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This study attempts to take aspects of pottery technology into account while concentrating on the blue pigment and glaze recipes of various kinds of glazed pottery types; that is to say, Iznik ware, Kütahya ware, Miletus ware, glazed fritware, porcelain, polychrome glazed ware, and monochrome glazed ware were collected from a rescue excavation site within the Castle of Mytilene in Lesvos Island, Greece. The decoration, surface treatment, and production technology were investigated on the basis of 23 ceramic fragments that can be dated to the Turkish/Venetian period. The present study concerns the manufacture of glazed pottery, and in particular, colour recipes and issues of glaze technology. This study endeavoured to look into the specifics of the medieval colour recipes used on the glazed ceramics from Mytilene. This was accomplished by using an analytical process that took into account the compositional information of blue pigments, glazes, and slip coatings. The chemical analysis was conducted using scanning electron microscopy (SEM-EDS), Raman spectroscopy provided information about the compositional variation, and the optical examination via optical microscopy (OM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM-EDS) yielded information about the sample stratigraphy of the examined ceramic sections. This investigation into glazed ceramics was able to define and reflect the key aspects of each society’s perception of colour through a large variety of colour and glaze recipes.

This paper, jointly written by participants of a workshop held in 2021, argues for an increased recognition and application of neutron activation analysis (NAA) in the archaeology of the ancient Mediterranean. Discussing the methodological strengths and challenges, it highlights the great potential NAA has for collecting proxy data from ceramics in order to develop progressive concepts of archaeological research within and beyond the Mediterranean Bronze and Iron Age, pointing out opportunities to revisit long-held assumptions of scholarship and to refine visual/macroscopic provenance determinations of pottery. To take full advantage of NAA’s strengths toward a better understanding of the socioeconomic background of ceramics production, distribution, and consumption, the paper emphasises the need for both interdisciplinary collaboration and basic data publication requirements.

This paper focuses on various categories of glazed pottery, which were in circulation in western Euboea (Greece) during the Middle Byzantine and Late Byzantine periods. The production technology and particularly the surface treatment of Byzantine glazed pottery have been investigated on the basis of 56 ceramic fragments from a rescue excavation in Orionos street in Chalkis, Euboea. This paper focuses on the manufacture of glazed pottery within the local pottery repertoire of Chalkis, while trying to contextualise the pottery typology and to consider the issues of technology. The chemical analysis by non-invasive energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM-EDS) provided information about the compositional variation of the examined glazed ceramics assemblage. Moreover, sections of the samples were examined by optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) in order to determine the microstructure of the samples, as well as the vitrification and the porosity of the ceramic body. Finally, X-ray diffraction (XRD) was applied for qualitative mineralogical analysis indicating presence or absence of high temperature phases and information about firing conditions.

This paper deals with the provenance of Mycenaean pottery found in the palace of Ayios Vasileios in Laconia. It focusses on painted and plain fine wares and reports the results of neutron activation analysis (NAA). The analyzed ceramics cover all of the habitation phases of the palace as well as the short, post-palatial use of the site, i. e. LH IIB to LH IIIC Early 1 (ca. 1450–1180 BCE). A large part of these fine ware pots represents a compositional pattern, which probably relates to local or regional production during the palatial periods LH IIIA and IIIB. Very similar patterns are known from other sites in the Eurotas valley as well as on the southeastern Laconian coast. The diachronic analysis shows that a reduction of paste variability towards the use of a more homogeneous clay recipe occurred after LH II, i. e. approximately contemporaneously with the establishment of the palace at Ayios Vasileios. Relatively few samples of the painted fine wares are imports and can be assigned to the wider region of Mycenae. Interestingly, these imports are restricted to the earlier phases up to LH IIB/IIIA1.

In antiquity, amphorae served as standard transport containers for diverse goods. For packaging of large numbers of amphorae, the basically ovoid‐shaped amphora bodies were stacked in several layers placing their pointed bases into the spaces between the shoulders of the amphorae in the respective lower layer. Thus, particularly during transport in cargo ships they had to withstand considerable mechanical loads at their contact points. This required high mechanical performance concerning the actual ceramic materials as well as the vessel design. In the present paper, the performance of different types of amphorae will be assessed. On the basis of mechanical tests of specimens of East Aegean transport amphorae of the Hellenistic and Roman Period, the material properties of the ceramics have been estimated. These properties are used in three‐dimensional models, simulating the performance of different amphora types under typical loads by using the finite element method (FEM). In this way, specific design features of different vessel types can be assessed for their performance particularly during transport. On the other hand, the simulations provide information toward the interpretation of typical damages observed in archaeological finds and allow for a realistic assessment of amphora function and the risk of its failure.

