Lighting practices in early Greece (from the end of the Mycenaean world to the 7th century BC

Reconsideration of the materials of lighting from a number of Early Greek sites leads to a review of the long-standing scholarly argument about an abrupt break in the use of typologically distinctive lamps in the period between the 11th and early 7th centuries BC. According to this, there is a marked absence of easily identifiable lamp-types, after the elaborate stone and clay Minoan and Mycenean series. Drawing on a combined approach to both its literary and archaeological aspects, I shall attempt to re-assess the truth of this 'traditionally' negative argument. In particular, certain pottery series, such as bowls, kothons and similar categories of plain pots with wide geographical distribution and popularity from the Mycenaean to Historical times (mainly until the 3rd century BC) will be reviewed and suggested as possible sources of light. In addition, I shall suggest — with the aid of a simple experiment — other simple ways of lighting a lamp by means directly available from nature.     

从光谱角度研究博物馆照明对染色丝绸的影响

光照是引起染色丝绸褪色的主要环境因素之一。为评价博物馆照明对染色丝绸的褪色影响,实验研究了博物馆常用照明LED灯、荧光灯、卤素灯对茜草、苏木、栀子、黄檗、紫草、槐米、靛蓝七种植物染料染色丝绸样品的褪色影响,从灯光的发射光谱结合染色样品的光反射率曲线角度尝试进行了分析。研究结果显示由于卤素灯在低波段的能量较低,对各种染色丝绸样品的褪色影响最小,低于常见的LED灯与荧光灯;3000K色温的灯光对褪色的影响基本上低于4000K色温的灯光。由于染料的不同,其褪色敏感波段不同,造成各种照明对其褪色影响程度有差异。因此为了更好地保护文物,博物馆照明应结合文物的特质,从照明发射光谱角度综合考虑,研发博物馆专用的照明灯具。     

博物馆照明对苏木染色丝绸的影响研究

苏木是古代常见的一种红色植物染料,为了从保护角度探讨苏木染色丝绸的照明需求,研究了博物馆照明常用的LED灯、卤素灯、荧光灯对它的褪色影响,从光照与其他环境因素入手,尝试构建了针对苏木染色丝绸的"变色因子"指标。研究结果显示,LED的"变色因子"大于传统的卤素灯与荧光灯的,低色温照明的"变色因子"略小于高色温照明的;照度越高,"变色因子"越大;其他环境因素对"变色因子"也有很大影响。因此针对苏木染色丝绸文物的展陈照明,建议选用卤素灯或低色温的荧光灯和LED灯,并应控制展陈照明的照度。同时展陈环境中的其他环境因素也不容忽视。研究结果为指导博物馆在对苏木染丝绸文物的照明选择方面提供了依据,同时为客观评价各种环境因素对染色丝绸的影响提供一种可借鉴的方法。     

陶寺遗址出土泥质陶器的中子活化分析与研究

本文采用中子活化分析技术对陶寺遗址出土的74件泥质陶器样品进行了分析研究,结果显示出土于遗址不同功能区的泥质陶器在原材料的使用或制作工艺上存在差异性,这或许表明了不同阶层的人所使用的泥质陶器也是有差别的,已经有了贫富贵贱之分。     

BYZANTINE AND UMAYYAD PERIOD POTTERY AT BARSINIA (2006 SEASON OF EXCAVATION)

Abstract

Until recent pottery studies of the ancient Classical and Early Islamic rural sites in northern Jordan were of less interest to archaeologists. This article focuses on the Byzantine and Umayyad period pottery that has been discovered during the first season of excavation at Barsinia in the north-western part of Jordan. Fifty-two indicative pottery sherds were sorted according to their date and function into two main groups: the early Byzantine pottery (fourth–sixth centuries) and the Late Byzantine–Umayyad pottery (sixth–eighth centuries). Since Barsinia is one of the small rural archaeological sites, and such sites were rarely mentioned in ancient literary sources, the study of material remains at such locations is essential for elucidating regional development and trade. It also sheds more light on the relation between the site and the surroundings through the comparative study of the pottery objects.     

