garnier

  2. AOROC (CNRS UMR 8546), Ecole Normale Supérieure, 45 rue d’Ulm, Paris, France

    Nicolas Garnier

  3. Área de Arqueología, Facultad de Filosofía y Letras, Universidad de Cádiz, Avda. Dr. Gómez Ulla 1, 11003, Cádiz, Spain

    Dario Bernal-Casasola

  4. Éveha Auvergne, 44 rue Proudhon, 63000, Clermont-Ferrand, France

    Cyril Driard

  5. Troia Resort, Troia, 7570-789, Carvalhal Grândola, Portugal

    Inês Vaz Pinto

  6. CEAACP – Centro de Estudos de Arqueologia, Artes e Ciências do Património of the University of Coimbra (Research Unit 281 of Fundação da Ciência e Tecnologia), Palácio de Sub-Ripas, 3000-395, Coimbra, Portugal

    Inês Vaz Pinto

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  1. Nicolas Garnier
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  2. Dario Bernal-Casasola
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  3. Cyril Driard
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  4. Inês Vaz Pinto
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Correspondence to Nicolas Garnier.

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Garnier, N., Bernal-Casasola, D., Driard, C. et al. Looking for Ancient Fish Products Through Invisible Biomolecular Residues in the Roman Production Vats from the Atlantic Coast. J Mari Arch 13, 285–328 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11457-018-9219-x

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