Abstract: A discussion of how Andean potters acquire and use their fuels is used to demonstrate the 'embedded' nature of ceramic technology. The most common choice of fuel in the highlands of Peru and Bolivia is animal dung (mainly cow, sheep, and llama). This technological choice is related to wider social and economic practices (particularly in relation to animal husbandry) which has further repercussions that affect other technologies (such as agriculture practices). Such a succession of interrelated activities is not unique to pottery; it is fundamental to all technologies and should be considered within archaeological analysis.

Abstract: Analysis has been conducted on 19 blue glasses from Amarna in Middle Egypt dated to around 1350 BC. The results suggest that these glasses fall into two distinct types : cobalt coloured glasses with a natron based alkali made from local Egyptian materials, and copper coloured glasses with a plant ash alkali, which follow a Mesopotamian tradition of glass making. It is suggested that at least some of this copper/plant ash glass is imported into Egypt during the Amarna period despite extensive local production of cobalt/natron glass. Existing analyses (Lilyquist and Brill 1995) of the earliest glass from the reign of Tuthmosis III (c. 1450 BC) suggest that during this period the same two types of glass are present. Local Egyptian cobalt and natron in these early glasses implies that, despite the lack of archaeological evidence for production sites, glass was produced from its raw materials in Egypt as early as the reign of Tuthmosis III.

Abstract: Lead isotope analysis has been applied to the investigation of some Roman objects found in the town of Pompeii, consisting mostly of fistulae from the Augustan water supply system. The results of the analyses have produced ratios between 18.10 and 18.66 for 206Pb/204Pb, between 15.63 and 15.72 for 207Pb/204Pb and between 38.21 and 38.98 for 208Pb/204Pb. These data point to a fairly complex origin for the lead artefacts, probably involving several successive meltings and recyclings of a rather heterogeneous lead supply. The spread of lead isotope ratios can only be reconciled with a multiplicity of end-members, at least three, but very probably more. There is one certain Sardinian ore, other indistinguishable Hercynian ores of Sardinia and/or Spain, and several different Alpine Mesozoic-Tertiary mineralizations of the Mediterranean basin (Spain, Greece, Tuscany).

Abstract: This paper presents the results of analysis of Byzantine opaque red glass tesserae derived from three separate locations in the ancient city of Beit Shean, Israel. Investigation proceeded using reflective light microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence and energy dispersive scanning electron microscopy. The glass matrix of the tesserae was found to be heterogeneous, with many inclusions. Similarities and differences between tesserae from the two mosaics are examined and discussed. Implications for locale of manufacture and production techniques are considered. Comparisons between the three locations led to conclusions about the use of the tunnel as a storage site and the implications of this for future research on mosaics.

Abstract: Tin glazes contain SnO 2 particles, with a diameter similar to the wavelength of visible light, which are responsible for glaze opacification, In this paper a theoretical model to explain the optical behaviour of these glazes is developed. This model is tested by measurement of the reflectance and transmittance spectra for different optical paths in Spanish Islamic and mudejar glazed ceramics and it is shown to be valid by total reflectance non-destructive measurements on a wide range of other Islamic and related glazed ceramics.

Abstract: Dating of later prehistoric settlements relies heavily on potter; typologies in England and yet there has been little scientific dating in order to verify these typologies. In this work, luminescence dating techniques were applied directly to the pottery which forms the typological framework. Excellent agreement was obtained between the luminescence ages, and archaeological age ranges for known-age pottery sherds with diagnostic form and surface decoration. A lower correlation, however, was found in several regions between the luminescence ages for undecorated body sherds and the archaeological assessment which was necessarily based solely on fabric, suggesting the need for reassessment of these fabric chronologies.

Abstract: Monochrome coloured opaque glass beads of the Merovingians have been examined by different analytical methods. A large number of mostly unprepared beads have been measured by X-ray fluorescence analysis. X-ray diffraction was used for the identification of the crystalline colouring and opacifying pigments, and electron probe micro-analysis as well as scanning electron microscopy were applied to study the composition and the microstructure of a white, brown, green, orange and yellow glass bead. After subtracting the content of colouring oxides of the glass beads and normalizing the residual values to 100% an identical soda-lime-glass matrix was obtained. The origin of the colouring metal oxides is discussed.

Abstract: Presentation de la 29eme liste de dates au radiocarbone obtenues par spectrometrie de mass par le laboratoire d'Oxford. Le materiel date est constitue d'ossements humains et animaux ainsi que de coquilles et de charbons de bois mis au jour en Europe et au Perou.

Abstract: The benefits of one ceramic firing technology over another are not absolute, but depend upon the interaction of multiple environmental, economic and social factors, as well as the specific design of firing facilities. The coexistence of updraft kilns and open firing methods in the Sierra de los Tuxtlas, Veracruz, Mexico, for over 1700 years provides a case-in-point. Evaluation of the performance characteristics of ancient and modern firing technologies in relation to their natural and behavioural contexts offers a more secure basis for understanding this specific historical instance of long-term polymorphism than explanations based in the generalized technological advantages of kilns or their cross-cultural association with intensive modes of production.

