CAMBRIDGE, ENGLAND—According to a statement released by the University of Cambridge, analysis of residues on 5,000-year-old pottery unearthed at rural and urban Indus civilization sites in northwestern India revealed the presence of large quantities of meat and dairy products. Researcher Akshyeta Suryanarayan said it was possible to identify specific compounds and fatty acids in the fats and oils absorbed by the pottery and to determine that they came from pigs, cattle, buffalo, sheep, and goats. Suryanarayan said the presence of pig fats was surprising because not many pig bones have been uncovered at Indus sites. The researchers found less direct evidence of dairy products than expected, even on vessels thought to have been used to process dairy products. The study also suggests that the daily foods eaten and the ways they were cooked changed little over time in rural areas. Analysis of more vessels from additional sites could help scientists determine if there were regional differences in diet, Suryanarayan concluded. Read the original scholarly article about this research in the Journal of Archaeological Science. For more on Indus dairy production, go to "Around the World: India."
