{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,17]],"date-time":"2025-12-17T23:06:11Z","timestamp":1766012771621,"version":"3.40.5"},"reference-count":65,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2022,4,25]],"date-time":"2022-04-25T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1650844800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS ONE"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The residues from the internal surface of four archaeological ceramic sherds, excavated from the Armenian Gardens, Jerusalem were analysed to characterise the contents of the original vessel. The sherds derive from four small, thick-walled, sphero-conical vessels recovered from a destruction layer, dating between the 11th and 12th century, Jerusalem. The residue has been analysed using light microscopy, biochemical characterisation, gas chromatography mass spectroscopy, inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy and cold vapour atomic fluorescence spectrometry. This analysis established the presence of various compounds including fatty acids and notable levels of mercury, sulphur, aluminium, potassium, magnesium, nitrates and phosphorous. The contents and probable functions of the four vessels were characterised from the residues on these sherds as different from each other, reflecting their different decoration, manufacture and ceramic typologies. One of these vessels contains residue that indicate the vessel held oils. The residue of the second vessel is consistent with either scented materials or medicinal contents, while a third probably contained medicinal material. The unique fourth sherd is from a stoneware sphero-conical vessel with very thick walls, no decoration and the residue supports the possibility it was used for the storage of chemicals or may have held the chemical ingredients for an explosive device, consistent with a medieval grenade. This residue analysis of Mamluk sphero-conical vessels provides insight into luxury items, medicines, technology and trade in medieval Jerusalem.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0267350","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,4,25]],"date-time":"2022-04-25T17:29:26Z","timestamp":1650907766000},"page":"e0267350","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":3,"title":["Composition of trace residues from the contents of 11th\u201312th century sphero-conical vessels from Jerusalem"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"17","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3890-1838","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Carney D.","family":"Matheson","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Cory R.","family":"Vickruck","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Chris J.","family":"McEvoy","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Kim K.","family":"Vernon","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Robert","family":"Mason","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,4,25]]},"reference":[{"key":"pone.0267350.ref001","first-page":"324","volume-title":"Science, Tools and Magic, Part Two: Mundane Worlds","author":"\u00c9 Savage-Smith","year":"1997"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0267350.ref002","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"209","DOI":"10.1558\/jia.v3i2.32828","article-title":"Sphero-conical Vessels from Baalbek: A Diverse and Challenging Collection","volume":"3","author":"V Vezzoli","year":"2016","journal-title":"J. Islam. Archaeol"},{"volume-title":"Shine Like the Sun: Lustre-painted and Associated Pottery from the Medieval Middle East","year":"2004","author":"RB Mason","key":"pone.0267350.ref003"},{"key":"pone.0267350.ref004","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"327","DOI":"10.23858\/SA68.2016.015","article-title":"The sphero-conical vessels from the Lower Danube in the light of new discoveries from Isaccea, Tulcea county, Romania","volume":"68","author":"A-D St\u0103nic\u0103","year":"2016","journal-title":"Spraw"},{"key":"pone.0267350.ref005","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"72","DOI":"10.2307\/1523137","article-title":"A sphero-conical vessel as Fuqq\u0101ca, or a gourd for \"beer\"","volume":"9","author":"A Ghouchani","year":"1992","journal-title":"Muqarnas"},{"key":"pone.0267350.ref006","first-page":"58","article-title":"Seven Sphero-Conical Vessels in the Stockholm Museum","volume":"30","author":"K Adahl","year":"1997","journal-title":"Medelhavsmuseet Bulletin"},{"key":"pone.0267350.ref007","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"275","DOI":"10.2307\/1523192","article-title":"One Man\u2019s Mede is Another Man\u2019s Persian; One Man\u2019s Coconut is Another Man\u2019s Grenade","volume":"10","author":"EJ Keall","year":"1993","journal-title":"Muqarnas"},{"key":"pone.0267350.ref008","first-page":"101","volume-title":"Paneas Vol. II\u2014Small Finds and Other Studies. Israel Antiquities Authority Reports 38","author":"J Sharvit","year":"2008"},{"issue":"3","key":"pone.0267350.ref009","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"218","DOI":"10.1086\/371816","article-title":"The Uses of Sphero-Conical Vessels in the Muslim East","volume":"24","author":"R Ettinghausen","year":"1965","journal-title":"J. Near East. Stud"},{"key":"pone.0267350.ref010","first-page":"114","article-title":"A re-examination of Islamic ceramic grenades","volume":"14","author":"N Brosh","year":"1980","journal-title":"Atiqot"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0267350.ref011","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"179","DOI":"10.1558\/jia.v3i2.32825","article-title":"A Note on \u201cGrenades\u201d as Fire-starter Flasks","volume":"3","author":"D Whitcomb","year":"2016","journal-title":"J. Islam. Archaeol"},{"key":"pone.0267350.ref012","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"27","DOI":"10.1017\/S0261340900007207","article-title":"Aeolipiles as Fire-blowers","volume":"94","author":"WL Hildburgh","year":"1951","journal-title":"Archaeologia"},{"key":"pone.0267350.ref013","first-page":"147","volume-title":"Forschungen zur Kunst Asiens in Memoriam Kurt Erdmann","author":"M Rogers","year":"1969"},{"key":"pone.0267350.ref014","first-page":"81","volume":"36","author":"H Seyrig","year":"1959","journal-title":"Flocons? Grenades? Eolipiles? Syria"},{"key":"pone.0267350.ref015","first-page":"42","volume":"3","author":"P Post","year":"1929","journal-title":"Handbrandgeschoss oder Ollampe? Zeitschrift fiir historische Waffen- und Kostiimkunde Neue Folge"},{"key":"pone.0267350.ref016","first-page":"29","article-title":"Smokers\u2019 Pipes and the Fine Pottery Tradition of Hays","volume":"22","author":"EJ Keall","year":"1992","journal-title":"Proc. Semin. Arab. Stud"},{"key":"pone.0267350.ref017","first-page":"237","article-title":"Medieval Workshop of an Alchemist, Jeweller and Glassmaker in Bilyar (Middle Volga Region, Russian Federation)","volume":"107","author":"S Valiulina","year":"2016","journal-title":"Pamat. Archeol"},{"issue":"11","key":"pone.0267350.ref018","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1151","DOI":"10.1134\/S1061934816110113","article-title":"A Gas Chromatographic Study of the Residual Contents of a Medieval Sphero-Conical Vessel","volume":"71","author":"VM Pozhidaev","year":"2016","journal-title":"J. Anal. Chem"},{"key":"pone.0267350.ref019","first-page":"25","article-title":"Note sur des projectiles \u00e0 main, creux et en terre cuite, de fabrication arabe","volume":"35","author":"MF de Saulcy","year":"1874","journal-title":"Memoires de la Soci\u00e9t\u00e9 Nationale des Antiquaires de France"},{"key":"pone.0267350.ref020","article-title":"Le feu Gr\u00e9geois, les feux de guerre depuis l\u2019antiquit\u00e9, la poudre \u00e0 canon","author":"M Mercier","year":"1952","journal-title":"P Geuthner"},{"issue":"6","key":"pone.0267350.ref021","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1095","DOI":"10.1111\/arcm.12292","article-title":"Identification of the Resdiue in the Bolgar Medieval Sphero-conical Vessel by Gas Chromatography\u2013Mass Spectrometry","volume":"59","author":"V Pozhidaev","year":"2017","journal-title":"Archaeometry"},{"key":"pone.0267350.ref022","first-page":"480","volume-title":"The Recovery of Jerusalem, a Narrative of Exploration and Discovery in the City and the Holy Land","author":"GJ Chester","year":"1871"},{"issue":"7\/1","key":"pone.0267350.ref023","first-page":"89","article-title":"The