On-site plant-wax biomarker analysis for assessing soil-organic-microbial degradation in archaeological contexts: A case study from Southern India.

ABSTRACT: Stable carbon isotope (δ¹³C) analysis of soil organic matter (SOM) from archaeological contexts is widely employed as a proxy for palaeovegetation and palaeoenvironmental reconstruction. However, the reliability of δ¹³C_SOM as a palaeovegetation proxy is influenced by issues of physico-chemical diagenesis and isotopic fractionation, prompting increased interest in source-specific biomarker approaches. In this study, we present a case study from the Palaeolithic site of Jwalapuram (India), where plant-wax biomarker data indicate the degradation of plant-derived lipids, raising concerns about the reliability of δ¹³C_SOM as a palaeovegetation proxy in this context. To further investigate SOM degradation, topsoil samples from central Andhra

SUBMITTER: Jha G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12552562 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature