no / During the micro-excavation of the cauldrons, residues were identified which appeared different from the surrounding soil and metal corrosion products. Thirty-seven of these residues from nine cauldrons and two significant fragments of incomplete cauldrons were analysed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) along with two samples of soil from the micro-excavation for comparison. The aim of the analysis was to determine whether these residues contained any organic material related to the use of the cauldrons, specifically lipids (fats, waxes, resins etc.) from the preparation of food or drink. Two of the samples from the cauldrons were also sent for compound specific carbon stable isotope analysis by gas chromatography-combustion-isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC-C-IRMS) to give a more precise identification of the residues.