Food residues on prehistoric ceramics offer direct evidence of ancient culinary practices but are often charred and degraded, limiting functional interpretation based solely on vessel form. We combined FTIR screening with paired indirect ELISA-using both polyclonal antibody G9144 and the biotinylated DNA aptamer Gli4-to detect and compare the cereal gluten marker gliadin in 12 Early Iron Age, one Late Iron Age and one Roman ceramic sherd from the Pungrt hillfort (Slovenia). Additional antibody-based ELISAs targeted proteins from meat (myosin, collagen), dairy (casein) and eggs (ovalbumin) to assess their distribution across vessel types and periods. The aptamer generally produced stronger signal above background (greater AOD4 n 5 ) than the antibody; five samples were antibody-positive for gluten and four were aptamer-positive. FTIR confirmed proteinaceous residues in all samples, though mostly only after acetone or chloroform extraction. Collagen and myosin were the most widespread markers (11/14 and 8/14 sherds), indicating frequent cooking of whole-animal tissues or bone-rich broths. Ovalbumin occurred on seven sherds, while casein was rare and weakly expressed (four sherds). Gluten was also infrequent (four sherds) but produced stronger signals. Co-occurrence of plant and animal markers-especially on the Early Iron Age tripod 2561 containing meat, egg, dairy and gluten-suggests composite dishes such as stews and polyvalent vessel use. This study demonstrates that integrating FTIR with antibody- and aptamer-based ELISAs enables taxonomically informative reconstructions of ancient diets, though broader interpretations remain limited by the small, residue-selected sample set. (c) 2026 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.
Copper ions accelerate the degradation of organic materials; therefore, their identification in historic paper objects is essential for assessing damage risks and support conservation decision-making. In this study, three different test strips for copper ion detection were evaluated: the commercially available Cuprotesmo test, a laboratory-prepared test following Hulthe’s method and a test strip prepared by Han Neevel. The copper tests were evaluated on model papers, historical papers, and solutions containing various metal salts. With the highest limit of detection of 0.22 ± 0.05 % copper, Cuprotesmo is less suitable for determinations in historical papers, as this is comparable to typical copper levels in iron gall inks. Additionally, the test causes pronounced staining on both model and historical materials. Neevel’s tests showed lower limit of detection (0.06 ± 0.04 %) when freshly prepared but produced false-positive responses in the presence of other metal ions, limiting their suitability for routine use. Tests prepared according to Hulthe’s method demonstrated comparable sensitivity to Neevel’s test without ion interference and caused minimal discolouration. Despite a subtle colour change and the need for fresh preparation, Hulthe’s method proved the most suitable under the testing conditions for application to cultural heritage paper objects. Careful assessment of ink or pigment migration remains essential to avoid misinterpretation of the results.
This article provides a brief overview of the social phenomenon of the 'public', its role in the protection of cultural heritage, and a commented review of the heritage protection legislation in the territory of present-day Slovenia, with an emphasis on public involvement. Forms of archaeological discourse and the intensity of public involvement largely depend on heritage legislation. A review of legal acts in the field of cultural heritage protection from the late 18th century to the present reveals a growing role of the public in the discourse on archaeological heritage. Imperial decrees from the late 18th century, during the era of the absolutist monarchy, established the state's right of ownership over archaeological finds that were preserved in court collections. In the second half of the 19th century, as the bourgeois public gained social influence, archaeological remains became an integral part of public museums, and the right to protect them was assigned to the experts educated in the humanities employed in public institutions. This system of archaeological heritage protection on the territory of Slovenia remained in place even during the socialist period following World War II. However, during socialism, the subject of heritage protection began to shift, from elite social classes, largely originating from the bourgeois public, toward broader segments of society. Legal provisions dealing with archaeological and broader cultural heritage began addressing the general public as the bearer of heritage, although its role remained limited to that of a user, without the right or opportunity to participate actively in heritage protection processes. The shaping of heritage narratives remained the domain of experts employed by public institutions that operated under relatively strict political oversight. With the democratization of society in the final decade of the 20th century, the public began to take an active role in heritage protection processes. Legislation followed this shift, and by 2008 it enabled public involvement in specialist activities, such as the search for archaeological remains, which were previously the exclusive domain of professionals employed by public heritage institutions. Heritage communities that demonstrate an ethical relationship towards their heritage have begun to participate as active subjects in the processes of heritage protection, with their narratives now recognized as legal, legitimate and necessary components of the heritage discourse.
Food and its associated material culture offer an important window into past social worlds, but difficulties in inferring vessel function from and the degradation of organic residues on pottery can hinder archaeological investigations of culinary practices. To overcome these limitations, we applied indirect ELISA assays using both polyclonal antibodies and synthetic aptamers to detect specific proteins and a cereal polysaccharide in ceramic sherds from two hilltop sites in north-eastern Slovenia: an early medieval settlement beneath Ptuj Castle (7th-9th centuries CE) and a Late Roman-early medieval fortified site at Ancnikovo Gradi & scaron;ce (4-5th, 7-10th centuries CE). Sherds bearing charred cooking residues were powder-extracted and assayed on MaxiSorp microtiter plates for six protein targets (ovalbumin, lysozyme, gluten, casein, collagen, and myosin) and for (1 -> 3)-B-D-glucan target using matching primary antibodies and biotinylated DNA aptamers, with detection achieved by adding alkaline phosphatase-conjugated secondary antibodies to label primary antibody binding or alkaline phosphatase-conjugated streptavidin to label aptamer binding. At Ptuj, both formats identified egg proteins, bone collagen, myosin and gluten on individual sherds, with aptamers consistently yielding larger DOD margins than antibodies. At Ancnikovo Gradi & scaron;ce, meat residues dominated: myosin and collagen were detected on most Late Roman sherds, while sherd 402 (early medieval) uniquely registered cereal markers-gliadin and B-D-glucan-alongside meat and egg proteins. Casein appeared in only one Late Roman vessel. Co-occurrence of animal and plant residues implies composite dishes such as stews or porridges. Our findings demonstrate that aptamerbased ELISAs offer enhanced sensitivity for archaeological proteins, and that protein and polysaccharide residue analysis can reconstruct nuanced dietary patterns. This approach holds promise for broad application in contexts lacking textual records. Caution should be taken when attempting to extrapolate broader patterns from this limited dataset. (c) 2026 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.
This paper presents an emerging diagnostic protocol for the study of modelling pastes in monumental terracruda sculpture, a distinctive technological tradition of monumental sculpture in air-dried clay. The study combines some newly acquired analytical data from Uzbek case studies with previously published results, integrating them with textual and ethnographic evidence to establish a diagnostic framework for material characterization and conservation decision-making. The proposed approach builds on a circular process of comparison and feedback between different sources of knowledge (archaeometric analyses, historical textual evidence, and traditional practices) each informing and refining the others. This interdisciplinary synthesis allows the identification of functional and compositional variations within historical examples and provides the basis for interpreting regional and chronological patterns in the production of terracruda sculpture. By formalizing this integrative workflow, the paper aims to define a reproducible methodological framework for future studies and conservation strategies concerning monumental terracruda sculptures preserved in archaeological and historical contexts, as well as dispersed fragments held in museum collections worldwide. (c) 2026 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. This is an open access article under the CC BY license ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ )
