On the Age and Content of JAR-35 – a Sealed and Intact Storage Jar Found on the Southern Plateau of Qumran

TY - JOUR

T1 - On the Age and Content of JAR-35 – a Sealed and Intact Storage Jar Found on the Southern Plateau of Qumran

AU - Rasmussen, K. L.

AU - Gunneweg, J.

AU - van der Plicht, J.

AU - Kralj Cigic´, I.

AU - Bond, Andrew

AU - Svensmark, Bo

AU - Balla, M.

AU - Strlic, M.

AU - Doudna, G.

PY - 2011/8

Y1 - 2011/8

N2 - An intact and sealed storage jar known as Jar-35 was found in 2004, south of the Qumran settlement. A previous study identified tartrate in the deposit of the jar, indicating the possible past presence of wine (Buti 2006). However, we cannot confirm this finding. Using liquid and gas chromatography with mass spectrometric detection, no trace of tartaric acid or salts thereof could be detected in our samples. We show that the major component of the deposit is gypsum. No other organic compounds were identified with the methods that we have applied. Both radiocarbon dating of charcoal in the deposit and thermoluminescence dating of the ceramic jar show that it dates to the main period of habitation at Qumran (c. 100 bc to ad 70).

AB - An intact and sealed storage jar known as Jar-35 was found in 2004, south of the Qumran settlement. A previous study identified tartrate in the deposit of the jar, indicating the possible past presence of wine (Buti 2006). However, we cannot confirm this finding. Using liquid and gas chromatography with mass spectrometric detection, no trace of tartaric acid or salts thereof could be detected in our samples. We show that the major component of the deposit is gypsum. No other organic compounds were identified with the methods that we have applied. Both radiocarbon dating of charcoal in the deposit and thermoluminescence dating of the ceramic jar show that it dates to the main period of habitation at Qumran (c. 100 bc to ad 70).

M3 - Journal article

SN - 0003-813X

VL - 53

SP - 791

EP - 808

JO - Archaeometry

JF - Archaeometry

IS - 4

ER -