The current paper contributes new evidence to the ongoing discussion of the location and organisation of production of Hellenistic colour-coated ware (CCW), through interdisciplinary investigation of morphological style, technology and provenance of relevant pottery from a Late Hellenistic deposit found in a well in the Agora of Nea Paphos on Cyprus. Through naked eye examination, four major macroscopic groups were identified based on vessel typology and fabrics. Subsequently, 53 representative samples were selected and analysed through a combination of refiring tests, chemical analysis, thin section petrography and scanning electron microscopy. The results indicated that the sheer majority of this pottery, despite some compositional and technological variability, reflects the use of similar raw materials compatible with the geology of Paphos. Therefore, during the Late Hellenistic period, most of the CCW consumed in Paphos were locally produced. The observed variation in the assemblage can be associated with several factors, such as natural diversity of raw materials, a number of co-existing pottery workshops, technological choices made by the potters and to a lesser extent post-depositional processes. This integrated research has a profound impact on studies of production and consumption of the Late Hellenistic pottery on Cyprus.

Provenance studies of archaeological ceramics by analysis of their elemental composition are based on the assumption that clays can be distinguished, which were used for pottery manufacture in different workshops or production centres. The clay pastes used for the ceramic manufacture were prepared from natural raw materials extracted commonly in the vicinity of the production sites. Due to different geological contexts of local raw material sources, differences of their elemental compositions can be expected, which are propagated to elemental compositions of the ceramics. The general distinctiveness of natural raw material sources is presumed in the ‘Provenience Postulate’, which, though, has to be verified in each case study. For investigation of ceramics and raw materials potentially used for their manufacture, different practices of clay paste preparation have to be considered which might confine the direct comparison. In the present paper, the study of raw materials will be introduced as integral part of ceramic provenance studies. Issues, such as intra-source and intersource variation, elemental composition in context with clay type and accessory mineral, clay paste preparation, and methodological constraints will be discussed by means of raw material and ceramic data from Greece and the Greek islands.

Since medieval times, sugar production and consumption has had a huge impact on European social, cultural, and economic development. The introduction of sugar cultivation entailed knowledge transfer and new technological requirements, such as the manufacture of sugar pots used to crystallise sugar, which requires a specific design, and thermal and mechanical properties. This paper presents part of the results of the SPotEU project, funded under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, which explores the development and impact of sugar production in western Europe through the study of sugar pot manufacture from an interdisciplinary perspective, integrating archaeological and historical research with material science and material culture approaches. This paper focuses on sugar pots from Sicily, one of the main regions for sugar production in Western Europe in the 11–16th centuries A.D. Sugar pots were assessed from technological and performance points of view, aided by instrumental analysis (petrography, SEM, XRF, XRD, mechanical, and thermal property tests). The archaeological and analytical results are presented, revealing different centres of sugar pot production on the island, and specific choices in the design of the vessels and their properties. This allows us to discuss how craftspeople locally adapted their ceramic-making traditions to face the new product demands from the sugar production industry in the Mediterranean.

Kurganzol is one of the fortresses founded in ancient Bactria during the conquest of Alexander the Great. An archaeometric characterisation was conducted on 20 pottery sherds recovered in the earliest settlement dated to the late-4th BC. The aim is to examine both the composition and variation of the raw materials used and the production technology involved in pottery manufacture. The sampling included plates, cup/bowls, basins, jars, containers, a colander, a bottle or flask and a cooking pot. The analytical program comprised X-ray Fluorescence, X-ray Diffraction, and thin section analysis as well as the study of the geological environment. The analysis of the surface treatment was performed on three sherds through scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS). The results were compared with an analytical database that includes wares in Hellenistic tradition from coeval sites in the region (i.e. Kampyr Tepe and Termez). The analysis revealed that most of the tableware and common wares analysed correspond to a single local pottery production consisting of a very fine calcareous fabric. Composition and morphological characteristics of these wares enable distinguishing this fabric from other contemporary pottery productions. A regional origin was however assigned for a few wares confirming contacts among different sites. The only cooking pot examined consisted of a calcareous shelltempered fabric which is consistent with a regional technological tradition.

