Lead Isotopic Analysis for the Identification of Late Bronze Age Pottery From Hala Sultan Tekke (Cyprus)

Abstract

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.

Lead isotopic analysis within a multiproxy approach to trace pottery sources. The example of White Slip II sherds from Late Bronze Age sites in Cyprus and Syria

“…The TiO 2 , Na 2 O and K 2 O contents vary from 0 totery fragments are pyroxene, plagioclase, magnetite, ilmenite, quartz, olivine, sphene and epidote. Similar data were obtained for six White Slip II sherds from Hala Sultan Tekke in Renson et al (2011) and additional measurements were made on these sherds. Moreover, to present the chemical composition typical for the clay matrix, part of the data previously obtained and obviously corresponding to the composition of fresh minerals commonly present in the sherds was discarded.…”

“…The isotopic field of the White Slip II from Hala Sultan Tekke has a larger variability (Fig. 2b and c, see also Renson et al, 2011 for the values of the Pb isotope ratios). Except for two samples (WS 33 and WS 35) that show lower values in both ratios, the isotopic composition ranges from Pb ratios, respectively.…”

“…The resulting powders were heated at 550°C during 4 h. The acid digestions of the sample powders and subsequent Pb separation by ion exchange chromatography were carried out following the procedure described in Renson et al (2011). Lead isotope ratios were measured using two multi-collector -inductively coupled plasma -mass spectrometers (MC-ICP-MS): a Nu Plasma (Nu Instruments) in operation at the Earth and Environmental Science Department of the ''Université Libre de Bruxelles'', Belgium, and a Thermo Scientific Neptune (Thermo Scientific) in operation at the Department of Analytical Chemistry of Ghent University, Belgium (the reproducibility of the measurements is discussed in Renson et al, 2011). The analytical conditions were identical to those described in Renson et al (2011) and are only briefly summarized below.…”

“…Lead isotope ratios were measured using two multi-collector -inductively coupled plasma -mass spectrometers (MC-ICP-MS): a Nu Plasma (Nu Instruments) in operation at the Earth and Environmental Science Department of the ''Université Libre de Bruxelles'', Belgium, and a Thermo Scientific Neptune (Thermo Scientific) in operation at the Department of Analytical Chemistry of Ghent University, Belgium (the reproducibility of the measurements is discussed in Renson et al, 2011). The analytical conditions were identical to those described in Renson et al (2011) and are only briefly summarized below. Thallium was added to each sample and to the standard to monitor and correct for instrumental mass discrimination.…”

“…The concentrations of selected major and trace elements were measured on 300 mg of dried and homogenized powder using a Bruker S8 Tiger wavelength-dispersive X-ray Fluorescence X-ray diffraction was used to describe the bulk mineralogy of the sediments (method description in Renson et al, 2011). Classification for quantitative estimations follows that proposed by Cook et al (1975): trace, <5%; present, 5-25%; abundant, 25-65% and major, >65%.…”