Northern Iroquoian Ethnic Evolution: A Social Network Analysis

Ethnicity is one kind of social relationship that archaeologists explore. The evolution of the northern Iroquoian ethnic landscape in New York, southern Ontario, and the St. Lawrence Valley has been of long-standing interest to archaeologists. Since MacNeish’s (1952) pottery typology study, the predominant model for this evolution has been cladistic. Collar decoration served as a means of signaling attributes of the potter and pottery users that mirrored other more visible signals. We use social network analysis to determine whether pottery collar decoration data best fit MacNiesh’s cladistic or an alternative rhizotic model. The results better fit the rhizotic model.     

An Optimized Approach for Protein Residue Extraction and Identification from Ceramics After Cooking

Extraction of protein residues from archaeological matrices, such as pottery clay, lithics, and grinding stones, has proven to be methodologically challenging. Protein residue analysis is fraught with technical challenges in analytical chemistry. In cooking pottery, protein residues are thought to bind to clay surfaces in vessel walls through a variety of primarily non-covalent interactions. Removal of protein residues requires the disruption of these interactions, and a diverse set of tools has been proposed and applied. Here, we test extraction procedures through varying combinations of physical parameters and solvents to derive an optimal approach yielding efficiencies of recovery from experimental pottery above 60%. The utility of our extraction approach was further validated through liquid chromatography?Cmass spectrometry analysis of experimental residues. We have identified several hurdles to developing a successful study of protein residues from pottery, each of which is surmountable with additional method development in the realm of archaeological chemistry.     

The geochemical diversity of neogene clay deposits in Crete and its implications for provenance studies of Minoan pottery*

The determination of provenance probably forms the primary role of geochemical analyses in archaeological ceramic studies. In what has comprised a successful field of study, the ultimate basis for such research has been the comparison of pottery compositions with the geochemical diversity displayed by clay deposits within a given study area. Although such studies are now common, the understanding of chemical and mineralogical variability in ceramic raw materials has been somewhat neglected, with the dominance of assumptions rather than the actual analysis of clays. In this paper, a study is presented of Neogene clays in Crete (Greece), a clay type commonly used in ancient and modern pottery production. Sixty‐one samples were taken from 28 locations in the central and eastern parts of the island, to reveal both intra‐ and inter‐deposit variability. In one deposit chosen for multiple sampling, the 14 samples display great variability in the alkali elements, Fe and Co, and to a lesser extent in the REEs. Many of the geographically separate deposits differ from each other in chemical composition, with Eastern Cretan deposits showing higher REE concentrations and higher Th/Sc ratios, whereas Central Cretan deposits of younger geological stages are characterized by a lower Th/U ratio. Mineralogical analysis by XRD is used to explain aspects of the geochemical variability of the clays.     

Report on the pottery from Tell Sufan in Nablus,Palestine

ABSTRACT

This research report aims to give detailed information on the pottery from the 1999 and 2013-16 excavation campaigns taking place at the Tell Sufan site in Nablus, Palestine. These were conducted by the Department of Antiquities at An-Najah National University (ANU) in Nablus. It is of note that this ancient pottery has never previously been the subject of research nor has any literature been published on it. Our methodology consists in: analysing the pottery by identifying it, typifying it, and giving it a function; providing chronological information on the site; comparison of the pottery with that from other sites in Palestine, using archaeological information from the site; and contextualising our findings with other historical and archaeological studies. Examination of the functional use of the pottery allows us to demonstrate human activity at the Tell Sufan site, giving information on the most prosperous phases of occupation in regard to economic aspects, through the late Bronze Age, Iron Age and Byzantine-Early Islamic periods.     

国外早期陶器的发现与研究

关于世界最早阶段陶器的探索一直是国际学术界关注的重要课题之一。据现有的考古发掘资料,在亚洲的日本、俄罗斯远东地区以及西亚、北非等地区都发现有早期陶器遗存。这些陶器都具有器类单一、器形简单、火候较低、胎土中夹有羼杂物等特征,表现出早期陶器原始性的一面,但又各有特点,说明在陶器起源阶段,世界各地的经济形态及其发展水平并不一致。     

Technology Transfer at the Periphery of the Mycenaean World: The Cases of Mycenaean Pottery Found in Central Macedonia (Greece) and the Plain of Sybaris (Italy)*

The study of technology transfer in pottery production to the periphery of the Mycenaean world has been addressed by considering two different areas, southern Italy and central Macedonia. Technological features such as ceramic paste, decoration and firing have been determined for different ceramic groups established according to provenance criteria. The studies of technology and provenance have been performed following an archaeometric approach, using neutron activation analysis, petrographic analysis, X‐ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The results have revealed the existence of two different models. On the one hand, southern Italy seems to exhibit a more organized pottery production, which follows a Mycenaean‐like technology, while in central Macedonia production is probably more varied, being based in part on the technology of the local tradition.     

