Preliminary results of the organic residue analysis of 13th century cooking wares from a household in Frankish Paphos (Cyprus)

International audienceOrganic residue analysis was carried out on kitchen wares from a Medieval household at Paphos (Cyprus) in the framework of the POMEDOR Project, which aims to gain insight into food practices in the Eastern Mediterranean during the Medieval period. The samples were selected from a household assemblage which included nearly two hundred table, cooking and storage vessels, and provided a rare insight into everyday life in Frankish-period Paphos. Both glazed and unglazed vessels were chosen for this first step towards the study of foodways at the site: 4 glazed vessels (3 pans/baking dishes and 1 cooking pot) and 7 unglazed vessels (3 cooking pots, 1 jug and 3 pans/baking dishes). Samples were analysed using gas chromatography – mass spectrometry, following different extraction methods to identify the residues preserved. The preliminary study confirmed that glazed ceramics absorb residues. Animal products were identified in the unglazed pots and in glazed pans/baking dishes. Only one unglazed pan shows residues of possible wine or its derivatives, that may have been used to flavor the foodstuff cooked