Museum\u2019s Excavations at Nishapur","volume":"3","author":"W Hauser","year":"1942","journal-title":"Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin"},{"key":"pone.0267350.ref024","first-page":"384","article-title":"Sphero-conical vessels of Aktobe medieval ancient settlement","volume":"11","author":"M Yeleuov","year":"2014","journal-title":"Life Sci"},{"key":"pone.0267350.ref025","article-title":"Early Islamic Pottery: Mesopotamia, Egypt and Persia","author":"A Lane","year":"1947","journal-title":"Faber and Faber"},{"issue":"5","key":"pone.0267350.ref026","first-page":"87","article-title":"Quelques points de l\u2019histoire du p\u00e9trole. V\u00e9rifications par le laboratoire","volume":"4","author":"M Mercier","year":"1937","journal-title":"\u00c9con. Stat"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0267350.ref027","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"409","DOI":"10.1163\/22118993_03301P012","article-title":"Chemical Insights into the Function of Four Sphere-Conical Vessels from Medieval Dvin, Armenia","volume":"33","author":"H Barnard","year":"2016","journal-title":"Muqarnas"},{"issue":"3","key":"pone.0267350.ref028","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"138","DOI":"10.2307\/3210688","article-title":"The Frankish Period: A Unique Medieval Society Emerges","volume":"61","author":"AJ Boas","year":"1998","journal-title":"Near East. Archaeol"},{"volume-title":"The Archaeology of the Jerusalem Area","year":"1987","author":"WH Mare","key":"pone.0267350.ref029"},{"key":"pone.0267350.ref030","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"175","DOI":"10.1017\/S0362152900003913","article-title":"Between Mount Moriah and the Holy Sepulchre: The Changing Traditions of the Temple Mount in the Central Middle Age","volume":"40","author":"S Schein","year":"1984","journal-title":"Traditio"},{"volume-title":"British Academy monographs in archaeology","year":"1985","author":"AD Tushingham","key":"pone.0267350.ref031"},{"key":"pone.0267350.ref032","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"92","DOI":"10.4236\/ad.2020.81006","article-title":"The Geochemistry of Intrusive Sediment Sampled from the 1st Century CE Inscribed Ossuaries of James and the Talpiot Tomb, Jerusalem","volume":"8","author":"AE Shimron","year":"2020","journal-title":"Archaeological Discovery"},{"key":"pone.0267350.ref033","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"119","DOI":"10.1016\/j.catena.2013.05.016","article-title":"Clay distribution over the landscape of Israel: From the hyper-arid to the Mediterranean climate regimes","volume":"110","author":"A Sandler","year":"2013","journal-title":"Catena"},{"key":"pone.0267350.ref034","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"50","DOI":"10.1016\/j.catena.2006.02.007","article-title":"Soil organic matter and land degradation in semi-arid area, Israel","volume":"67","author":"P Sarah","year":"2006","journal-title":"Catena"},{"key":"pone.0267350.ref035","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"374","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jas.2014.10.008","article-title":"Use of Zanzibar copal (Hymenaea verrucosa Gaertn.) as incense at Unguja Ukuu, Tanzania in the 7-8th century CE: chemical insights into trade and Indian Ocean interactions","volume":"53","author":"A Crowther","year":"2015","journal-title":"J. Archaeol. Sci"},{"key":"pone.0267350.ref036","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3","DOI":"10.1002\/arco.5053","article-title":"Evidence for Pleistocene seed grinding at Lake Mungo, south-eastern Australia","volume":"50","author":"R Fullagar","year":"2015","journal-title":"Archaeol. Oceania"},{"key":"pone.0267350.ref037","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"116","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jas.2014.08.016","article-title":"Characterising native plant resins from Australian Aboriginal artefacts using ATR-FTIR and GC\/MS","volume":"52","author":"CD Matheson","year":"2014","journal-title":"J. Archaeol. Sci"},{"key":"pone.0267350.ref038","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"248","DOI":"10.1016\/0003-2697(76)90527-3","article-title":"A rapid and sensitive method