Fats, Fire and Bronze Age Funerary Rites: Organic Residue Analysis of Wide Horizontal Rim Vessels From Burial Contexts in Northwest Portugal

Abstract

This study presents the first GC-MS–based analyses of wide horizontal rim vessels with well-defined funerary contexts, fromMiddle Bronze Age Portugal (Quinta do Amorim 2 and Pego). Organic residues from two vessels revealed ruminant fats andplant oils, alongside molecular markers of heat exposure. These results provide direct chemical evidence for vessel contents anduse, offering new insights into funerary practices.