Dear Madeleine,
I agree that the grain is hulled barley, but the reason that it has been preserved, along with the other food remains, is possibly that the plate has been in a latrine and the organic material has experienced calcium phosphate mineralisation.
Best wishes,
Mark
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From: The archaeobotany mailing list [[log in to unmask]] on behalf of Madeleine Metz [[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 09 November 2015 00:28
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Grain Residue Analysis
Dear All,
I am an undergraduate student at Emory University, majoring in Classics and Biology. I am studying the ancient food residues on a marble fish plate (4th century BCE) at the Michael C. Carlos Museum in Atlanta that is likely from a Greek colony in Southern Italy. I am collaborating with Dr. Katrina Dickson of the Classics Department and with curator Dr. Jasper Gaunt and conservator Renee Stein on this project. There are grain, eggshell fragments, and perhaps other food remains on the plate. An image of the plate and three images of grain are attached. More images are available, and samples can be removed if necessary.
Would you assist us in this analysis? I am not an expert, and I would appreciate any help.
Thank you,
Madeleine Metz
Emory University, class of 2016
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