Provenance and proximity: a technological analysis of Late and Final Neolithic ceramics from Euripides Cave, Salamis, Greece

Whitbread, Ian K.; Mari, Alexandra

doi:10.1016/j.jas.2013.07.020

Cited by 15 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…The majority of these pots and fragments were discovered in residential areas, and not in burial sites, which means that they were utilised for everyday domestic use rather than burial ceremonies. Furthermore, no similar pottery was ever found outside Mleiha, which supports the hypothesis that it was locally manufactured for local consumption, such claims of provenance however need proper scientific verification.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 70%

Identification of mineral inclusions in archaeological ceramics using microbeam X‐ray fluorescence spectrometry

Attaelmanan

2014

X-Ray Spectrometry

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Archaeological ceramics are subjected to chemical and geochemical analyses in order to ascertain production techniques and provenance. Many analytical techniques are currently available for the determination of qualitative and quantitative characteristics pertaining to clay composition and structure. Microbeam XRF is utilised in this report to analyse mineral inclusions present in Mleiha ceramics in order to establish better provenance data. A total of 67 mineral inclusions of different sizes and colours were analysed. The majority of the sampled inclusions (94%) were silicates, and only 6% were calcites. A total of 35 inclusions from the former group were olivine minerals composed of a mixture of Mg, Si, and Fe oxides constituting 87-99% of the inclusions' mass, in addition to 13 inclusions composed mainly of Al, Si, and Ca oxides with sum concentrations ranging from 80% to 98%. Figure 6. (a) Various coloured mineral inclusions. M2-14, M2-15, M2-16, and M2-17. (b) Two different mineral inclusions. Calcite M3-01 and M3-02 and silicate M3-03 and M3-04.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 70%

Identification of mineral inclusions in archaeological ceramics using microbeam X‐ray fluorescence spectrometry

Attaelmanan

2014

X-Ray Spectrometry

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“…The entire Saronic Gulf region additionally has large swaths of land covered by Neogene and Pleistocene marine sediments and alluvium. The island of Salamis is formed of largely similar geological components as the Attic mainland [109], while the island of Aegina, much like the Methana peninsula on the western coastline, is composed of a combination of andesite and dacite bearing pillow lavas, limestone and Neogene sediments [110] (pp. .…”

Section: Case Study 2: Mycenaean Fineware Pottery Archaeological Context and Geologymentioning

confidence: 99%

Post-Depositional Alteration of Calcium Carbonate Phases in Archaeological Ceramics: Depletion and Redistribution Effects

et al. 2021

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The final stage in the life history of prehistoric pottery prior to archaeological recovery is usually the longest, and frequently the most dynamic. The remains of archaeological ceramics spend hundreds to thousands of years deposited within the upper layers of the earth’s crust where they encounter the same diagenetic environmental processes as the surrounding natural materials. Harsh conditions of subterranean environments induce physical stresses and chemical reactions, causing alterations of ceramic structure and composition. This is especially true of carbonate-rich ceramics, as carbonate phases are soluble when deposited within acidic environments. This paper examines common carbonate depletion and accretion effects of post-depositional environments on ancient ceramics from two rather different geological and archaeological contexts: Mesoamerica and the Mediterranean. Potters in both regions produce vessels with carbonate-rich materials—clays, calcite, limestone—that alter due to long exposure to low-pH sediments and continual water table fluctuations. Ceramic petrography is employed to identify traces of carbonate alterations within ceramic microstructure and to characterize fabrics. Elemental compositions of the same sherds are characterized through either scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive spectrometry (SEM-EDS), inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and optical emission spectrometry (ICP-MS/OES) or neutron activation analysis (NAA). This method enabled comparison of the differing effects of post-depositional alteration of carbonate phases on bulk composition signatures commonly used to determine provenance.

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“…Adding grog‐temper can improve the performance of clay that lacks suitable properties for ceramic manufacturing, for example, clay that is considered to be too plastic. The widespread use of grog may indicate intra‐ and inter‐communal knowledge‐sharing between potters who worked in environments where adding grog was essential to improve the quality of the available clay, for example, to control the clay's plasticity and manage the drying and firing processes (Whitbread & Mari, 2014).…”

Section: Identifying and Defining Grog In Archaeological Ceramicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Why not let them rest in pieces? Grog‐temper, its provenance and social meanings of recycled ceramics in the Baltic Sea region (2900–2300 BCE)

Holmqvist

2021

Archaeometry

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Ceramic recycling, that is, using discarded ceramics as raw materials in manufacturing, occurs sporadically in ceramic technologies worldwide. Adding pre-fired, crushed ceramic fragments, known as grog or chamotte, to clay can improve the manufacturing process and product performance (e.g., thermal-shock resistance). In ethnographic ceramic traditions, ceramic recycling also conveys various social meanings relating to identity, kinship and ancestry. However, 'foreign'origin grog complicates scientific provenancing of archaeological ceramic fabrics. This study investigates the geochemical discrimination of grog and grogtempered Corded Ware Culture pottery (c.2900-2300 BCE), and the possible social signals produced by ceramic recycling in the Baltic Sea region.

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Provenance and proximity: a technological analysis of Late and Final Neolithic ceramics from Euripides Cave, Salamis, Greece

Cited by 15 publications

References 10 publications

Identification of mineral inclusions in archaeological ceramics using microbeam X‐ray fluorescence spectrometry

Identification of mineral inclusions in archaeological ceramics using microbeam X‐ray fluorescence spectrometry

Post-Depositional Alteration of Calcium Carbonate Phases in Archaeological Ceramics: Depletion and Redistribution Effects

Why not let them rest in pieces? Grog‐temper, its provenance and social meanings of recycled ceramics in the Baltic Sea region (2900–2300 BCE)

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