On pottery change and northern Iroquoian origins: An assessment from the Finger Lakes region of central New York

Pots as tools is a concept that has been widely accepted and developed since Braun’s classic 1983 publication. However, in northeastern North America archaeologists continue to use pottery primarily as an aid to culture history and research problems based thereon. In central New York State it has been postulated that a change in pottery forming technique heralds the onset of Iroquoian pottery traditions at around AD 1000. Empirical data on pottery forming and two other pottery traits do not support this postulation. Rather the trends in these traits are consistent with social learning theory and changes in mobility and population aggregation. Following Engelbrecht (1999, 2003) we suggest that a more fruitful approach to understanding the evolution of northern Iroquoian groups is to be found in ethnogenesis theory as described by Moore (1994, 2001).     

NEUTRON ACTIVATION ANALYSIS AT THE BRITISH MUSEUM,LONDON

Neutron activation analysis was used at the British Museum from 1978 until 2002 for provenance studies on ceramics and marble. Significant numbers of the items analysed were of high quality and value, and careful sampling was necessary to avoid damage to the object. An in‐house British Museum Standard Pottery was established and inter‐calibrated with a number of standards used by other archaeometry laboratories. The results of the projects have been published in many papers, and the databases established will be of use to future scholars interested in the ceramic groups represented. Projects on Greek and Near Eastern pottery have been undertaken. Relatively large numbers of north European medieval and post‐medieval pottery samples were analysed, as well as the tin‐glazed ceramics of Spain and Italy. Classical marble has also formed the subject of another project and a database of quarry material has been established.     

Detection of chloride from pottery as a marker for salt: A new analytical method validated using simulated salt-making pottery and applied to Japanese ceramics

Salt is an essential mineral in the human diet, and ancient peoples obtained salt either directly from rock salt, from salt lakes, or by concentrating saline waters from salt springs or seawater in pottery vessels. However, because sodium chloride, the major component of salt, is soluble in water, it has been thought unlikely that any trace of salt would remain in the pottery after a long period of time. A new methodology for retrieval of water-insoluble (retainable) chloride ion trapped within a pottery matrix is presented as a method for detecting previous use of the pottery for salt making. Simulated salt-making pottery was used to make salt by repeatedly boiling seawater over a fire. After chloride had been extracted with distilled water, to mimic the removal of chloride by natural waters such as rainwater and groundwater, an aqueous ammonium fluoride solution was shown to be capable of extracting chloride ions remaining in the pottery. A chloride-selective electrode was used to quantify the amount of extracted chloride in the presence of fluoride. This method was then successfully applied to excavated Japanese pottery vessels suspected of having been used for making salt. Identification of retainable chloride in pottery can offer insights into salt trading networks, which reflect the growth and affluence of an ancient society.     

LEAD ISOTOPIC ANALYSIS FOR THE IDENTIFICATION OF LATE BRONZE AGE POTTERY FROM HALA SULTAN TEKKE (CYPRUS)

Lead isotopic compositions were measured for 65 sherds from five pottery wares (Plain White, Coarse, Canaanite, White Slip and Base‐ring) excavated from the Late Bronze Age site of Hala Sultan Tekke (Cyprus). The elemental composition and isotopic signature of the sherds were compared with those of 65 clay samples collected in south‐east Cyprus, mainly in the surroundings (<20 km) of Hala Sultan Tekke. This work shows the effectiveness of using lead isotopic analysis in provenance studies, along with other analytical techniques, such as X‐ray diffraction (XRD) and a scanning electron microscope (SEM) equipped with an energy dispersive X‐ray detection (EDX) facility, to identify the composition of pottery wares and the clay sources used for pottery ware production.     

The Antiquities Market

Abstract

The computer has not been widely used for the study and analysis of Greek and Roman pottery. Recently at Stobi in Yugoslavian Macedonia a considerable quantity of pottery has been coded according to a system devised specifically for the rather complex situation presented by the wide-reaching market for ceramics in the Greek and Roman periods. The system and coding procedures, as well as the preliminary results of the analysis, are published here in the hope that they will serve as an aid to others working with similar material.     

