Glazed and unglazed ceramic fragments, recovered in the cities of Évora, Mértola and Silves, were... more Glazed and unglazed ceramic fragments, recovered in the cities of Évora, Mértola and Silves, were the subject of a morpho-functional study, considering the typological and decorative characteristics observed in Gharb al-Andalus. Possible local and non-local productions in each city were identified by petrography of the ceramic bodies, considering the mineralogical composition of the ceramic paste and the local geology. As a result, a chronology between the 10 th and mid-13 th centuries AD were proposed for the samples studied. Regarding provenance, excluding unglazed ceramics produced in the city of Évora, the majority of samples were compatible with the geological characteristics of either cities of Silves and Mértola.
In this article, the archaeological and archaeometrical study of several roof tiles and bricks re... more In this article, the archaeological and archaeometrical study of several roof tiles and bricks retrieved at the Etruscan Domus dei Dolia is presented. The Domus is located in Etrusco-Roman neighbourhood (Hellenistic – Late Republican periods, third–first centuries BC) of the ancient city of Vetulonia (central Italy), in the area of Poggiarello Renzetti. The main goals were to establish the characteristics of the raw material/s used in their production, the possible provenance, the technology applied, and to get insight regarding the production organization and the local economy. The archaeological materials were analysed by optical microscopy (OM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and X-ray fluorescence (XRF). Principal component analysis was also applied to evaluate/interpret chemical data. Results evidenced that roof tiles and bricks were produced using a different technology and raw materials. Roof tiles were possibly manufactured within 12 km from the archaeological site and imported in...
Anthracological analyses of charcoal samples retrieved from Pit 16 of Perdigões (Reguengos de Mon... more Anthracological analyses of charcoal samples retrieved from Pit 16 of Perdigões (Reguengos de Monsaraz, Portugal), a secondary deposition of cremated human remains dated back to the middle of the 3rd millennium BC, enabled the identification of 7 different taxa: Olea europaea, Quercus spp. (evergreen), Pinus pinaster, Fraxinus cf. angustifolia, Arbutus unedo, Cistus sp. and Fabaceae. All taxa are characteristic of both deciduous and evergreen Mediterranean vegetation, and this data might indicate that the gathering of woods employed for the human cremation/s occurred either on site, or in its vicinity. However, considering both the large distribution of the identified taxa and data about human mobility, it is not possible to conclusively determine the origin of the wood used in the cremation(s). Chemometric analysis were carried out to estimate the absolute burning temperature of woods employed for the human cremation/s. An in-lab charcoal reference collection was created by burning...
In the present study an archaeometry programme has been developed on a limited number of coarse w... more In the present study an archaeometry programme has been developed on a limited number of coarse wares, monochrome, and bichrome glazed ceramics retrieved in the cities of Évora, Mértola, and Silves, located in Western Iberia, Portugal (Gharb al-Andalus during the Islamic period). The goals were to shed light on glazed ceramics provenance, technology, trading, and on the glaze technology applied. For this purpose, a multi-analytical approach was employed to characterize ceramic pastes and glazes using optical microscopy (OM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), and a Scanning Electron Microscope coupled to an Energy Dispersive Spectrometer (SEM-EDS). Results evidenced that over the Islamic rule, coarse wares were locally produced at Évora. On the contrary, monochrome and bichrome glazed ceramics were imported from the city of Silves, Mértola, and from unidentified workshops, probably located in southern Iberia. The analysis of decorations evidenced that despite the pro...
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY
The Bell Beaker site near Brodek u Prostějova (Czechia) has yielded remains of a large timber con... more The Bell Beaker site near Brodek u Prostějova (Czechia) has yielded remains of a large timber construction accompanied by four symmetrical ritual deposits with numerous artefacts, including more than fifty ceramic vessels. Their decoration consists of incised patterns, in nineteen cases with preserved white inlaid incrustations. To investigate the social relations at this extraordinary site, a multi-analytical and micro-destructive approach was employed to determine the provenance and technology of the pottery and the composition of the white incrustations. The results indicate various origins for the pottery within the region and the presence of extra-regional fabrics and graphitic temper. The main raw materials for the white inlays were calcium carbonate (calcite), hydroxyapatite (bone), and bright clay. The mixing of decorative motifs and the variation in the shape and size of the beakers suggest unique manufacturing processes. These results lend support to the monumental site of...
