Microdestructive analysis with Py-GC/MS for the identification of birch tar: a case study from the Huayang site in late Neolithic China

The use of birch tar has a long history, and its remains are found worldwide, especially in Europe, but few remains are found in Asia. Common characterization methods include gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS), direct exposure electron ionization mass spectrometry (DE-MS) and pyrolysis-gas...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:European physical journal plus 2023-07, Vol.138 (7), p.580, Article 580
Main Authors: Lyu, Nanning, Li, Youqian, Yang, Shixia, Yue, Jianping, Tian, Feifei, Rao, Huiyun, Han, Bin, Yang, Yimin
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Applied and Technical Physics
Archaeology
Atomic
Biomarkers
Carbon
Chromatography
Complex Systems
Condensed Matter Physics
Fatty acids
Fourier transforms
Gas chromatography
Ionization
Libraries
Mass spectrometry
Mathematical and Computational Physics
Molecular
Neolithic
Optical and Plasma Physics
Physics
Physics and Astronomy
Pyrolysis
Regular Article
Scientific imaging
Solvent extraction
Statistical analysis
Stone Age
Tar
Temperature
Theoretical
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Summary:The use of birch tar has a long history, and its remains are found worldwide, especially in Europe, but few remains are found in Asia. Common characterization methods include gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS), direct exposure electron ionization mass spectrometry (DE-MS) and pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS). Py-GC/MS requires no solvent extraction, less sample than GC/MS, and no statistical analysis compared to DE-MS. However, Py-GC/MS has been rarely applied to identify birch tar because some critical characteristic molecules of birch tar were not identified. In this study, we first reported some biomarkers of birch tar that could be identified by Py-GC/MS in terms of analyzing modern birch tar. Then, the analysis criteria were used to analyze archaeological samples adhered to stone artifacts from a late Neolithic site (about 4000 BP) in northeast China. The results provide the earliest evidence of the exploitation of birch tar in northeast Asia up to date.
ISSN:2190-5444
2190-5444
DOI:10.1140/epjp/s13360-023-04213-9