New technological contributions to Roman garum elaboration from chemical analysis of archaeological fish remains from the ‘Garum shop’ at Pompeii (I.12.8)

  1. Rodríguez Alcántara, Álvaro 1
  2. Roldan Gomez, Ana M. 1
  3. Bernal Casasola, Darío 2
  4. García Vargas, Enrique 3
  5. Palacios Macías, Víctor M. 1
  1. 1 Dpt. of Chemical Engineering and Food Technology. Faculty of Sciences-uca
  2. 2 Dpt. of History, Geography and Philosophy. Faculty of Philosophy and Letters-uca
  3. 3 Dpt. of Prehistory and Archaeology. Faculty of Geography and History-us
Zeitschrift:
Zephyrus: Revista de prehistoria y arqueología

ISSN: 0514-7336

Datum der Publikation: 2018

Nummer: 82

Seiten: 149-163

Art: Artikel

DOI: 10.14201/ZEPHYRUS201882149163 DIALNET GOOGLE SCHOLAR lock_openOpen Access editor

Andere Publikationen in: Zephyrus: Revista de prehistoria y arqueología

Zusammenfassung

The garum fish sauce was a popular ingredient in Roman gastronomy; however, its production process is still unknown, and few remains have been found in the whole ancient world. The aim of this study was to implement a technical approach to determine the ancient garum preparation methods, ingredients and additives by comparing the chemical compositions of archaeological fish remains found in six vessels –dolia– at the ‘Garum Shop’ of Pompeii (Italy) and garum obtained from the Gargilio Martial’s classical recipe. Some organic and inorganic parameters and compounds specific for fish sauces with great physicochemical stability were determined either in the dolia but also in the experimental reconstruction. The total n, fat, ash content, fatty acid, and mineral composition were determined. Differences found in the n and fat contents of dolia could indicate that different garum batches were being manufactured at the moment of the Vesuvian eruption in the ‘Garum Shop’. Fatty acid results showed a similar profile for the remnants and reference garum. The mineral profile, Ca/P ratio and Fe contents reported could be explained by the use of lime in the garum preparation or sanitizing stage, and food coloring respectively.

Informationen zur Finanzierung

This work is based on research projects supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness/feder ec (refs. no. HAR2013-43599P and HAR2016-78691-P).

