Original Paper Organic residue analysis of Neolithic pottery from North Greece

Organic residues associated with Neolith- ic pottery from two Late Neolithic sites, Paliambela and Makriyalos (Northern Greece), were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The study aimed at identifying the origin of the tar used for waterproofing and gluing broken pots. Reference tars were prepared in laboratory conditions by pyro- lysis of the bark from three tree species, namely from Betula pendula (silver birch), Ostrya carpinifolia (hop hornbeam) and Carpinus orientalis (Eastern hornbeam). The results suggest that mostly birch bark tar was used as glue for fixing broken pieces of the pots as well as for waterproofing close-shaped ves- sels. None of the archaeological tars derived from the two hornbeams. The analysis shows certain vari- ability in the composition of birch bark tar, which is related to the production technique and to the re- use of tar. Of particular interest is the presence of characteristic diterpenoid biomarkers in several sam- ples, which indicates that pine pitch was used for gluing and pine resin for waterproofing vessels for liquids.