Investigations of potsherds of miniature cups and household pots from the first millennium AD (the case study on the Western Lithuanian ceramics)

Abstract

This article presents data on the structure and elemental composition of hand-built miniature cups with a smooth surface, that were enclosed into burials as funeral pottery, and household pots dated to the first millennium AD found in four different archaeological sites of Western Lithuania. Investigated funeral and household pottery samples reflect the chemical composition of the local raw materials used for their production, while the variations in composition point to different clay locations, as well as use of distinct tempers and peculiarities of ceramics firing technology.