The chemical analysis of organic residues can be done using different analytical techniques
Fourier Transform Infrared Microspectrometry (FTIR)
Advantages:
- Small amount of sample (50 mg)
- Direct analysis
- Detects chemical characteristics of the overall material (organic and inorganic)
- Gives first indication of nature of material and the state of preservation
Direct Temperature-resolved Mass Spectrometry (DTMS)
Advantages:
- Small amount of sample (50 mg)
- Direct analysis (no preparation prior to analysis)
- Detects both extractable and non-extractable more complex organic fractions
- Gives detailed information about a broad range of organic compounds such as lipids, waxes, terpenoids, polynuclear aromatic compounds, oligosaccharides, small peptides, protein fragments, and larger more condensed polymeric structures resulting from charred foodstuffs