The Bell Beaker site near Brodek u Prostejova (Czechia) has yielded remains of a large timber con... more The Bell Beaker site near Brodek u Prostejova (Czechia) has yielded remains of a large timber construction accompanied by four symmetrical ritual deposits with numerous artefacts, including more than fifty ceramic vessels. Their decoration consists of incised patterns, in nineteen cases with preserved white inlaid incrustations. To investigate the social relations at this extraordinary site, a multi-analytical and micro-destructive approach was employed to determine the provenance and technology of the pottery and the composition of the white incrustations. The results indicate various origins for the pottery within the region and the presence of extra-regional fabrics and graphitic temper. The main raw materials for the white inlays were calcium carbonate (calcite), hydroxyapatite (bone), and bright clay. The mixing of decorative motifs and the variation in the shape and size of the beakers suggest unique manufacturing processes. These results lend support to the monumental site of Brodek serving as a ritual place for several communities from both local and wider areas.
Neste trabalho foi efectuado o estudo dos materiais e técnicas de produção da capitular, da cerca... more Neste trabalho foi efectuado o estudo dos materiais e técnicas de produção da capitular, da cercadura com motivos vegetativos e da tinta de escrita do fólio de rosto do Foral de Alcochete e Vila Galega. Foram igualmente estudadas as tintas de escrita utilizadas nas assinaturas do Rei D. Manuel I e de Rui Boto, chanceler-mor do Rei, e a liga das ferragens e brochos da encadernação
This paper presents the results of a multidisciplinary and multi-analytical study of the amber be... more This paper presents the results of a multidisciplinary and multi-analytical study of the amber beads, red pigments, lithic arrowheads and selected ceramics from the Museum of Évora’s collection of the Zambujeiro Dolmen. Amber beads were studied by Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier Transformed Infrared Spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) and Pyrolysis coupled to Gas Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry (Py-GC/MS) to confirm their chemical nature and provenance. The red pigments, frequently found in funerary Neolithic context of the Iberian Peninsula, were studied with micro-Raman, and Scanning Electron Microscopy coupled to Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) to identify their chemical nature and provenance. The lithic arrowheads were analysed by portable X-Ray Fluorescence (p-XRF), micro X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), SEM-EDS, and Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). The ceramic materials were studied to infer provenance and production technology by p...
This text presents the potential of a micro-analytical approach for the characterization of diffe... more This text presents the potential of a micro-analytical approach for the characterization of different inclusions identified in the ceramic paste and on the glazed decorations of some green and manganese Islamic ceramics recovered in the town port of Mértola (South-freern of Portugal). The samples were analysed using a stereoscopic microscope, by scanning electron microscope coupled to an energy dispersive X-Ray spectrometer (SEM-EDS) and by μRaman spectroscopy. The complementarity and potentials of these analytical techniques allowed the chemical, microstructural and molecular characterization of the inclusions identified in the ceramic paste and on the glazed decorations. Results established that they were enriched calcium and phosphorous. Moreover, μRaman spectroscopy established that apatite was added in the for of bone fragments, both to the glaze and to the ceramic paste
This study focuses on the analysis of Islamic ceramics from the Alcaçova of Santarém, Portugal. T... more This study focuses on the analysis of Islamic ceramics from the Alcaçova of Santarém, Portugal. To establish the ceramic raw material provenance and ceramic technology, a set of raw materials was sampled and compared with the archaeological ceramics. Raw materials were dry sieved to increase the clay content, to reconstruct the ceramist homogenization pro- cess, and to evaluate chemical and mineralogical variation. Results showed that two raw ma- terials were selected for local ceramic production, whereas some artefacts were imported
This paper presents the results of a multidisciplinary and multi-analytical study of the amber be... more This paper presents the results of a multidisciplinary and multi-analytical study of the amber beads, red pigments, lithic arrowheads and selected ceramics from the Museum of Évora’s collection of the Zambujeiro Dolmen. Amber beads were studied by Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier Transformed Infrared Spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) and Pyrolysis coupled to Gas Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry (Py-GC/MS) to confirm their chemical nature and provenance. The red pigments, frequently found in funerary Neolithic context of the Iberian Peninsula, were studied with micro-Raman, and Scanning Electron Microscopy coupled to Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) to identify their chemical nature and provenance. The lithic arrowheads were analysed by portable X-Ray Fluorescence (p-XRF), micro X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), SEM-EDS, and Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). The ceramic materials were studied to infer provenance and production technology by p...
