TRANSPORT AMPHORAS FROM GRAVISCA TO THE EASTERN AEGEAN DURING THE GREEK ARCHAIC PERIOD (7th-6th c. BC): A MULTIDISCIPLINARY APPROACH FOR CHARACTERIZATION, MANUFACTURING, PROVENANCE AND TRADE

Abstract

This paper described a baseline for a multidisciplinary approach to the mineralogical and chemical character-ization of eighteen fragments of archaic transport amphoras (7th-6th centuries BC) found at Gravisca archaeo-logical site (Lazio, Italy) attributed to an Eastern Aegean provenance (six from Samos, three from Miletus, three from Chios and three from Klazomenai). The samples have been typed on the evidence concerning ar-chaic manufactory techniques by using X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) associated with quantitative phase analysis (QPA), optical (OM) and electron microscopy (SEM). Following Inductive Coupled Plasma Spectros-copy (ICP), compositional data analysis has been for the first time applied to selected geochemical proxies combining rare earth elements and selected heavy metals concentration in Hierarchical Agglomerative Cluster (HAC). This innovative approach allows to distinguish different sources of the raw materials used from dif-ferent geological and geographical areas. Multivariate statistical treatments via Principal Component Anal-yses (PCA) open the possibility to group the sherds into clusters, comparing the results with the HAC appli-cation allowing to validate the methodology. Two distinct centres associated with Samos manufactory appear to be operating during 7 th-6th centuries BC, which could be related to different production periods or even different production areas. The new data concur with a more straightforward historical reconstruction of ar-chaic Poleis manufactory and commercial activity toward Etruria and the Mediterranean and with a new methodological approach to archaeometry.