Geldgeber

Bibliographische Referenzen

  • Afnor (1996): Dosage des minéraux-méthodes par spectrométrie d'emission de flame, nf-t-90-019. Paris: Association Française de Normalisation.
  • Aoac (2000; 17th ed.): Official Methods of Analysis. Arlington: aoac international.
  • Athanassopoulos, G. (1925): "Use of 'terre rouge' in salting sardines; chemical composition of substances". In Note sur la péche en Gréce. Institute Oceanographic Bulletin, no. 454. Monaco: pp. 6-7.
  • Beddows, C. G. (1998; 3rd ed.): "Fermented fish and fish products". In Wood, B. J. B. (ed.): Microbiology of Fermented Food. New York: Blackie, pp. 1-39. - https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-0309-1_13
  • Bekker-Nielsen, T. (2005): Ancient fishing and fish processing in the Black Sea region. Black Sea studies, 2. Aarhus.
  • Belkin, H. E.; Kilbum, C. R. J. and De Vivo, B. (1993): "Chemistry of the lavas and tephra from recent (ad 131-1944) Vesuvius (Italy) volcanic activity", U.S. Geol. Surv, Open-File Rep, 44, pp. 393-399.
  • Bernal, D. (2011): Pescar con Arte. Fenicios y romanos en el origen de los aparejos andaluces. Cádiz.
  • Bernal, D. and Cottica, D. (2010): Pesca e Garum a Pompei ed Ercolano. Primi risultati di un progetto di ricerca interdisciplinare sullo sfruttamento delle risorse del mare in area vesubiana, Scienze Naturali e Archeologia. Il paesaggio antico. Interazione uomo-ambiente ed eventi catastrofici (Nápoles, octubre, 2010). Napoli: Aracne.
  • Bernal, D.; Cottica, D.; Bustamante, M.; Díaz, J. J.; Expósito, J. A.; García, E.; Gómez, A.; Landi, S.; Lara, M.; Lorenzo, L.; Marlasca, R.; Riquelme, J. A.; Rodríguez, C. G.; Sáez, A. M.; Vargas, J. and Verdugo, J. (2013): Pesca y garum en Pompeya y Herculano. Cuarta campa-a arqueológica. Informes y Trabajos, 9. Excavaciones en el exterior. Madrid: Ministerio de Cultura, pp. 322-339.
  • Bernal, D.; Cottica, D.; García-Vargas, E.; Toniolo, L.; Rodríguez-Santana, C.; Acqua, C.; Marlasca, R.; Sáez, J. M.; Vargas, J. M.; Scremin, F. and Landi, S. (2014): "Un contexto excepcional en Pompeya: la pila de ánforas de la Bottega del Garum (i, 12, 8)", Rei Cretariæ Romanæ Favtorvm, Acta, 43, pp. 219-232.
  • Bernal, D. and Domínguez, S. (2011): "Colorantes y pigmentos en las pesquerías hispanorromanas", Cuadernos de Prehistoria y Arqueología de la uam, 37-38, pp. 671-685.
  • Bernal, D. and Sáez, A. M. (2006): "Infundibula gaditana. Acerca de los vasos troncocónicos perforados para filtrar garum y otros usos industriales en la bahía de Cádiz", Romula, 5, pp. 167-218.
  • Botte, E. (2009): Salaisons et sauces de poissons en Italie du sud et en Sicile durant l'Antiquité. Collection du Centre Jean Bérard, 31. Naples.
  • Brown, L. D. and Heron, C. (2004): "Exploring links: preliminary investigations into marine resources and ceramics from Old Scatness, Shetland". In Housley, R. A and Coles, G. (eds.): Atlantic Connections and Adaptations Economies, Environments and Subsistence in Lands Bordering the North Atlantic. Symposia of the Association for Environmental Archaeology. Oxford: Oxbow Books, pp. 146-154. - https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt1w0dds6.17
  • Brown, T. A. and Brown, K. A. (1992): "Ancient dna and the archaeologist", Antiquity, 66, pp. 10-23. - https://doi.org/10.1017/S0003598X0008100X
  • Brown, T. A. and Brown, K. A. (2011): Biomolecular Archaeology: an Introduction. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell. - https://doi.org/10.1002/9781444392449
  • Carannante, A. (2010): "L'ultimo garum di Pompei. Analisi archeozoologiche sui resti di pesce dalla cosiddetta Officina del garum", Automata, iii-iv (1), pp. 43-53.
  • Cha, Y. J.; Lee, E. H. and Kim, H. Y. (1985): "Studies on the processing of low salt fermented sea foods. Changes in volatile compounds and fatty acid composition during the fermentation of anchovy prepared with low sodium contents", Bulletin of the Korean Fisheries Society, 18 (6), pp. 511-518.
  • cie (1978): International Commission on Illumination, Recommendations on Uniform Color Spaces, Color Difference Equations, Psychometric Color Terms. Suppl. 2 to cie publication no. 15 (e-1.3.1) 1971/(tc-1.3). Paris: Bureau Central de la cie.
  • Crisa, E. and Sands, A. (1975): "Microflora of four fermented fish sauces", Applied Microbiology, 29, pp. 106-108.
  • Curtis, R. I. (1979): "The garum shop of Pompeii", Chronache Pompeiane, 5, pp. 5-23.
