This study details the analysis of an assemblage of Funnel Beaker Culture pottery from the micro-region of Wanna, Cuxhaven, in Northern Germany. A total of 60 pottery fragments from three megalithic monuments and a settlement site were investigated using organic residue analysis. Lipids were extracted from the pottery using an acidified methanolic extraction (Correa-Ascencio and Evershed, 2014) to produce a total lipid extract for each vessel. These extracts were then analysed by gas chromatography, mass spectrometry and isotope ratio mass spectrometry were to quantify and identify the contents of the vessels (Evershed et al., 1990; Copley et al., 2003; Evershed, 2008). These analyses revealed new information on the function of these vessels as well as the diet and subsistence practices of the Funnel Beaker community at Wanna.

Gas chromatography mass spectrometry analyses were carried out on a ThermoScientific ISQ LT single quadrupole GC-MS coupled to a Trace 1300. Total lipid extracts (TLEs) were analysed using a non-polar fused silica capillary column (50 m × 0.32 mm i.d., DB1 stationary phase, 0.17 μm film thickness, Agilent Technologies). The temperature program started with an isothermal hold at 50 °C for 2 min, then the temperature was increased at 10 °C.min-1 to 300 °C and held for 10 min. Data were acquired using the total ion current (TIC) mode scanning the range m/z 50–650 Da at 8.3 scans.s-1.Isotopic values were measured by gas chromatography combustion isotope ratio mass spectrometery (GC-C-IRMS) on an Agilent Technologies 7890 A GC, coupled via an IsoPrime GC5 combustion interface (CuO and silver reactor, 850 °C) to an IsoPrime 100 mass spectrometer using a non-polar column (50 m × 0.32 mm i.d., HP-1 stationary phase, 0.17 μm film thickness, Agilent Technologies). The GC oven temperature was held for 2 min at 40 °C then increased to 300 °C at 10 °C. min-1 and held for 10 min (Correa-Ascencio & Evershed, 2014).