DECORATED ARCHAIC POTTERY FROM THE HERACLES SANCTUARY AT THEBES: A MATERIALS,TECHNOLOGY AND PROVENANCE STUDY*

Forty‐seven decorated samples of Archaic pottery excavated at a Heracles sanctuary (Thebes, Boeotia) were studied through a combined surface and body approach, using non‐destructive techniques. Most of the samples were archaeologically classified as Theban/Boeotian, others as Corinthian and a few as possibly Euboean. The techniques employed were optical microscopy and SEM–EDAX (micromorphology and compositional analysis of the surfaces) and XRF for the analysis of the ceramic body. The results provided information on the technological level of the collected pottery as well as on the relation of the chemistry and micromorphology of the pigments, aimed at assisting provenance studies.     

ASSESSING NATURAL CLAY COMPOSITION IN THE VALLEY OF OAXACA AS A BASIS FOR CERAMIC PROVENANCE STUDIES

The Oaxaca Clay Survey was initiated to provide baseline data on clay composition within the Valley of Oaxaca, Mexico, to assist in provenance determination of prehistoric ceramics. Natural clays were sampled from 135 locations throughout the valley, and analysed using INAA in combination with ceramic petrography. Observed geographical trends in trace‐element and mineralogical composition confirm that while parent material (surficial geology) strongly affects clay composition, a continuum of variation exists within the valley. The study develops and tests a continuous spatial model of clay composition that provides greater resolution in ceramic sourcing than bedrock alone. By establishing a regional framework for Oaxaca Valley clays, the survey will support significant advances in our understanding of pottery production and exchange within the valley, and provide a more robust means for monitoring exchange between the valley and neighbouring regions.     

ON THE COMPOSITION AND PROVENANCE OF METAL ARTEFACTS FROM POLIOCHNI ON LEMNOS

Summary. The majority of the well-stratified Early Bronze Age metal objects from Poliochni, with the exclusion of one hoard find, was analyzed for their chemical and lead isotope composition. The results show that a major change occurred in the metal used at Poliochni during periods contemporary with Troy I and Troy II. Unalloyed or arsenical copper with relatively high lead contents during the earliest two periods 'azzurro' and 'verde' is gradually replaced and supplemented by tin bronze which, during period 'giallo', i.e., by the end of Troy II, becomes the dominant metal type. Lead isotope abundance ratios in the earlier artefacts are consistent with a derivation of the metal from regional ore sources but the trace element abundance pattern is not. Concurrent with the appearance of tin bronzes is an increase in the diversity of ore deposits exploited; for about one third of the artefacts from period 'giallo' there is as yet no matching ore source in all Anatolia and the Eastern Mediterranean. It is argued that the tin bronzes have been imported as such but that the lead isotope signature does not provide any direct clues to the origin of the tin.     

VIVARIA IN DOLIIS. CERAMIC JARS FOR DORMOUSE FATTENING FOUND IN ARUCCI

The excavation of the north house at the archaeological site of Arucci (Aroche, Huelva) has provided interesting data for understanding city planning in general, and domestic architecture in particular. Investigation of their environments has allowed the identification of the distinct functions for which they were intended, including two significant tabernae that were connected to one of the main thoroughfares of the city. In one of them, an interesting set of ceramic fragments has been recovered, whose features allow us to recognize them as ceramic containers for fattening the much-appreciated dormouse. This find signifies an interesting novelty in the archaeological record of the city from which various aspects of the diet of its inhabitants can be inferred, as well as the breeding and production of the rodents.     

THE EFFECT OF PURIFICATION AND FIRING OF CLAYS ON TRACE ELEMENT PROVENANCE STUDIES

The effect of purifying, mixing and firing of clays on trace element concentration was systematically investigated using instrumental neutron activation analysis. Eight different clays from two sites in Crete were used together with sherds found around several kilns near the sites. Trace element analysis showed that the extent to which the concentration changes after purification and firing depends on the initial particle size and chemistry of the clay. The calcite concentration plays an essential role in this. An application is made using roof tiles found at the excavation of the ancient city of Pella in Macedonia.     

萧梁钱范原料的矿物组成及其处理技术初探

一、引言通过大量的实物观摩和资料调研 ,我们发现萧梁铸钱工艺思想之先进 ,钱范的设计、布局之合理 ,钱范的制作水平之高 ,体现了高超的工艺水平和丰富的科学内涵。萧梁钱币叠铸工艺思想先进且技术上也存在相当大的难度 ,这就说明 ,萧梁钱范如果不具备一定的优良性能 ,是不可能满足萧梁钱币叠铸的复杂工艺的。按照现代铸造学和造型材料的理论 ,并且参考有关学者对古代陶范研究的成果①②③ ,可知萧梁钱范应具有下列基本性能 :1 可塑性、复印性、脱模性良好 ;2 足够高的干湿强度和干硬度 ;3 足够高的耐火度和化学稳定性 ;4 收缩 -膨胀率…     

