Millet and honey in a Late Bronze Age Kirkendrup–Jenišovice-type bronze cup from the Somló Hill

Tarbay, János Gábor and Soós, Bence and Péterváry, Tamás and Pető, Ákos and Kósa, Polett and Szabó, Gergő and Czirok, István Sándor and Czégény, Zsuzsanna (2025) Millet and honey in a Late Bronze Age Kirkendrup–Jenišovice-type bronze cup from the Somló Hill. ARCHAEOLOGIAI ÉRTESÍTŐ (BUDAPEST), 150 (1). pp. 105-117. ISSN 0003-8032

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Abstract

The study presents a recently discovered bronze cup and the results of its THM-GC/MS analysis from Somló Hill, County Veszprém, Hungary. The cup came to light during an organised metal detector survey in 2024 as part of a hoard of 2,934 artefacts (Hoard VIII). This elaborately decorated vessel belongs to the supra-regional group of metal vessels known as Kirkendrup-Jenišovice-type cups. These cups are typically dated to the Ha B1 phase and occasionally to later phases (Ha B2–Ha B3) and are found across a broad region spanning from Western Ukraine to Northern Ireland. Ihe interior of the vessel was sampled for chemical residues of prehistoric plants, food, or beverages to better understand the cup's original function. The samples were analysed using thermally assisted hydrolysis and methylation-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (THM-GC/MS) at the HUN-REN TTK. The analysis identified traces of broomcorn millet ( Panicum miliaceum, L.), with miliacin serving as the key biomarker. Additionally, chemical signatures of honey were detected that probably served to sweeten the food or beverage consumed from this cup.

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