  • Curtis, R. I. (1983): "In defense of garum", The Classical Journal, 78, pp. 232-240.
  • Curtis, R. I. (1991): Garum and Salsamenta. Production and commerce in Materia Medica. Studies in ancient medicine. Vol. 3. Leiden: Brill.
  • Curtis, R. I. (2009): "Umami and the foods of classical antiquity", American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 90 (s), pp. 712-718.
  • Dallongeville, S.; Garnier, N.; Bernal, D.; Bonifay, M.; Rolando, C. and Tokarski, C. (2011): "Dealing with the identification of protein species in ancient amphorae", Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry, 399, pp. 3053-3063. - https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-010-4218-2
  • Desse-Berset, N. and Desse, J. (2000): "Salsamenta, garum et autres préparations de poissons. Ce qu'en disent les os", Mélanges de l'École Française de Rome. Antiquité, 112 (1), pp. 73-97. - https://doi.org/10.3406/mefr.2000.2116
  • Dieffenbacher, A. and Pockilngton, W. D. (1992): International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (iupac), Applied Chemistry Division. Commission on Oils, Fats and Derivatives. Standard methods for the analysis of oils, fats and derivatives. 1st suppl. to the 7th edition. London: Blackwell Scientific Publications.
  • Étienne, R. and Mayet, F. (2002): Salaisons et sauces de poisson hispaniques. Paris: Diffusion Édit. De Boccard.
  • Evershed, R. (1993): "Biomolecular Archaeology and Lipids", World Archaelogy, 25 (1), pp. 74-93. - https://doi.org/10.1080/00438243.1993.9980229
  • Evershed, R. (2008): "Organic residues in archaeology; the archaeological biomarker revolution", Archaeometry, 50 (6), pp. 895-924. - https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-4754.2008.00446.x
  • García-Vargas, E. and Bernal, D. (2009). "Roma y la producción de garum y salsamenta en la costa meridional de Hispania. Estado actual de la investigación". In Bernal, D. (ed.): Arqueología de la pesca en el Estrecho de Gibraltar. Cádiz: uca.
  • García-Vargas, E.; Bernal, D.; Palacios, V. M.; Roldán, A. M.; Rodríguez, A. and Sánchez, J. (2014): "Confectio gari pompeiani. Procedimiento experimental para la elaboración de salsas de pescado romanas", spal, 23, pp. 65-82.
  • Garnier, N.; Richardin, P.; Cheynier, V. and Regert, M. (2003): "Characterization of thermally assisted hydrolysis and methylation products of polyphenols from modern and archaeological vine derivatives using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry", Analytica Chimica, 493, pp. 137-157. - https://doi.org/10.1016/S0003-2670(03)00869-9
  • Garnier, N.; Rolando, C.; Munk-Hotjec, J. and Tokarski, C. (2009): "Analysis of archaeological triacylglycerols by high resolution nanoesi, ft-icr ms and irmpd ms/ms: Application to 5th century bc-4th century ad oil lamps from Olbia (Ukraine)", International Journal of Mass Spectrometry, 284, pp. 47-56. - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijms.2009.03.003
  • Grainger, S. (2011): "Roman fish sauces: an experiment in archaeology". In Cured, Smoked, and Fermented fish. Proceedings of the Oxford Symposium on Food. London: Prospect Books, pp. 121-131.
  • Grimal, P. and Monod, T. (1952): "Sur la veritable nature du garum", Revue des Études Anciennnes, 54, pp. 26-38. - https://doi.org/10.3406/rea.1952.3466
  • Gurioli, L.; Pareschi, M. T.; Zanella, E.; Lanza, R.; Deluca, E. and Bisson, M. (2005): "Interaction of pyroclastic density currents with human settlements: evidence from ancient Pompeii", Geology, 33, pp. 441-444. - https://doi.org/10.1130/G21294.1
  • Horwell, C. J.; Stannett, G. W.; Andronico, D.; Bertagnini, A.; Fubini, B.; Le Blond, J. S. and Williansom, B. J. (2010): "A physico-chemical assessment of the health hazard of Mt Vesuvius volcanic ash", Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, pp. 222-232. - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvolgeores.2010.01.014
  • Ikeda, K. (2002): "New seasonings", Chemical Senses, 27, pp. 847-849. - https://doi.org/10.1093/chemse/27.9.847
  • Loftsson, T.; Ilievska, B.; Asgrimsdottir, G. M.; Ormarsson, O. M. and Stefansson, E. (2016): "Fatty acids from marine lipids: Biological activity, formulation and stability", Journal of Drug Delivery Science and Technology, 34, pp. 710-715. - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jddst.2016.03.007
