| Abstract: | Magnetic susceptibility provides a rapid, cheap and non-destructive method of in situ characterization of archaeological artefacts containing magnetic minerals, and can be used as an aid to geological provenancing. Three hundred and sixty-three Roman granite columns were measured by this method and results show clear groupings and similarities with potential granite sources in Italy, Turkey and Egypt. Magnetic susceptibility measurements must be made on representative, unweathered surfaces of rocks and artefacts, and corrected for object size and surface relief according to manufacturers’recommendations. In addition, corrections for column curvature have been derived for use with measurements made on columns. |