for the quantitation of microgram quantities of protein utilizing the principle of protein-dye binding","volume":"72","author":"MM Bradford","year":"1976","journal-title":"Anal. Biochem"},{"key":"pone.0267350.ref039","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"105","DOI":"10.1016\/0009-8981(73)90016-8","article-title":"An Easy Colorimetric Micromethod for Routine Determination of Free Fatty Acids in Plasma","volume":"46","author":"K Falholt","year":"1973","journal-title":"Clin. Chim. Acta"},{"issue":"6","key":"pone.0267350.ref040","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"368","DOI":"10.1021\/ac50146a027","article-title":"A Color Test for Elementary Sulfur","volume":"12","author":"H Sommer","year":"1940","journal-title":"Ind. Eng. Chem. Anal. Ed"},{"key":"pone.0267350.ref041","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"189","DOI":"10.1016\/S0021-9258(18)76918-4","article-title":"A Colorimetric Method for the Quantitative Determination of Nitrates and Nitrites in Biologic Fluids","volume":"86","author":"M Whelan","year":"1930","journal-title":"J. Biol. Chem"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0267350.ref042","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"31","DOI":"10.20506\/rst.14.1.831","article-title":"History of disinfection from early times until the end of the 18th century","volume":"14","author":"J Blancou","year":"1995","journal-title":"Rev. Sci. Tech"},{"key":"pone.0267350.ref043","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1093\/oso\/9780198146872.001.0001","volume-title":"Pliny the Elder on Science and Technology","author":"JF Healy","year":"2000"},{"key":"pone.0267350.ref044","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1007\/978-3-540-78594-1","volume-title":"Archaeomineralogy","author":"G Rapp","year":"2009"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0267350.ref045","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"55","DOI":"10.1177\/084387140902100104","article-title":"Ibn Mangl\u012b and Naval Warfare: The Question of Greek Fire between the Muslims and Byzantines","volume":"21","author":"TM Muhammad","year":"2009","journal-title":"Int. J. Marit. Hist"},{"volume-title":"A History of Greek Fire and Gunpowder","year":"1960","author":"JR Partington","key":"pone.0267350.ref046"},{"issue":"8","key":"pone.0267350.ref047","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"360","DOI":"10.1021\/ed014p360","article-title":"Chemical Warfare in the Middle Ages. Kallinikos \u2019Prepared Fire\u2019","volume":"14","author":"ND Cheronis","year":"1937","journal-title":"J. Chem. Educ"},{"volume-title":"Thucydides: the Peloponnesian War (trans.)","year":"1954","author":"R Warner","key":"pone.0267350.ref048"},{"issue":"4","key":"pone.0267350.ref049","first-page":"971","article-title":"Early Persian medical works on antisyphilitic mercury medicines","volume":"69","author":"J Thomann","year":"2015","journal-title":"Asiat. Stud"},{"volume-title":"The Chemistry of Powder and Explosives","year":"1943","author":"TL Davis","key":"pone.0267350.ref050"},{"issue":"4","key":"pone.0267350.ref051","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"297","DOI":"10.1021\/ed063p297","article-title":"Chemical Analyses of Dead Sea Water in the 18th Century","volume":"63","author":"A Nissenbaum","year":"1986","journal-title":"J. Chem. Ed"},{"volume-title":"Gunpowder and Ammunitions their origin and progress","year":"1904","author":"HWL Hime","key":"pone.0267350.ref052"},{"issue":"4","key":"pone.0267350.ref053","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"655","DOI":"10.2307\/3106585","article-title":"Secrecy, Technology, and War: Greek Fire and the Defense of Byzantium","volume":"33","author":"A Roland","year":"1992","journal-title":"Technol. Cult"},{"key":"pone.0267350.ref054","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"61","DOI":"10.1515\/bz-1973-0105","article-title":"The Secret Weapon of Byzantium","volume":"66","author":"HR Davidson","year":"1973","journal-title":"Byzantinische Z"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0267350.ref055","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"133","DOI":"10.1111\/arcm.12239","article-title":"The Characterization of Vegetable