Radiocarbon pottery dating: the chemical compounds of organic fractions, the reliability of 14C dates (preliminary results)

In recent times, a large number of radiocarbon dates appeared for the Southern Neolithic on the basis of pottery dating because other organic matter has practically not been preserved. There are two organic fractions of pottery useful for dating: food residues and carbon from the pottery matrix itself. Food residues are often dated, but this material is not always preserved and is prone to being removed during the cleaning of the pottery. The clay mass of the pottery contains carbon, often directly visible upon breaking of the pottery. The article focusses on determining the chemical composition of the organic fractions in the pottery and the origin of the carbon. For this aim we used the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) method to identify the chemical compounds in the food residue and in the pottery matrix. As an example we used pottery from the Neolithic sites: Zamost??e (Central Russia) and the Varfolomeevskay sites (Southern European Russia, Low Volga region) from archaeological collections. The results obtained demonstrate that the food residue and the pottery matrix contain practically the same organic compounds, even if the relative abundances of various compounds are different in these materials. The origin of the carbon from pottery is discussed.     

山东大汶口文化酒器初探

中国有悠久的酿酒传统,近年来利用科技手段进行陶器残留物分析,使我们能够获得史前时期酿酒技术的直接考古学证据。本文对山东王因和西夏侯遗址出土的4件大汶口文化时期的陶器进行微植物和微生物分析,初步揭示了海岱地区在距今6200～4600年的酿酒传统。即,利用麹、根霉和/或毛霉制麹,以粟黍、小麦族、葛根、栝楼根和百合为主要原料而酿造麹酒。制作精致的磨光黑陶高柄杯是饮酒器,红陶杯和灰陶瓶也与酒有关。海岱地区和中原地区在新石器时期使用不同的酒器,但利用多种植物酿造麹酒是共有的酿酒方法。     

DETERMINING POTTERY PROVENANCE: APPLICATION OF A NEW HIGH-PRECISION X-RAY FLUORESCENCE METHOD AND COMPARISON WITH INSTRUMENTAL NEUTRON ACTIVATION ANALYSIS*

A recently developed high-precision X-ray fluorescence (XRF) method, applied for the first time to the study of archaeological pottery, determines the abundances of 13 trace and four major elements from one X-ray spectrum acquired over a 1000 second counting interval. For replicate archaeological samples, the short-term and long-term measurement precisions were close to 1% for the ten elements measured with highest precision. These are comparable to the best results achieved on replicates of clay and pottery standards, and obsidian, using instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA). High-precision XRF analysis, however, does not require a nuclear facility, and is markedly preferable to INAA in terms of the ease of both sample preparation and analytical procedure. Consequently, element abundance data can usually be provided by a single analyst within a few hours after the start of sample preparation. The accuracy of the method, determined by comparison with data of other workers on eight standard reference materials, averaged 2.4% for the ten best-agreeing elements. The effectiveness of the method for determining pottery provenance is demonstrated for a difficult problem, in which high-precision XRF analysis successfully distinguished the products of two nearby pottery manufacturers in Roman Galilee (Shikhin and Nahif) that had not been clearly differentiated by INAA. The greater effectiveness of high-precision XRF than INAA in this provenance study is a result of the different array of elements measured, and the higher precision obtained for certain elements, by XRF. These results suggest that high precision XRF has potential broad applicability for pottery provenance studies.     

Spectrographic Analyses of Mycenaean Pottery from Ialysos on Rhodes: Results and Implications

Abstract

The changing relations between the important Mycenaean site of Ialysos on Rhodes and the Argolid (in the Greek Peloponnese) during the LH III period (the 15th-12th centuries B.C.) have been studied through the pottery found in the tombs of the cemetery from Ialysos. The results of spectrographic analyses of well characterised and dated pots from Ialysos have made possible a clear distinction between locally produced Rhodian pottery and imports that were primarily from the Argolid. During the LH IIIA2 period the large majority of the cemetery pottery at Ialysos was imported from the Argolid. The same situation pertains in the IIIB period, but there are examples of imported pottery from centres other than the Argolid, such as Crete. In the 12th century B.C. (IIIC), however, the position was completely reversed, and the fine Mycenaean pottery was almost exclusively made on Rhodes.