Colour-coated ware (CCW) comprises the dominant type of Hellenistic fine ware pottery unearthed during the excavations in Nea Paphos. The detailed and systematic macroscopic examination of this pottery, focusing on typology and fabric, identified a number of macroscopic groups (MG). A total of 164 samples were subsequently selected for further testing and characterisation of these groups, in terms of composition and technology, through a combination of macroscopic examination, refiring tests, chemical and petrographic analyses, and scanning electron microscopy. This paper focuses on two of these MGs (35 samples), addressing the question of their provenance and manufacturing technology. These two groups are typologically and stylistically associated, and very distinctive due to the macroscopic appearance of their fabric, frequent occurrence and confined chronology. The integrated macroscopic and scientific study demonstrated that all 35 samples, representative of these two MGs, form a single compositional cluster. This - together with the typological and stylistic homogeneity observed, indicates a common origin for these samples. These vessels were produced using a similar clay paste; however, the firing regimes and the surface treatments employed show some variation. The place of production of this group still remains unknown, but their distribution suggests that they were produced somewhere on Cyprus or in the Levant.

The performance of WD-XRF and NAA set-ups has been examined by comparing compositional data obtained by the two methods on 36 clay samples collected in Central and Eastern Crete. While the two methods determine a different range of elements – 26 are determined by WD-XRF, 27 by NAA, of which 15 are measured with both methods – with different precisions, a similar grouping, and level of resolution when examining the same set of clays could be achieved using WD-XRF data in comparison with NAA data. These results highlight the WD-XRF routine's potential of discrimination even in regions which have proved to be challenging for provenance studies in the past.

In this paper petrographic and NAA analyses of two categories of ceramic wares of the early medieval Vega of Granada (southeast Spain) are presented. The vessels analysed include Water Containers and Glazed Wares and were manufactured between the sixth and the twelfth centuries CE. This is the period of the Islamization of Iberia and the emergence of al-Andalus. The studies in this paper offer an opportunity to understand technological, social and economic changes that were part of the pattern of Islamization. The results of this work show that there is a differential pattern of distribution for the samples studied in the eastern and western areas of the Vega and that there is a chronological change in technological variability of the production of the wares under investigation. An earlier period in which this variability is high gave way to a period where the variability is much less and potentially more standardised technological procedures were followed.

Provenance studies of archaeological ceramics based on their elemental composition illuminate the production and distribution of pottery vessels and, in the case of transport containers, of the commodities that they contained. A basic assumption is that the elemental composition of ceramics from a specific workshop or production area can be distinguished from other production groups, mainly because of the use of geochemically different clays, either singly or in combination. In some cases, however, the compositional differences between production groups are quite small. Thus, laboratory methods with high performance, in terms of precision and accuracy, such as neutron activation analysis (NAA) or wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence (WDXRF), are often preferred for analyzing archaeological ceramics, especially for effective comparison with reference groups and published data from other studies. Handheld portable energy dispersive XRF systems (pXRF), although increasingly used during recent years, offer lesser analytical performance, which may obscure compositional differences and currently do not offer the same potential for comparison to known reference groups. However, due to their potential for fast and non-invasive measurements, considerably larger numbers of samples can be analysed by pXRF, offering an array of advantages. We argue that pXRF offers the opportunity for an initial analytical survey of a large ceramic assemblage as the basis for efficient sample selection for laboratory analysis, covering a large number of samples and avoiding for the generation of redundant measurements. We present the application of such a stepped analytical approach to a well-studied assemblage of amphorae of the Hellenistic period at Nea Paphos, Cyprus. The analysis of 287 amphora fragments by pXRF, the grouping of that data to select samples for further analysis of 97 individuals by NAA, and the comparison of the grouping of data from both chemical techniques is presented. This leads not only to archaeological insights on the production and circulation of amphorae, but tests an innovative methodology that offers the chance to maximize and extend the application of geochemical techniques of high accuracy and precision on an assemblage-wide scale.

The so-called ‘chemical fingerprints’ of production sites that are determined in provenance studies of archaeological ceramics comprise not only an estimate of the intrinsic chemical compositions but also an estimate of their variability. The compositional variability of ceramics from a specific production site is affected by the natural variability of the raw materials used, variation in the ceramic production process and potential post-depositional alteration. In order to characterise the production site as whole, average concentrations and their variations are estimated on the basis of a necessarily limited number of samples selected for analysis. The sampling strategy therefore has a significant impact on the results. The compositional variability is interfered from uncertainties introduced during the analysis subject to the analytical method chosen. This paper provides an overview of the sources of variability that influence such analyses. Case studies challenging the classical unbiased provenancing approach are presented using examples from the eastern Mediterranean region.

