Cooking up recipes for ancient starch: assessing current methodologies and looking to the future

Since the publication of Ancient Starch Research (Torrence and Barton, 2006), the number and diversity of archaeological studies utilising analyses of ancient starch have increased to such an extent that we feel it is useful to see how this field is progressing, particularly in the areas of taphonomy and contamination. Starch retrieved from novel contexts, such as dental calculus or adhering to shell tools and ethnographic artifacts, has significantly expanded knowledge about diets, plant use and technology. A key research development has been the addition of studies focused on cereals and maize rather than on underground storage organs as interest in the technique has broadened beyond the tropics. While there are grounds for optimism about the successful incorporation of starch into studies that previously focused on botanical remains with a longer history of research, such as pollen or phytoliths, overcoming significant obstacles is critical to the future of ancient starch research. Experimental archaeology is providing much needed data about the contexts of starch loss, transformation and preservation in the archaeological record, but a general model of the processes involved is still lacking. Recent studies have further confirmed that appropriate physical and chemical conditions permit the preservation of native and unmodified starch over very long time periods.