THE CHARACTERIZATION OF PAINTS AND WATERPROOFING MATERIALS FROM THE SHIPWRECKS FOUND AT THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE OF THE ETRUSCAN AND ROMAN HARBOUR OF PISA (ITALY)*

This work presents the results of a diagnostic survey on the shipwrecks from the archaeological site of the ancient harbour of San Rossore (Pisa, Italy). The original waterproofing, caulking and painting materials were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), gas chromatography – mass spectrometry (GC–MS), energy‐dispersive X‐ray microanalysis (EDX) and X‐ray diffraction (XRD). The major constituents of the waterproofing and caulking materials detected on the planks were tricyclic abietanes showing a high degree of aromatization. These compounds are indicative of a pitch obtained from the wood of trees of the Pinaceae family. The analysis of the organic components of the paint samples revealed diterpenoid acids characteristic of Pinaceae resins together with linear long‐chain alcohols and fatty acids, highlighting the presence of beeswax. Noticeably, the characteristic odd carbon number alkanes that are normally present in beeswax were not detected. The EDX and XRD analyses showed that hematite, calcite, cerussite and kaolinite were employed as pigments to paint the ships’ hulls.     

PROVENANCE OF PUMICES IN THE NORTH COAST OF CYPRUS

With the aim of establishing the provenance of pumices along the North Coast of Cyprus, from Morphou to Kormakiti, chemical analysis, refractive indices determinations and mineralogical examination have been performed. On the basis of the experimental data the pumices can be distinguished into two groups. For the first one a provenance from Santorini can be established, for the second Yali, Kos and Milos can be taken into consideration as source localities.     

PROVENANCE OF THE SANDSTONE USED IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE KHMER MONUMENTS IN THAILAND

We investigated the sandstone used in the construction of the Khmer monuments situated upon and around the Khorat Plateau in north‐east Thailand in order to clarify the provenance. The sandstones of the 22 investigated Khmer monuments can be classified into three groups. The sandstone of Group 1 is lithic and is derived mainly from the Khok Kruat Formation. This group includes the sandstone used at Phimai, Phnom Wan, Muang Khaek etc. The sandstone of Group 2 is siliceous and can be subdivided into three further groups. The sandstone of Group 2 is considered to have been derived from the Phu Phan, Phra Wihan or Sao Khua Formations. The sandstone used at Muang Tam, Phnom Rung, Sdok Kok Thom, Preah Vihear (Khao Phra Wihan), Narai Jaeng Waeng etc. belongs to Group 2. The sandstone of Group 3 is feldspathic and is correlated with the grey to yellowish‐brown sandstone that is commonly used in the Angkor monuments in Cambodia. This sandstone is used at Wat Phu and Hong Nang Sida in Laos. The above results reveal that the choice of sandstone used for the Khmer monuments, including the Angkor monuments, was dictated by the surrounding geology.     

PLAIN POTTERY AND SOCIAL LANDSCAPES: REINTERPRETING THE SIGNIFICANCE OF CERAMIC PROVENANCE IN THE NEOLITHIC

This paper focuses on plain, stylistically unvaried pottery from three Late Neolithic sites from the Mondego Plateau, Portugal, and investigates ceramic production and exchange among small‐scale prehistoric societies by means of thin‐section petrography and chemical analysis (INAA). The results show that the majority of the pottery was made with widely available, granite‐derived sedimentary clays, but petrographic differences between fabrics indicate collection at multiple locations within these deposits. Variation in chemical composition is consistent with site‐specific sourcing areas, while comparison with data from earlier sites in the Mondego and surrounding mountains suggests that such sources were geographically restricted within the plateau. In contrast, the small percentage of vessels produced with residual clays of metamorphic and intermediate igneous origin, which outcrop over 10 km and 30 km from the archaeological sites, demonstrates that plain pottery did circulate during the Neolithic beyond the funerary sphere. This is the product of the routines of mobility and social networks of Neolithic groups across the wider landscape, which involved the exchange of ‘mundane’ vessels. Finally, the study demonstrates that micro‐regional provenance studies can provide significant insights into prehistoric social landscapes if the data are interrogated beyond simplistic classifications of local and non‐local.     

AN EPR AND ISOTOPIC STUDY OF THE MARBLES OF THE TRAJAN's ARCH AT ANCONA: AN EXAMPLE OF ALLEGED HYMETTIAN PROVENANCE*

The provenance of 20 marble samples drawn from the Trajan's arch at Ancona, which is supposed to be made of Greek, Hymettian marble, has been established on the basis of the independent use of EPR and isotopic data. The results of the two methods are in good agreement and unequivocally indicate a Proconnesian provenance. Sixteen samples are assigned to this site, whereas two are classified as untypical Proconnesian samples and the remaining two are assigned an unlikely Parian provenance. No indication exists for a possible Hymettian origin of the marbles. A multi‐method approach, which employs all of the experimental variables simultaneously, demonstrates that the 18 samples identified as Proconnesian belong to several different quarrying areas within the site. This result is taken as an indication that the Proconnesian quarries were run following a highly organized, semi‐industrial production model. The origin of the Hymettian/Proconnesian misunderstanding and the possible misclassification of other Roman monuments in Italy are briefly commented on.     

