3 research outputs found
On the Analysis and Interpretation of Pottery Production and Distribution
Ceramics are particularly well suited for investigating general patterns of
the distribution of premodern products. Archaeometric methods, used to
determine raw materials and production techniques, permit the identification
of places of production. The work of the research group presented here pursues
two objectives: (i) to investigate the usefulness of portable X-ray
fluorescence equipment for the analysis of ceramics and (ii) to identify,
interpret and study distribution areas of ceramic products in comparative
prospective. The paper discusses key economic concepts, sets out the
archaeometric methodology and presents initial results in the context of two
examples
Using pXRF for the Analysis of Ancient Pottery
The aim of the secound workshop on the use of portable energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) organized by the Cluster of Excellence TOPOI was to exchange experiences and discuss the basic requirements for the use of pXRF as a tool for chemical analysis of archaeological ceramics. During two days, 49 participants from eight European countries discussed nineteen lectures, twelve of which are published here as papers presenting research on ceramics and glass of various periods from Bulgaria, Germany, Greece, Rumania, Ukraine, Sudan, Syria and the United Kingdom. The focus was on analysing bulk pottery and on the possibilities of non-destructive determination of chemical composition. The number of chemical elements significant for provenance studies and determinable with sucient precision and accuracy plays a major role. This was compared with chemical analysis using WDXRF, ICP-MS, NAA. The different examples prove that the chances of positive outcomes depend very much on the individual cases