Digitized Honors Theses (2002-2017)

Date of Award

5-2015

Document Type

Undergraduate Thesis

Degree Name

BS

Department

Chemistry

Faculty Mentor

Alexandra Stenson, Ph.D.

Advisor(s)

Gregory Waselkov, Ph.D., Jason Coym, Ph.D.

Abstract

Organic residue analysis can be used to understand culture and history through the chemical characteristics of organic compounds found in archaeological artifacts. A major class of these organic compounds includes absorbed residues in pottery that arise from food and drink that were once in contact with the vessel. Identification of a Native American tea called Black Drink in pottery residues is of interest to archaeologist because much is still unknown about its associated rituals and the geographic range of its use. Black Drink was a stimulant tea prepared from Ilex Vomitoria Ait (yaupon holly) leaves that was consumed in the southeastern United States before the 20th century. Caffeine and other alkaloids from the yaupon leaves are absorbed and preserved in pottery matrices, and can be detected with mass spectrometry. Here, potsherds were screened for caffeine content with direct analysis in real time mass spectrometry (DART-MS), and selected samples were analyzed with electrospray ionization-liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (ESI-LCMS). Alkaloids were found in potsherds from the LaPointe-Krebs site in Pascagoula, MS with ESI-LCMS, but the residue could not be definitively identified as Black Drink or an alternative alkaloid-containing substance such as cacao.

Comments

© 2015 Genevieve Elise Mullen ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

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