Pottery analysis: A Technological Study of an Assemblage from Mycenaean Thebes

Abstract

Pottery fragments, as the commonest finding in archaeological excavations, can play an important role as a source of information regarding human activities and various aspects of culture. The study of pottery production in certain historic periods characterize the socio-cultural level of societies, as well as the environmental and material availabilities and constraints. On the other hand the identification of the raw material sources and production centers provides information about trade networks and cultural contacts. Furthermore, by employing archaeometric analytical techniques, valuable information can be gained about issues of manufacturing technology and the provenance of raw materials. The city of Thebes, located in Boeotia, Greece, was an important Late Bronze Age site from Early Helladic to Late Helladic period, developed to a powerful Mycenaean centre. Systematic excavations within the city walls have revealed evidence of the Mycenaean occupation in an extensive area, now covered by the contemporary city of Thebes. In total 73 of Early Mycenaean pottery fragments stored in the archaeological museum of Thebes, were taken in the Laboratory of Archaeometry at the University of the Peloponnese, Kalamata, and were initially observed macroscopically and microscopically through Optical Microscopy (OM). Then a detailed examination using a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), coupled with an Energy Dispersive System (EDS) was applied for their microstructure and chemical characterisation. In addition through a portable X-ray Fluorescence (p-XRF) detector, provenance issues were addressed. For 20 of the samples which were macroscopically characterized as coarse-grained, a thin section petrography analysis was performed for mineralogical characterization as well as provenance and technological issues. Through this interdisciplinary research was made clear how important is the combination of various techniques for the examination of pottery. The microscopic analysis in correlation with non-destructive analytical techniques provide significant information about pottery technology and provenance. Future research in this prehistoric material will investigate more the questions raised by this initial work.