Destroyed as a result of a fire, the ruins of the Domus dei Dolia remained hidden until 2009, the... more Destroyed as a result of a fire, the ruins of the Domus dei Dolia remained hidden until 2009, the year of the beginning of the archaeological work. The Domus dei Dolia is located in the Hellenistic quarter of the old town of Vetulonia, now Poggio Renzetti. Basing on the classification of the archaeological materials recovered the Domus, and the whole city, was probably destroyed around the first century BC. The city was destroyed due to the reprisals made by Lucio Cornelio Silla after the victory over Gaio Mario in the bitter dispute that saw the Etrurian cities take party in favour of the latter during the Roman civil war. The different materials used and the artifacts found reveal the richness of the building and its inhabitants. In the context of the collaboration between the HERCULES laboratory, the Isidoro Falchi de Vetulónia Museum and the Town Hall of Castiglione della Pescaia, eight render mortar samples were collected for their compositional and textural characterization. A...
Glazed and unglazed ceramic fragments, recovered in the cities of Évora, Mértola and Silves, were... more Glazed and unglazed ceramic fragments, recovered in the cities of Évora, Mértola and Silves, were the subject of a morpho-functional study, considering the typological and decorative characteristics observed in Gharb al-Andalus. Possible local and non-local productions in each city were identified by petrography of the ceramic bodies, considering the mineralogical composition of the ceramic paste and the local geology. As a result, a chronology between the 10 th and mid-13 th centuries AD were proposed for the samples studied. Regarding provenance, excluding unglazed ceramics produced in the city of Évora, the majority of samples were compatible with the geological characteristics of either cities of Silves and Mértola.
In this article, the archaeological and archaeometrical study of several roof tiles and bricks re... more In this article, the archaeological and archaeometrical study of several roof tiles and bricks retrieved at the Etruscan Domus dei Dolia is presented. The Domus is located in Etrusco-Roman neighbourhood (Hellenistic – Late Republican periods, third–first centuries BC) of the ancient city of Vetulonia (central Italy), in the area of Poggiarello Renzetti. The main goals were to establish the characteristics of the raw material/s used in their production, the possible provenance, the technology applied, and to get insight regarding the production organization and the local economy. The archaeological materials were analysed by optical microscopy (OM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and X-ray fluorescence (XRF). Principal component analysis was also applied to evaluate/interpret chemical data. Results evidenced that roof tiles and bricks were produced using a different technology and raw materials. Roof tiles were possibly manufactured within 12 km from the archaeological site and imported in...
Anthracological analyses of charcoal samples retrieved from Pit 16 of Perdigões (Reguengos de Mon... more Anthracological analyses of charcoal samples retrieved from Pit 16 of Perdigões (Reguengos de Monsaraz, Portugal), a secondary deposition of cremated human remains dated back to the middle of the 3rd millennium BC, enabled the identification of 7 different taxa: Olea europaea, Quercus spp. (evergreen), Pinus pinaster, Fraxinus cf. angustifolia, Arbutus unedo, Cistus sp. and Fabaceae. All taxa are characteristic of both deciduous and evergreen Mediterranean vegetation, and this data might indicate that the gathering of woods employed for the human cremation/s occurred either on site, or in its vicinity. However, considering both the large distribution of the identified taxa and data about human mobility, it is not possible to conclusively determine the origin of the wood used in the cremation(s). Chemometric analysis were carried out to estimate the absolute burning temperature of woods employed for the human cremation/s. An in-lab charcoal reference collection was created by burning...
