nscArchaeology, Ethnology & Anthropology of EurasiaАрхеология, этнография и антропология Евразии1563-0110IAET SB RAS10.17746/1563-0110.2023.51.4.105-113nsc-1784Research ArticleTHE METAL AGES AND MEDIEVAL PERIODЭПОХА ПАЛЕОМЕТАЛЛАContents of an Early Byzantine Amphora from Kruglaya Bay, the Black Seahttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-7501-8254SipkinaN. Y.

Researcher, Saint Petersburg State Chemical Pharmaceutical University.

Professora Popova 14/A, St. Petersburg, 197376

nadya.sipkina@pharminnotech.comhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-3158-1165BukatovA. A.

Senior Researcher, Sevastopol State University; Underwater Archaeology Department Head, State Historical Archaeological Museum-Reserve “Tauric Chersonese”.

Universitetskaya 33, Sevastopol, 299053; Drevnyaya 1, Sevastopol, 299045

abukatov@chersonesos-sev.ruSipkinD. I.

Scheltec AG (Authorized distributor of PerkinElmer in CIS countries).

Leninsky prospekt 38A, Moscow, 119334

denis.sipkin@scheltec.ruSaint Petersburg State Chemical Pharmaceutical UniversityRussian FederationSevastopol State University; State Historical Archaeological Museum-Reserve “Tauric Chersonese”Russian FederationScheltec AGRussian Federation202304012024514105113Copyright © Sipkina N.Y., Bukatov A.A., Sipkin D.I., 20242024Sipkina N.Y., Bukatov A.A., Sipkin D.I.Sipkina N.Y., Bukatov A.A., Sipkin D.I.This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.https://journal.archaeology.nsc.ru/jour/article/view/1784

A fragment of an amphora found in the Kruglaya Bay near Sevastopol was filled with an unknown brown substance with a strong smell of tar. On the vessel’s neck, there is a round stamp ~30 mm in diameter, depicting the bust of an emperor encircled by an inscription. It resembles stamps on amphorae made in Alexandria and the Geronisos Island. The inscription reads, “επί Πτολεμαίου επάρχου”. The gas chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis revealed dehydroabietic acid, methyl dehydroabietate, norabietatrienes, retene, and other phenanthrene derivatives, suggesting that the substance resulted from dry distillation of wood of the Pinaceae family. The headspace analysis yielded components of turpentine oil such as α-pinene, camphene, limonene, cymenes, and others terpenes. To establish the sample’s origin, the amphora’s content was compared with modern pinewood tar obtained by the traditional method. Given nearly identical chromatogram profiles of the amphora’s contents and of tar in areas relating to resin acids, similar values of peak areas of biomarker components, and the presence of turpentine oil components in the sample, it is highly probable that the amphora indeed contained tar.

Late Roman amphoraeBlack Seatarpitchgas chromatographymass spectrometryThis study was carried out in the “Tauric Chersonese” State Museum-Reserve and the Center for Collective Use “Analytical Center of St. Petersburg State Chemical and Pharmaceutical University”, supported by Grant 075-15-2021-685 26/07/2021, as well as under the “Priority 2030” Program of Sevastopol State University (Strategic Project No. 3).ReferencesBonaduce I., Ribechini E., Modugno F., Colombini M.P. 2016 Analytical approaches based on gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC/MS) to study organic materials in artworks and archaeological objects. Topics in Current Chemistry, No. 374 (1): 6.Bonaduce I., Ribechini E., Modugno F., Colombini M.P. 2016 Analytical approaches based on gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC/MS) to study organic materials in artworks and archaeological objects. 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The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest present.