Pots for the Dead: Food Residues in an Early Harappan Burial

Ahana Ghosh1*, Eleanora Reber2, Rajesh S.V.3, Abhayan G.S.3, and Sharada Channarayapatna1

Mortuary rituals provide critical insights into social values, memory practices, and the sensory engagements of the living with the dead. This study presents the first organic residue evidence for food offerings associated with an Early Harappan burial from Surkotada in Kachchh, western India, expanding biomolecular perspectives on protohistoric mortuary practices in South Asia. Six ceramic vessels recovered from the burial context, including one displaying Anarta ceramic traits, were analysed using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) to investigate their potential role in funerary rituals. The lipid profiles reveal a predominance of plant‑derived fatty acids, suggesting the processing or deposition of plant‑based food substances within the vessels. In addition, biomarker distributions indicate the presence of aquatic resources, particularly shellfish, pointing to a broader range of food offerings than previously documented for Early Harappan mortuary contexts. These findings suggest that curated food substances formed part of mortuary deposits, foregrounding culinary practice as an important axis of funerary expression. By integrating archaeological context with biomolecular analysis, this study demonstrates how organic residue analysis can illuminate otherwise invisible aspects of ritual behaviour. The results highlight the potential of biomolecular archaeology for reconstructing mortuary food traditions and ritual ecologies in ancient South Asia.