In the present study an archaeometry programme has been developed on a limited number of coarse w... more In the present study an archaeometry programme has been developed on a limited number of coarse wares, monochrome, and bichrome glazed ceramics retrieved in the cities of Évora, Mértola, and Silves, located in Western Iberia, Portugal (Gharb al-Andalus during the Islamic period). The goals were to shed light on glazed ceramics provenance, technology, trading, and on the glaze technology applied. For this purpose, a multi-analytical approach was employed to characterize ceramic pastes and glazes using optical microscopy (OM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), and a Scanning Electron Microscope coupled to an Energy Dispersive Spectrometer (SEM-EDS). Results evidenced that over the Islamic rule, coarse wares were locally produced at Évora. On the contrary, monochrome and bichrome glazed ceramics were imported from the city of Silves, Mértola, and from unidentified workshops, probably located in southern Iberia. The analysis of decorations evidenced that despite the pro...
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY
The Bell Beaker site near Brodek u Prostějova (Czechia) has yielded remains of a large timber con... more The Bell Beaker site near Brodek u Prostějova (Czechia) has yielded remains of a large timber construction accompanied by four symmetrical ritual deposits with numerous artefacts, including more than fifty ceramic vessels. Their decoration consists of incised patterns, in nineteen cases with preserved white inlaid incrustations. To investigate the social relations at this extraordinary site, a multi-analytical and micro-destructive approach was employed to determine the provenance and technology of the pottery and the composition of the white incrustations. The results indicate various origins for the pottery within the region and the presence of extra-regional fabrics and graphitic temper. The main raw materials for the white inlays were calcium carbonate (calcite), hydroxyapatite (bone), and bright clay. The mixing of decorative motifs and the variation in the shape and size of the beakers suggest unique manufacturing processes. These results lend support to the monumental site of...
The Bell Beaker site near Brodek u Prostejova (Czechia) has yielded remains of a large timber con... more The Bell Beaker site near Brodek u Prostejova (Czechia) has yielded remains of a large timber construction accompanied by four symmetrical ritual deposits with numerous artefacts, including more than fifty ceramic vessels. Their decoration consists of incised patterns, in nineteen cases with preserved white inlaid incrustations. To investigate the social relations at this extraordinary site, a multi-analytical and micro-destructive approach was employed to determine the provenance and technology of the pottery and the composition of the white incrustations. The results indicate various origins for the pottery within the region and the presence of extra-regional fabrics and graphitic temper. The main raw materials for the white inlays were calcium carbonate (calcite), hydroxyapatite (bone), and bright clay. The mixing of decorative motifs and the variation in the shape and size of the beakers suggest unique manufacturing processes. These results lend support to the monumental site of Brodek serving as a ritual place for several communities from both local and wider areas.
Neste trabalho foi efectuado o estudo dos materiais e técnicas de produção da capitular, da cerca... more Neste trabalho foi efectuado o estudo dos materiais e técnicas de produção da capitular, da cercadura com motivos vegetativos e da tinta de escrita do fólio de rosto do Foral de Alcochete e Vila Galega. Foram igualmente estudadas as tintas de escrita utilizadas nas assinaturas do Rei D. Manuel I e de Rui Boto, chanceler-mor do Rei, e a liga das ferragens e brochos da encadernação
This paper presents the results of a multidisciplinary and multi-analytical study of the amber be... more This paper presents the results of a multidisciplinary and multi-analytical study of the amber beads, red pigments, lithic arrowheads and selected ceramics from the Museum of Évora’s collection of the Zambujeiro Dolmen. Amber beads were studied by Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier Transformed Infrared Spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) and Pyrolysis coupled to Gas Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry (Py-GC/MS) to confirm their chemical nature and provenance. The red pigments, frequently found in funerary Neolithic context of the Iberian Peninsula, were studied with micro-Raman, and Scanning Electron Microscopy coupled to Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) to identify their chemical nature and provenance. The lithic arrowheads were analysed by portable X-Ray Fluorescence (p-XRF), micro X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), SEM-EDS, and Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). The ceramic materials were studied to infer provenance and production technology by p...