  • Luongo, G.; Perrotta, A. and Scarpati, C. (2003): "Impact of the ad 79 explosive eruption on Pompeii. i. Relations amongst the depositional mechanisms of the pyroclastic products, the framework of the buildings and the associated destructive events", Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, 126, pp. 201-223. - https://doi.org/10.1016/S0377-0273(03)00146-X
  • Martínez-Valverde, I.; Periago, M. J.; Santaella, M. and Ros, G. (2000): "The content and nutritional significance of minerals on fish flesh in the presence and absence of bone", Food Chemistry, 71, pp. 503-509. - https://doi.org/10.1016/S0308-8146(00)00197-7
  • Mika, A.; Swiezewska, E. and Stepnowski, P. (2016): "Polar and neutral lipid composition and fatty acids profile in selected fish meals depending on raw material and grade of products", Food Science and Technology, 70, pp. 199-207.
  • Mizutani, T.; Kimizuka, A.; Ruddle, K. and Ishige, N. (1992): "Chemical components of fermented fish products", Journal of Food Composition and Analysis, 5, pp. 152-159. - https://doi.org/10.1016/0889-1575(92)90031-E
  • Palacios, V. M.; García, E.; Bernal, D.; Roldán, A.; Rodríguez, A. and Sánchez, J. (2016): "Conservas antiguas y gastronomía contemporánea". In Bernal, D.; Expósito, A.; Medina, L. and Franqueira, J. (eds.): Un estrecho de conservas. Cádiz: uca, pp. 76-93.
  • Passi, S.; Rothschild-Boros, M. C.; Fasella, P.; Nazzaro-Porro, M. and Whitehouse, D. (2015): "An application of high performance liquid chromatography to analysis of lipids in archaeological samples", Journal of Lipid Research, 22, pp. 778-784.
  • Pecci, A.; Cau, M. A. and Garnier, N. (2013a): "Identifying wine and oil production: analysis of residues from Roman and Late Antique plastered vats", Journal of Archaeological Science, 40, pp. 4491-4498. - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2013.06.019
  • Pecci, A.; Giorgi, G.; Salvini, L. and Cau, M. A. (2013b): "Identifying wine markers in ceramics and plasters using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Experimental and archaeological materials", Journal of Archaeological Science, 40, pp. 109-115. - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2012.05.001
  • Ponsich, M. and Tarradell, M. (1965): Garum et industries antiques de salaison dans la Méditerranée occidentale. Société d'Études Latines de Bruxelles, 3. Bruxelles, pp. 711-713.
  • Reese, D. S. (2002): Fish: evidence of specimens, mosaics, wall painting, and Roman authors. The Natural History of Pompeii, 12. Cambridge: cup, pp. 274-291.
  • Regert, M. (2011): "Analytical strategies for discriminating archaeological fatty substances from animal origin", Mass Spectrometry Reviews, 30, pp. 177-220. - https://doi.org/10.1002/mas.20271
  • Regert, M.; Garnier, N.; Decavallas, O.; CrenOlivé, C. and Rolando, C. (2003): "Structural characterization of lipid constituents from natural substances preserved in archaeological environments", Measurement Science and Technology, 14, pp. 1620-1630. - https://doi.org/10.1088/0957-0233/14/9/313
  • Ruddle, K. and Naomichi, I. (2010): "On the origins, diffusion and cultural context of fermented fish products in Southeast Asia". In Globalization, Food and Social Identities in the Asia Pacific Region. Tokyo: Sophia Univ. Institute of Comparative Culture, pp. 1-17.
  • Smriga, M.; Mizukoshi, T.; Iwahata, D.; Eto, S.; Miyano, H.; Kimura, T. and Curtis, R. I. (2010): "Amino acids and minerals in ancient remnants of fish sauce (garum) sampled in the 'Garum Shop' of Pompeii, Italy", Journal of Food Composition and Analysis, 23, pp. 442-446. - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfca.2010.03.005
  • Toppe, J.; Albrektsen, S.; Hope, B. and Aksnes, A. (2007): "Chemical composition, mineral content and aminoacid profiles in bones from various fish species", Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology, 146 (b), pp. 395-401.
  • Van Neer, W. and Parker, St. (2008): "First archaeozoological evidence for haimation, the 'invisible'garum", Journal of Archaeological Science, 35, pp. 1821-1827. - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2007.11.021
  • Zlatanos, S. and Laskaridis, K. (2007): "Seasonal variation in the fatty acid composition of three Mediterranean fish sardine (Sardina pilchardus), anchovy (Engraulis encrasicholus) and picarel (Spicara smaris)", Food Chemistry, 103, pp. 725-728. - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2006.09.013