With National Science Foundation support Drs. Shannon Tushingham, David Gang, and Jelmer Eerkens will advance residue extraction and chemical fingerprinting techniques to identify psychoactive plant use in the past. The research will provide archaeologists with a new set of analytical tools that may be applied in similar studies investigating the spread and use of ritual and medicinal psychoactive plants in the ancient Americas and beyond. Development of least invasive methods will increase the potential data set of archaeological specimens. Application of metabolomics research is a new avenue in archaeology that has the potential to develop a panel of molecular (metabolite) markers for the analysis of archaeological specimens.
The interdisciplinary team of archaeologists and analytical chemists will employ mass spectrometry (MS) analysis and metabolomics research tools to chemically profile smoke plants and medicinal teas, develop methods where plant biomarkers are identified from archaeological artifacts, and test assumptions concerning use of psychoactive plants in ancient societies. Chemical analysis of alkaloid residue extracted from archaeological artifacts provides a means to track past plant use and has great potential. However, methodological development in controlled laboratory settings is in its infancy. The purpose of conducting laboratory experiments is to better understand how to extract residues from ancient artifacts. A specific concern is to address basic gaps in methods and understanding how the biochemical signature of a particular plant changes through the cooking and/or smoking process as well as archaeological preservation. The intent is to establish the least invasive chemical profiling/analysis methods possible that can be used on artifacts, while at the same time producing a sufficient amount of biochemical data where residues can confidently be identified and contribute to archaeological study.
Researchers include three advanced scholars, graduate students, and undergraduate assistants who will participate in the experimental, evaluative, and publication phases and participate in interdisciplinary seminars. They will disseminate results at the international, national, and local level through professional and public publications, presentations, a museum exhibit, a mobile display, and an educational website including podcasts and videos.