This text presents the potential of a micro-analytical approach for the characterization of diffe... more This text presents the potential of a micro-analytical approach for the characterization of different inclusions identified in the ceramic paste and on the glazed decorations of some green and manganese Islamic ceramics recovered in the town port of Mértola (South-freern of Portugal). The samples were analysed using a stereoscopic microscope, by scanning electron microscope coupled to an energy dispersive X-Ray spectrometer (SEM-EDS) and by μRaman spectroscopy. The complementarity and potentials of these analytical techniques allowed the chemical, microstructural and molecular characterization of the inclusions identified in the ceramic paste and on the glazed decorations. Results established that they were enriched calcium and phosphorous. Moreover, μRaman spectroscopy established that apatite was added in the for of bone fragments, both to the glaze and to the ceramic paste
This study focuses on the analysis of Islamic ceramics from the Alcaçova of Santarém, Portugal. T... more This study focuses on the analysis of Islamic ceramics from the Alcaçova of Santarém, Portugal. To establish the ceramic raw material provenance and ceramic technology, a set of raw materials was sampled and compared with the archaeological ceramics. Raw materials were dry sieved to increase the clay content, to reconstruct the ceramist homogenization pro- cess, and to evaluate chemical and mineralogical variation. Results showed that two raw ma- terials were selected for local ceramic production, whereas some artefacts were imported
This paper presents the results of a multidisciplinary and multi-analytical study of the amber be... more This paper presents the results of a multidisciplinary and multi-analytical study of the amber beads, red pigments, lithic arrowheads and selected ceramics from the Museum of Évora’s collection of the Zambujeiro Dolmen. Amber beads were studied by Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier Transformed Infrared Spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) and Pyrolysis coupled to Gas Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry (Py-GC/MS) to confirm their chemical nature and provenance. The red pigments, frequently found in funerary Neolithic context of the Iberian Peninsula, were studied with micro-Raman, and Scanning Electron Microscopy coupled to Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) to identify their chemical nature and provenance. The lithic arrowheads were analysed by portable X-Ray Fluorescence (p-XRF), micro X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), SEM-EDS, and Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). The ceramic materials were studied to infer provenance and production technology by p...
Destroyed as a result of a fire, the ruins of the Domus dei Dolia remained hidden until 2009, the... more Destroyed as a result of a fire, the ruins of the Domus dei Dolia remained hidden until 2009, the year of the beginning of the archaeological work. The Domus dei Dolia is located in the Hellenistic quarter of the old town of Vetulonia, now Poggio Renzetti. Basing on the classification of the archaeological materials recovered the Domus, and the whole city, was probably destroyed around the first century BC. The city was destroyed due to the reprisals made by Lucio Cornelio Silla after the victory over Gaio Mario in the bitter dispute that saw the Etrurian cities take party in favour of the latter during the Roman civil war. The different materials used and the artifacts found reveal the richness of the building and its inhabitants. In the context of the collaboration between the HERCULES laboratory, the Isidoro Falchi de Vetulónia Museum and the Town Hall of Castiglione della Pescaia, eight render mortar samples were collected for their compositional and textural characterization. A...
Aim of this study was to analyze white inlay decorations found on pottery from 3 cenotaph deposit... more Aim of this study was to analyze white inlay decorations found on pottery from 3 cenotaph deposits dated to the Bell Beaker culture (2500-2200 BC). The cenotaph deposits were found during a rescue excavation campaign carried out in 2015 close to Brodek u Prostějova in Central Moravia region. The cenotaph deposits were related to an original wooden monumental structure. Metal (gold, silver), jade and bone (beads) objects, stone wrist guards and arrow heads, an amphora wrapped in the textile and a number of other ceramic artefacts with typologies pertaining to the Bell Beaker culture were found at the site. These findings suggest rich male graves from the older phase of Bell Beaker culture. While engraved decorations on pottery showing a characteristic white inlay material are a common feature present on Bell Beaker vessels, the materials and the manufacturing process to produce the white decorations may have been different locally from one place to the other. Within the context of the Bell Beaker culture in the Morava river catchment, the use of kaolin, bone material, carbonates, gypsum plaster or mixtures of some of these materials have been reported. In this study, a multi-analytical protocol combining micro- XRD, micro-FTIR and SEM-EDS techniques was used. Preliminary results indicate the white inlay to be made of mainly Ca-phosphate /hydroxyapatite: Ca5(PO4)3(OH,F,Cl) and calcite and suggest that the most likely production process of the white decorations in the Central Moravia region involved crushing bone material to create a slurry which was then applied to the vessels. Main Info: http://www.associazioneaiar.com/wp/eventi/x-congresso-nazionale/ Abstract Book (for download):
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Abstract Book (for download):
http://www.associazioneaiar.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Abstract_Book.pdf