A groundbreaking DNA extraction technology has enabled scientists to delve into the details of ancient Greek life through pottery jars that have lain submerged on the seafloor for thousands of years. This innovation holds revolutionary significance for archaeological research.
In ancient Greece, pottery jars were used to store various goods, such as wine and olive oil. Studying these vessels, often found in ancient shipwrecks, could reveal valuable information about ancient trade, agriculture, and climate. However, research becomes impossible if the contents of the jars have leaked into the sea over time.
Now, for the first time, a team of scientists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, and Lund University in Sweden has successfully extracted DNA samples from artifacts recovered from a 2,400-year-old shipwreck near Chios Island, Greece. The wooden merchant vessel, lying over 70 meters below sea level, sank in the 4th century BCE. According to a report published online in the Journal of Archaeological Science in October 2007, the research team collaborated with archaeologists from Greece’s Ministry of Culture. Using robotic divers, they retrieved two pottery jars from the wreck and extracted DNA sequences from their inner walls. It is hypothesized that one jar once held olive products and oregano, while the other contained wine.
Chios Island was renowned for its wine during ancient Greek times, famously served by Julius Caesar at his triumphal feasts. Scientists were surprised to detect traces of oregano in the jar believed to have stored olive oil, indicating that ancient Greeks used oregano as both a seasoning and a preservative. The jar thought to have contained wine revealed DNA fragments from a plant called mastic tree (Pistacia lentiscus), native to Chios. This plant was commonly processed into resin to coat the inner walls of jars, protecting the beverages inside.
Although current findings are still limited, they demonstrate the effectiveness of this technology, which could be used to study ancient crop products recovered from shipwrecks worldwide. Brendan Foley, a scientist from MIT and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, noted, “This technology allows us to investigate when and where crops were cultivated.” However, it remains uncertain whether the technique can be applied effectively to pottery jars preserved in museums, and further research in this area is underway. Co-author Maria Hansson added, “This technology can be widely applied to handcrafted pottery and other ceramic containers with rough surfaces. Ancient transport vessels, typically rough in texture, are particularly suitable for this technique.”
(Journal of Archaeological Science, doi:10.1016/j.jas.2007.08.009, Maria C. Hansson and Brendan P. Foley)
(Source: ScienceNet, translated by Li Tao)