PROVENANCE OF MEDIEVAL PIETRA OLLARE ARTEFACTS FOUND IN ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES OF CENTRAL–EASTERN ITALY: INSIGHTS INTO THE ALPINE SOAPSTONE TRADE*

Medieval archaeological findings made of pietra ollare (basic and ultrabasic metamorphic rocks belonging to the greenschist facies) and coming from central–eastern Italy have been characterized through a petrological study (modal mineralogy, whole‐rock geochemistry, XRD and SEM–EDS analyses). The pietra ollare artefacts considered in this work consist of fine‐grained, grey to pale‐grey, magnesite‐bearing talc‐schists (i.e., soapstones). In order to determine their production centres, Alpine soapstones quarried in ancient times were selected on the basis of their mineralogical and textural compatibility with the archaeological findings. The mineralogy and chemistry (major and trace elements) contributed to establishing the ancient quarries of the Valchiavenna (central Alps) as the probable provenance area. This archaeometric investigation proves that Alpine artefacts made of pietra ollare spread to the south of the Po Plain during the Middle Ages. It can be inferred that the Alpine soapstone trade towards the Marche and Abruzzo regions was addressed through the main waterways: Lake Como, the Adda and Po Rivers and finally the Adriatic Sea.     

THE TUNGSTEN AND TIN SIGNATURE OF IRON ORES FROM ELBA ISLAND (ITALY): A TOOL FOR PROVENANCE STUDIES OF IRON PRODUCTION IN THE MEDITERRANEAN REGION

The mineralogy, petrography and major‐ and trace‐element composition of iron ores from Elba Island (Tuscany, Italy), one of the most important iron sources in the Mediterranean area since the first millennium bc , revealed that hematite‐rich ores display prominent enrichments in W and Sn (up to 4950 μg g^?1 and 8400 μg g^?1, respectively). These two elements are hosted by tiny grains of W–Sn mineral phases (ferberite, scheelite and cassiterite) that are disseminated throughout the hematite matrix. A comparison with iron ores from many Italian and European localities (most of which were exploited in ancient times) suggests the uniqueness of the geochemical pattern of Elba Island hematite‐rich ores (i.e., high W and Sn, low Mo and low Cu, Pb and Zn). We suggest that this geochemical signature may represent a new provenance marker not only for discarded ore at smelting/smithing sites, but, possibly, also for metallurgical slag and smelted metal produced in the chaîne opératoire of the iron process.     

TECHNOLOGY AND PROVENANCE OF A COLLECTION OF ISLAMIC COPPER‐BASED OBJECTS AS FOUND BY CHEMICAL AND LEAD ISOTOPE ANALYSIS*

Chemical and lead isotope analyses were utilized to determine the composition, technology and origin of a collection of Islamic copper‐based objects found in Jordan. The atomic absorption spectrometry results show that the objects were made of different types of copper‐base alloys that contain various amounts of zinc, tin and lead. The use of brass, highly leaded brass and quaternary alloys of Cu‐Zn‐Sn‐Pb in the manufacture of everyday, household objects strongly points to Islamic traditions. The lead isotope compositions of the objects match very well that of the copper ore mined from the Dolomite‐Limestone‐Shale unit of the Arabah copper mines.     

CHARACTERIZATION AND PROVENANCE OF LATE ANTIQUE WINDOW GLASS FROM THE PETRA CHURCH IN JORDAN*

Fifth‐ to seventh‐century window glass fragments from the Petra Church in Jordan were analysed by EPMA and spectrophotometry to characterize their optical properties and chemical composition. The objective of this study was to determine the provenance of the raw glass and the secondary production procedures of the window‐panes. Judging from the material evidence, both the crown window‐panes and possibly the rectangular samples were produced through glass‐blowing techniques. The chemical data show that the assemblage forms a homogeneous group of soda–lime–silica glass of the Levantine I type. The green glass, however, has higher silica and lower soda contents than the aqua‐blue fragments. The composition of one sample suggested the recycling of Roman glass. Our results confirm the trade of glass between the Levantine coast and Petra during Late Antiquity. No colouring agents other than iron were detected. Spectrophotometry confirmed the presence of iron and showed that the window fragments absorbed light relatively equally across the visible part of the spectrum. The windows thus seem to have provided an almost colourless illumination for the sacred interior.