Abstract: A Schmidt Hammer was employed in evaluating the surface hardness of rocks which line ancient anthropogenic pit features, known as Pukaskwa pits, on the north shore of Lake Superior, Canada. This technique offers a possible new method of producing relative ana absolute dates for such exposed stone features Analysis of the data has provided a relative chronology for the pit features, representing two distinct construction phases. The range of absolute dates generated from the data indicates that the pits were likely constructed by Blackduck peoples c. 900 to 400 years BP.

Abstract: New lead isotopic analyses are presented for lead antimonate coloured glass and faience from Amarna in Middle Egypt and dated to around 1350 BC. When compared to existing data, these suggest that Gebel Zeit on the Red Sea coast of Egypt may be the source for some of the lead antimonate colourants used in Egypt and possibly for the galena kohls of Eighteenth-Dynasty date as well.

Abstract: This paper reports palaeointensity results from Greek materials from BC and AD periods, recently obtained in the Sofia palaeomagnetic laboratory. The classical Thellier method was applied and of 26 specimens studied 20 gave acceptable results. The paper aims to compare the newly obtained results with previously published ones from Greece and neighbouring territories relating to the same period of time. The trend of palaeointensity obtained for the period 2900-1700 BC coincides well with the Bulgarian intensity variation curve, while the younger period, 1900-1200 BC, needs further investigation because of the contradictory results obtained by different authors. It is also established that the bricks from the church of Agios Ioannis are earlier than the date of the building's construction and are reused.

Abstract: Chemical and lead isotope analyses were utilized to determine the composition, technology and origin of a collection of Islamic copper-based objects found in Jordan. The atomic absorption spectrometry results show that the objects were made of different types of copper-base alloys that contain various amounts of zinc, tin and lead. The use of brass, highly leaded brass and quaternary alloys of Cu-Zn-Sn-Pb in the manufacture of everyday, household objects strongly points to Islamic traditions. The lead isotope compositions of the objects match very well that of the copper ore mined from the Dolomite-Limestone-Shale unit of the Arabah copper mines.

Abstract: This paper investigates the question whether or not amalgam tinning was used for the plating of bronze objects in pre-Han and Han dynasty China. The relevant literary sources are reviewed and amalgam tinning is characterized experimentally with regard to its micro-structure and residual mercury content using metallography and electron microprobe analysis. Examination of a tinning sample from a Warring States dagger previously assumed to be amalgam tinned demonstrates that this was probably not the case, but that a trace of mercury found in the plating is likely to be the result of contamination.

Abstract: Samples of Late Bronze Age White Slip II ware from Cyprus were analysed using optical and scanning electron microscopy in conjunction with energy and wavelength dispersive analysis. The slip has a novel granular nature and the coarser aggregates are impressed into the outer surface of the body, indicating that it was applied to a moist surface before the vessels were fired. It has a consistent mineral assemblage (Mg-chlorite + illite-smectite + sphene + anatase/rutile ± albite) which is very similar to that of hydrothermally altered zones associated with copper orebodies in the Troodos Massif which were mined in antiquity. Our analysis suggests that the raw material for the slip was not found at the ground surface, because the alteration assemblage is unaffected by oxidation and copper carbonate or iron staining. It may, therefore, be a by-product of sub-surface ore extraction.

Abstract: Correction factors for magnetic susceptibility measurements on thin ( artefacts have been determined experimentally for a KT-5 Exploranium G S. instrument using prepared blocks of Whin Sill dolerite. The cor rection factor is large (> 1.4) for samples less than 10mm thick, and reduces to 1 01 for samples of 50mm thickness. Measurements on thin samples can also be affected by the backing or substrate material on which they are measured. ‘Background’material, for example, soil or plaster, can contribute significantly to recorded measurements on artefacts, particularly for thin artefacts with low susceptibilities

Abstract: Small objects found in Islamic (eleventh-century) kilns excavated in Zaragoza (Spain) were studied to determine the nature of the red coating of almagra pottery. Ceramics with almagra decoration were completely coated with a glossy deep-red layer, a slip, applied to the body before firing. Chemical and mineralogical studies were carried out, together with analysis of a surface treatment with organic compounds. The results of this study confirm that almagra ceramics were produced by means of a specific and elaborate process (slip preparation, firing and wax application), demonstrating the introduction of this slip into local production during the Islamic period.

Abstract: Most of the Renaissance sgraffito tiles excavated in Udine (Italy) constitute a homogeneous group, the tile body having a CaO/MgO molar ratio ≅ 3:2. They were produced using a dolomite- and calcite-containing clay fired at 900-950°C. A small group of samples, with a lower firing temperature and a CaO/MgO ratio ≅ 2:3, was probably produced in a different factory. Slip and transparent glaze, characterized by optical microscopy and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry, are an illite-rich clay and a lead silicate, respectively.

Abstract: Among the Nigerian cast copper-alloy artefacts, the chronology of the Benin memorial heads has been the most fully worked out. Therefore, a study focused upon their elemental compositions is particularly likely to be interpretable in terms of development of the alloys used in their making. The elemental analyses, both published and unpublished, of 66 Benin heads, supplemented with seven analyses of some artefacts excavated from a well-dated, very early Benin site, have been collected, analysed statistically and compared to the elemental analyses of 11 heads and figures from Udo. All but a very few of the Benin heads and artefacts separate into five compositional groups, indicating a chronological sequence of different alloying traditions. All but one of the Udo objects fall into a distinctly separate compositional group, together with two Medicine heads. The compositional groups correlate remarkably well with the stylistic types proposed by Dark.

Abstract: The current debate about the age of the Romanesque frieze of Lincoln Cathedral weighs archaeological evidence against art history. On the one hand, the panels appear to be an integral part of the original Norman structure built by the first bishop (AD 1072–92). However, on grounds of style and artistic comparisons, art historians argue for a later installation during the restoration of AD 1141–6. In order to determine when the panels were stabilized in the cathedral, we used a new method that measures their degree of remagnetization by the earth's magnetic field since they were quarried. The longer that masonry remains stabilized in a given orientation, the greater its viscous remagnetization. Viscous remanent magnetization dating has previously been successful with this particular type of limestone masonry. Our results lend support to the view that the panels were installed in the early 1140s.

Abstract: Dans ce commentaire l'A montre l'utilite des donnees isotopiques de plomb, comparables a celles des laboratoires d'Oxford, dans le domaine de l'archeometrie et dans le cas des gisements de minerais en Bulgarie.

Abstract: Presentation du congres d'archeometrie consacre aux technologies de la production de la ceramique, tenu dans la ville du Cap en janvier 1999.

Abstract: Geologists use petrographic modal analysis to relate fluvial sand composition to source rock composition, thus establishing provenance. Archaeologists seeking to establish provenance of sand temper in pottery can use similar petrographic methods, but their finer scale of investigation requires more precise statistical tools than those employed by geologists. A quantitative method for performing that task is presented. It utilizes correspondence analysis and discriminant analysis of logratio transformed point-count data to define petrofacies, or sand temper resource procurement zones. The procedure is illustrated with sand and sand-tempered sherd samples collected from the Tonto Basin, central Arizona; temporal trends in utilitarian ceramic production c. AD 100–1350 are reviewed.

Abstract: Multi-variable statistical analysis based on energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence measurements on both porcelain body and glaze is employed to give clear and consistent classification of porcelain sherds from northern China of different styles from the Song-Yuan dynasties (Ding and Cizhou styles), and also from the Sui-Tang dynasties (Xing style). However, the observed separation is less clear for Cizhou style sherds produced at neighbouring kiln sites. Imitation Ding porcelain samples produced by ancient Cizhou potters are also analysed.

Abstract: A multi-method approach, based on petrography, stable isotope data and electron spin resonance spectroscopy for assigning the provenance of white marbles, is presented. A total of 11 experimental variables has been used, including the quantitative measurement of the sample colour and its homogeneity. On this basis we attempt to distinguish the three main quarrying basins of the Carrara district, that is, Torano, Miseglia and Colonnata. Such discrimination, extremely uncertain on the basis of the single techniques, may be performed with acceptable confidence’ using a properly selected subset of six petrographic, isotopic and spectroscopic variables. The final resubstitution and jackknifed re-assignment rates are, respectively, 85% and 81%. Inclusion of the remaining five variables into the classification rule does not improve the results, but simply increases data overinterpretation. The practical possibility of using such an approach for more general provenancing problems is considered.

Abstract: Canaanite amphorae fragments in fabrics believed to be associated with the bulk transport of vegetable oils from the fourteenth-century BC site of Amarna, Egypt, have been examined. A comparison is made between solvent extraction, saponification and the use of TMTFTH (m-trifluoromethylphenyl)trimethylammonium hydroxide, used here for the combined extraction and derivatization of ceramic-absorbed organic residues. Extracts were studied using gas chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The extraction of fatty acids from small ceramic samples has established concentration gradients of absorbed organic matter from the inner to the outer surfaces of the sherds.

Abstract: Contemporary pottery and raw materials (N= 170) from three workshops in Ticul, Yucatan, were analysed by neutron activation to test the hypothesis that individual workshops that used their own clay sources could be identified by their pottery Although the data failed to confirm the hypothesis, the results reinforced previous conclusions about the relationship of local communities of potters to the chemical patterning of pottery made in these communities

Abstract: Inductively coupled plasma emission spectroscopy, reflectance spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction were used to study seventh-century AD glass fragments from the Crypta Balbi in Rome. All the samples were found to be silica-soda-lime glasses. Iron determines the colour of blue-green, green and yellow-green transparent glasses; chemical composition suggests deliberate addition of iron and/or manganese in about half the samples. Copper was found as the main colourant in red, pale blue and blue-green opaque fragments; elemental copper acts as an opacifier in red glass, and calcium antimonate in white, pale blue and blue-green glasses. Detection of antimony in transparent fragments suggests recycling of opaque mosaic tesserae.