THE PROVENANCE OF IRON ARTEFACTS FROM MANCHING: A MULTI‐TECHNIQUE APPROACH*

Iron finds from the Celtic oppidum of Manching in southern Bavaria (Germany) are analysed in view of their possible provenance. The exceptional size and the location of Manching are usually attributed to the presence of abundant iron ores in its vicinity. After a review of previous approaches for source determination of iron artefacts, we introduce lead isotope analysis as a new approach. However, only by combining the trace element patterns of slag inclusions and iron metal with lead isotope ratios in the metal is it possible to distinguish various iron ore formations near Manching. As a result, it turns out that, indeed, the most obvious ones—namely, bog ores near the Danube—constituted the main resources for iron production at Manching. It was even possible to select one occurrence as the most likely ore source.     

The early roman imperial AES coinage II: Tracing the copper sources by analysis of lead and copper isotopes—copper coins of Augustus and Tiberius*

Lead and copper isotopes of Roman Imperial copper coins (denominations as and quadrans) were analysed by MC–ICP–MS. We concentrated on well‐dated coins minted at the official mint of Rome under the Emperors Augustus and Tiberius (between 16 bc and ad 37). The lead isotope results were compared with published lead isotope data of ore bodies from the Aegaean, Cyprus, Italy and Spain, in order to fingerprint the sources of Roman copper. During the Augustan period the main copper supply, as judged from the copper coins, is from Sardinia and south‐east Spain, with minor contributions from Tuscany. Except for Tuscany, this continued into the Tiberian period, when Cypriot copper also appears. Augustan quadrantes and late Tiberian asses came solely from the Rio Tinto area in south‐west Spain. Copper isotopes were applied here for the first time to systematic archaeometric studies. They are supplementary to lead isotopes and allow further grouping and classification of the copper coins.     

PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY OF ROMAN LEAD‐GLAZED POTTERY AND ITS CONTINUANCE INTO LATE ANTIQUITY

A broad selection of Roman lead‐glazed pottery dating from the first century ad through the fifth century ad was studied to establish locations of workshops and to address their technology of production. The ceramic bodies were analysed by ICP–AES. In addition, lead isotope analysis was undertaken on a selection of glazes. These findings suggested that there were several regions responsible for the production of lead‐glazed ceramics in the western Roman world, including central Gaul, Italy and, probably, Serbia and Romania. Using the body compositions as a starting point, the glazing techniques employed by each of the potential workshops were examined using electron probe microanalysis. It was determined that there were two primary methods of glazing. The first method used lead oxide by itself applied to non‐calcareous clay bodies, and the second method used a lead oxide‐plus‐quartz mixture applied to calcareous clay bodies. Based on these data for clay composition and glazing method, transfer of technology from the Hellenistic east to the western Roman world was proposed. Likewise, the inheritance of lead‐glazing technology into late antiquity was established by making comparisons to lead‐glazed ceramics dating to the seventh to ninth centuries from Italy, the Byzantine world and Tang Dynasty China.     

The Determination of Lead Isotope Ratios by Multiple Collector Icp‐Ms: A Case Study of Early Bronze Age Artefacts and their Possible Relation With Ore Deposits of the Erzgebirge*

Lead isotope analyses of Early Bronze Age metal artefacts from the Aunjetitz (Ún?tice) culture in central Germany and Bohemia were determined in order to find out whether they could be related to ore sources of the Erzgebirge. Historical mining began only in the 12th century ad , but despite the lack of convincing field evidence it has frequently been suspected that this region was already being exploited in prehistoric times. For the determination of the lead isotope ratios, the new technique of multiple collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (MC‐ICP‐MS) was employed, which combines relatively easy sample preparation with highly precise and accurate measurements. The results show that there is still no evidence for prehistoric mining in the Erzgebirge, but the Rammelsberg deposit in the Harz Mountains might have supplied some of the copper. Mining of stream tin in the Erzgebirge remains a possibility, but no positive evidence can be extracted from the data.     

SOUTHEAST ASIA'S FIRST ISOTOPICALLY DEFINED PREHISTORIC COPPER PRODUCTION SYSTEM: WHEN DID EXTRACTIVE METALLURGY BEGIN IN THE KHAO WONG PRACHAN VALLEY OF CENTRAL THAILAND?

Southeast Asian metallurgical developments have been a focus of international academic interest since Solheim (1968 ) and Bayard (1972 ) first published bronze artefacts in claimed early/middle third millennium bce contexts from northeastern Thailand, igniting a regional ‘origins’ of metallurgy debate that has smouldered for 40 years (e.g., White and Hamilton 2009 , Higham in press ). In this paper, we present the results of a lead isotope pilot study centred on the Khao Wong Prachan Valley of central Thailand—currently Southeast Asia's only documented prehistoric copper smelting locale. These preliminary data indicate that our ongoing regional metal exchange research programme may be able to elucidate interaction networks between copper‐producing and ‐consuming societies within and beyond Southeast Asia from c. 2000 bce to c. 500 ce . Furthermore, we are able to offer tentative evidence relevant to White and Hamilton's (2009 ) ‘Rapid Eurasian Technological Expansion Model’ for the Sino‐Siberian derivation of regional metal technologies around the turn of the third/second millennium bce .     

THE SUPPLY OF CAMPANIAN‐MADE SIGILLATA TO THE CITY OF POMPEII

Pompeii is an important temporal reference in the study of Roman ceramics, yet until now the origins of red slip tableware or sigillata found in the city have largely been classified by visual evaluations of the pottery. This investigation employs petrographic and elemental analyses to establish the provenance of sigillata found in two pre–ad 79 contexts of Pompeii. In contrast to previous studies, the results suggest that pottery workshops in the vicinity of Somma‐Vesuvius played a vital role in the supply of sigillata to the city.