Tannins and Colouring Agents in Ancient Egyptian Leather from the Collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art","volume":"59","author":"A Elnaggar","year":"2017","journal-title":"Archaeometry"},{"key":"pone.0267350.ref056","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"83","DOI":"10.1006\/jasc.1998.0305","article-title":"The Fatty Acid Composition of Native Food Plants and Animals of Western Canada","volume":"26","author":"ME Malainey","year":"1999","journal-title":"J. Archaeol. Sci"},{"key":"pone.0267350.ref057","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"93","DOI":"10.1016\/j.forsciint.2010.03.019","article-title":"Variation in amino acid and lipid composition of latent fingerprints","volume":"199","author":"RS Croxton","year":"2010","journal-title":"Forensic Science International"},{"key":"pone.0267350.ref058","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"S215","DOI":"10.1111\/1556-4029.12010","article-title":"The Evaluation of Fatty Acid Ratios in Latent Fingermarks by Gas Chromatography\/Mass Spectrometry (GC\/MS) Analysis","volume":"58","author":"S. Michalski","year":"2013","journal-title":"Journal of Forensic Sciences"},{"issue":"1\u20132","key":"pone.0267350.ref059","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"83","DOI":"10.1016\/j.microc.2004.05.004","article-title":"Characterisation of organic residues in pottery vessels of the Roman age from Antinoe (Egypt)","volume":"79","author":"MP Colombini","year":"2005","journal-title":"Microchem. J"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0267350.ref060","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"83","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1475-4754.2005.00189.x","article-title":"GC-MS Analysis and Fatty Acid Ratios of Archaeological Potsherds from the Western Great Basin of North America","volume":"47","author":"JW Eerkens","year":"2005","journal-title":"Archaeometry"},{"key":"pone.0267350.ref061","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"113","DOI":"10.1016\/j.apergo.2005.06.008","article-title":"Influence of hand grenade weight, shape and diameter on performance and subjective handling properties in relations to ergonomic design considerations","volume":"37","author":"C-K Yuan","year":"2006","journal-title":"Appl. Ergon"},{"volume-title":"De Expugatione Terrae Sanctae per Saladinum","year":"1875","author":"J Stevenson","key":"pone.0267350.ref062"},{"issue":"8","key":"pone.0267350.ref063","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"660","DOI":"10.1021\/ar000200f","article-title":"Chemistry of archaeological animal fats","volume":"35","author":"RP Evershed","year":"2002","journal-title":"Acc. Chem. Res"},{"key":"pone.0267350.ref064","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2637","DOI":"10.1080\/00032710903243604","article-title":"Analytical Study of a Resinous Material Used as Sealing in Ancient Pottery Found in an Archaeological Site by Thermally Assisted Hydrolysis Methylation\u2013Gas Chromatography\u2013Mass Spectrometry, Vibrational Spectroscopy and Light Microscopy","volume":"42","author":"J Peris-Vicente","year":"2009","journal-title":"Anal. Lett"},{"key":"pone.0267350.ref065","first-page":"67","volume-title":"The Origins and Ancient History of Wine","author":"VL Singleton","year":"1996"}],"container-title":["PLOS ONE"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/dx.plos.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0267350","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2023,11,20]],"date-time":"2023-11-20T15:30:10Z","timestamp":1700494210000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/dx.plos.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0267350"}},"subtitle":[],"editor":[{"given":"John P.","family":"Hart","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"editor","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2022,4,25]]},"references-count":65,"journal-issue":{"issue":"4","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,4,25]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0267350","relation":{},"ISSN":["1932-6203"],"issn-type":[{"type":"electronic","value":"1932-6203"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2022,4,25]]}}}