Elemental analysis of ancient ceramics is primarily used in provenance research, where defined compositional groups are attributed to particular raw materials sources or production locations. Requirements in data quality and analytical performance are high, as is the need for clear and reproducible methodologies, and the availability of information on the above to ensure interlaboratory comparability and long-term data validity. This paper outlines the measurement parameters of a dedicated calibration set-up for the analysis of ancient ceramics using wavelength-dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (WDXRF). The specimens are prepared as concentrated glass beads, allowing the measurement of 26 elements from a single sample, thus minimising sample size requirements. Certified and non-commercial standards are used to evaluate the performance of the method in terms of detection limits, precision, repeatability, and accuracy. The materials used cover a range of compositions in line with the matrix variability encountered in archaeological ceramics. The data confirm the high standard of the method and highlight specific limitations. An initial assessment of comparability with other set-ups used in ceramic analyses, primarily Neutron Activation Analysis, is given through a discussion of performance on commonly analysed materials. The advantages of the proposed method include excellent analytical performance, analysis of a large suite of elements including all major, minor and a good range of traces, relatively small sample sizes, and preparation of samples that can be stored and re-analysed.

This contribution is dealing with Mycenaean pottery from the settlement sites of Dragoyna in the Rhodopes and Koprivlen in the Mesta Valley. The production regions of that pottery could be established by means of Neutron Activation Analysis (NAA), and we compare the earlier results of Dragoyna with the new ones from Koprivlen. These results give us the opportunity to re-evaluate the development of contacts between the eastern Balkans, the northern Aegean and Mycenaean Greece. Two economic-historical periods can be discerned. The earlier one comprises the phases LH IIB and IIIA1 and is characterised by the importation of Mycenaean pottery and Mycenaean weapons from the regions of the rising and expanding Mycenaean palace state in the framework of directional exchange of products. This could have been linked to gold mining in the Rhodopes. The later period lasted from approximately LH IIIB to LH IIIC Early. During that time Mycenaean pottery from different production regions reached the eastern Balkans, some from northern Aegean workshops, some from the Mycenaean south. In contrast, imports or imitations of late palatial or post-palatial weapons are not attested.

The present work analyses the effect of mineralogy, microstructure and firing temperature on the effective thermal conductivity of traditional hot processing ceramics. Samples prepared with two quartz-rich kaolinitic clays (BAR1 and BAR2), a fine kaolinitic clay (ARG) and a glaucophane-rich clay (SIF), were fired in the range between 950 and 1350 °C. The effective thermal conductivity is principally affected by the porosity of the body. Mullite further improves the thermal conductivity of BAR1 and BAR2 ceramics, while in ARG samples cristobalite is correlated with the increase in thermal conductivity. In SIF ceramics, the higher densification and the formation of spinel, pyroxene and hematite results in a higher conductivity compared to the other samples. The amorphous phase improves the ceramics' thermal conductivity since it seals voids between particles. In samples in which quartz exceeds 50 wt%, the ceramics' thermal conductivity decreases because of fissures and detachment zones formed after the α-β quartz phase transition. Finally, functional conclusions are drawn on traditional cooking pot and Medieval glass crucibles.

In the present case study, the thermal conductivity of two post-medieval crucibles was determined. The investigated crucible fragments represented two broadly contemporary production sites, Grosalmerode and Obernzell, which were employing different types of raw materials (sand tempered kaolinitic clays and natural graphitic clays, respectively) and different firing conditions. The samples were part of a larger assemblage, which had been studied in view of production technology and function of pyrotechnical ceramics in post-medieval Europe and in view of dissemination of products from different production centers. The study results were expected to provide complementary information regarding the technology and use of the crucibles.

Bronze tripod cauldrons were one of the most prestigious types of objects in Greece during the Early Iron Age (EIA). Because of its character as an exchange object with a value easy to assess, the tripod became an attribute used in the communication of personal status. Consequently, the distribution of archaeologically recovered tripods can be used to identify hotspots of elitist interaction. Fortunately, quite a lot of the extant tripod fragments have a clay core and/or show preserved residues of the casting molds on their surface. In our pilot study with 61 samples from Olympia and five samples from Kalapodi, it is shown that neutron activation analysis (NAA) allows a coherent internal chemical grouping of the clay pastes used in the ancient casting workshops. Furthermore, comparative material from workshop debris and also geological samples allow a geographical localization of many of the chemical groups. In general terms, NAA therefore seems to be an effective method to define production sites of artifacts cast in the lost wax technique. In the case of EIA tripods, sites and travel routes of workshops can be traced as well as travel routes of clients. This provides new hard data for modeling both the political and the economic structures of EIA Greece.

