Differentiation of ceramic chemical element composition and vessel morphology at a pottery production center in Roman Galilee

• Published in: Journal of archaeological science Vol. 36; no. 11; pp. 2517 - 2530
• Main Authors: Adan-Bayewitz, D., Karasik, A., Smilansky, U., Asaro, F., Giauque, R.D., Lavidor, R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 2009; Elsevier
• Subjects: Ancient civilizations of the near east; Art and archaeology; Chemical element composition; Generalities; Grec and Roman epochs; Intrasite differentiation; Kefar Hananya; Laboratory technics; Mesopotamia and Near East; Methods; Palestine; Physical and chemical analysis; Pottery production; Research principies; Roman period; Vessel morphology; Roman antiquity; Roman Empire; Palestine; Israel; Levant; Asia; Galilee; Palestine; Intrasite differentiation; Pottery production; Kefar Hananya; Roman period; Chemical element composition; Vessel morphology; Cluster analysis; Site; Chemical analysis; Form; Plates and dishes; X ray fluorescence; Ceramics; Method; Neutron activation; Source; materials; Morphology; Production; Technique; Localization; Bowl; Potter's workshop
• ISSN: 0305-4403; 1095-9238
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jas.2009.07.004

Cooking pots and bowls from two production locations ca. 200 m from each other at the rural settlement of Kefar Hananya in Roman Galilee were compared employing chemical element composition and vessel-shape analyses. Splits of each pulverized sample, all of which were taken from ceramic wasters, were analyzed by both instrumental neutron activation and high-precision X-ray fluorescence analyses, and computerized vessel-shape analysis was employed for morphological analysis of the same vessel forms from each location. Several statistical techniques (bivariate plots, principal component analysis, cluster analysis and discriminant analysis) were used for analyzing the resultant data. It was found that both the cooking pots and bowls made at each location could be distinguished by employing either chemical composition or morphological analysis. The implications of this work, with regard to investigating both production and consumption sites, and for pottery provenance studies, are discussed. The findings suggest that these analytical techniques can be useful as an aid for chronological differentiations of archaeological pottery.