Geochemical Study of Bitumen Residues on Potsherds from the al-Qusur Monastery (7th–9th c. CE): Composition and Origin
Fiche du document
30 avril 2025
- ISIDORE Id: 10670/1.0f2b6b...
- hal: hal-05066741
- doi: 10.3390/molecules30092006
Ce document est lié à :
info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.3390/molecules30092006
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ , info:eu-repo/semantics/OpenAccess
Mots-clés
Kuwait Failaka Island al-Qusur monastery potsherds bitumen biomarkers steranes terpanes carbon and hydrogen isotopes geochemical analysis oil seeps IranSujets proches
Allec Hallex Hallec Lymphata Allex Muria Liquamen Methods of analysis Analysis and chemistry Analytical methods Chemical analysis Analysis methods Analysis and examinationCiter ce document
Jacques Connan et al., « Geochemical Study of Bitumen Residues on Potsherds from the al-Qusur Monastery (7th–9th c. CE): Composition and Origin », HAL SHS (Sciences de l’Homme et de la Société), ID : 10.3390/molecules30092006
Métriques
Partage / Export
Résumé
Geochemical and isotopic analysis of bitumen lining potsherds from the al-Qusur monastery (second half of the 7th c. CE and the middle of the 9th c. CE), at the central part of Failaka Island (Kuwait Bay), confirms the presence of two distinct compositional categories that can be matched to contemporary sources from two different areas of Iran: the Kermanshah province on one side, and the Khuzestan–Fars–Busher provinces on the other side. Potsherds comprise different types: TORP-S amphorae, TORP-C amphorae, SPORC storage jar, turquoise alkaline-glazed jar (TURQ.T), and CREAC jar. There is no relationship between the type of potsherd and the origin of bitumen. The bitumen coating SPORC jar, first identified as a kind of juice strainer to filter the «garum-like juice», was examined in greater details to try to identify traces of fish sauce mentioned in the Arabic kitchen books as ‘murri’, and quite similar to the Roman garum. The mineralogical analysis exhibits the classical minerals of archaeological mixtures (quartz, calcite, dolomite) and no halite. Hydrocarbons, alcohols, and methyl esters show a typical biodegraded bitumen signature but no fatty acids and terpenoids. It seems that the bitumen matrix has not adsorbed any molecules from the presumed «garum» filtered in the basin.
