This study was aimed at testing a cost‐effective method based on comparing the rare earth element patterns in artefacts of known origin with patterns of potential raw materials, thus allowing the restriction/exclusion of working hypotheses on provenance, and consequently a better focus of research funding. The method targets ceramics/materials of terrigenous origin. Lanthanoids and yttrium patterns were determined in 26 wine amphorae that had a well‐established geographical origin from the Nuovo Mercato Testaccio in Rome, and these patterns were compared to plausible terrigenous materials from various ancient Roman regions. The point was not to pinpoint the origins of the material, but rather to rule out possible areas of origin. On both a national and a regional scale, we were able to exclude some regions of origin for these amphorae that would otherwise have been largely plausible. This method does not require sampling from already known kiln/extraction sites. Moreover, if maps of all rare earth elements in soils become available on a regional scale, it could be possible to obtain a level of discriminatory detail in the range of a few tens of kilometres.

Filippo Saiano, Ottorino‐Luca Pantani, Riccardo Scalenghe (2019). A rapid method of screening ceramic artefacts to reject unlikely hypotheses of provenance. GEOARCHAEOLOGY, 34(6), 759-767 [10.1002/gea.21749].

A rapid method of screening ceramic artefacts to reject unlikely hypotheses of provenance

Filippo Saiano;Riccardo Scalenghe
2019-01-01

Abstract

This study was aimed at testing a cost‐effective method based on comparing the rare earth element patterns in artefacts of known origin with patterns of potential raw materials, thus allowing the restriction/exclusion of working hypotheses on provenance, and consequently a better focus of research funding. The method targets ceramics/materials of terrigenous origin. Lanthanoids and yttrium patterns were determined in 26 wine amphorae that had a well‐established geographical origin from the Nuovo Mercato Testaccio in Rome, and these patterns were compared to plausible terrigenous materials from various ancient Roman regions. The point was not to pinpoint the origins of the material, but rather to rule out possible areas of origin. On both a national and a regional scale, we were able to exclude some regions of origin for these amphorae that would otherwise have been largely plausible. This method does not require sampling from already known kiln/extraction sites. Moreover, if maps of all rare earth elements in soils become available on a regional scale, it could be possible to obtain a level of discriminatory detail in the range of a few tens of kilometres.
2019
Filippo Saiano, Ottorino‐Luca Pantani, Riccardo Scalenghe (2019). A rapid method of screening ceramic artefacts to reject unlikely hypotheses of provenance. GEOARCHAEOLOGY, 34(6), 759-767 [10.1002/gea.21749].
File in questo prodotto:
File Dimensione Formato  
Saiano_et_al-2019-Geoarchaeology(1).pdf

Solo gestori archvio

Descrizione: Articolo principale
Tipologia: Versione Editoriale
Dimensione 3.84 MB
Formato Adobe PDF
3.84 MB Adobe PDF   Visualizza/Apri   Richiedi una copia

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/10447/381575
Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? ND
  • Scopus 2
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? 2
social impact