This work examined the possibility of recycling trachyte waste as temper for preparing new types of bricks, thus reducing disposal costs and requirements for increasingly vulnerable raw materials, ultimately reducing production costs. The influence of the waste addition was studied by determining the petrographic and physical characteristics of fired bricks, in order to assess their aesthetic and mechanical features. Alkali feldspars in trachyte turned out act as fluxing agents, favoring partial melting of the matrix. Textural and mineralogical analyses revealed a considerable increase in the number of connections among minerals, extensive re-crystallization of the matrix, and an overall increase in compactness, not only with increasing firing temperatures but also increasing trachyte contents. The physical and mechanical properties of all samples were comparable with those of traditional bricks, showing that the addition of trachyte confers sufficient technical features already at 900 °C, allowing further reduction of production costs by lowering firing temperatures.

Slipped and unslipped wares from Kampyr Tepe dated to the Hellenistic–Seleucid and Greco-Bactrian periods stylistically resemble tableware from the Greek tradition. Since two pottery workshops have been recovered at the site, the aim is to shed light on the provenance and the production and consumption patterns of the tableware, as well as on the degree of technological influence from Hellenistic–Mediterranean traditions. The archaeometric characterization, consisting of thin-section petrography, XRF, XRD and SEM–EDS analysis, was performed on 44 wares and three unfired locally made pondera, which were used as reference local elemental patterns. The study demonstrated the local origin of most of the wares, which were produced using a similar clay paste, following standardized techniques in modelling and firing, while surface treatments appear to be more diversified.

Traditional ceramics were commonly produced using a mixture of clay and temper materials, which were added in different percentage according to the craftsman purposes. The present study aims to examine up to which extent some technological parameters (nature, granulometry and percentage of the temper and firing temperature) affect the thermal conductivity of traditional ceramics. With this purpose a kaolinitic clay was tempered either with quartz or limestone belonging to two different granulometric distributions in percentage of 5%, 15% and 25%, and fired at 500, 750 and 1000 °C. Moreover the dependence on firing temperature was studied. Thermal conductivity was measured with a modified Lee's disks apparatus in a temperature range from 120 to 370 °C. It was found that quartz-tempered ceramics are more conductive than the fired non-tempered clay, while limestone-tempered sample are less conductive. Mineralogical and microstructural data are also provided and the influence of the α – β quartz-phase transition on the thermal conductivity of ceramics is discussed.

In the present study fragments of pyrotechnical ceramics used in Bronze Age metallurgy were tested for their heat transfer properties. For the estimation of their thermal conductivity a simple stationary method was used, based on the Lee's disc method. The results were assessed in relation to microstructure and porosity of the ceramic matrix. Furthermore, the influence of pore distribution was examined by measuring replicates, which had been tempered with different organic materials before firing. The reduction of heat transfer through intentionally generated porosity played a major role in early metallurgy, as furnaces as well as crucibles were heated from inside. In this way, heat loss through the ceramic walls was restrained, which allowed for achieving and maintaining higher temperatures.

This work reports on the technological study of a unique group of ceramic beehives, discovered at the archaeological site of Kastraki, Agathonisi island (Tragaia) in South-east Aegean. Kastraki is an important late Hellenistic site, situated just off the Ionian coast, near Miletus. The island has a rich history in craft production as witnessed from the variety of findings, which besides the ceramic beehives include a large number of storage and transport amphorae, cooking vessels and agricultural tools. The present study examines ceramic microstructure, chemical and mineralogical composition of ceramic fragments and two samples of local clays, providing a first insight into the ceramic technology of Aegean beekeeping and honey production. Moreover, it is expected to contribute towards the understanding of the role of Agathonisi in the production and trade of commodities in the Eastern Aegean.

Three pre-mixed clay based plasters successfully employed in green building practices in several European countries (Spain, France, Germany, and United Kingdom), mainly used for interior wall coating and finishing, were tested in this paper. Their compositional and textural characteristics as well as plastic behaviour were investigated through a multi-analytical approach in a previous paper. A natural earth (Terra Rossa red soil sampled in north-western Sicily), theoretically appropriate for the production of earthen plaster, was also subjected to the same analytical routine and compared with the three commercially available products. Humidity control capacity by the determination of the equilibrium moisture content, sound absorption coefficient and thermal conductivity of these ‘green’ building materials were tested according to the Italian and European regulations. The achieved results allowed the individuation of the compositional and textural features that primarily influence the performances of the studied clay based plasters. The obtained data are expected to be also useful in the selection of suitable raw materials and directing the local manufacture of innovative products.

The recovery of two groups of crucibles from the Neopalatial and Postpalatial phases of the Bronze Age settlement at Palaikastro on Crete permits the investigation not only into how their fabric was made up, how they were used and what materials they were producing, but also to what extent these matters had changed in the two intervening centuries in the third quarter of the 2nd millennium BC. Though the same resources were tapped by both sets of artisans, different preferences and prevailing habits can be discerned. The Neopalatial set shows a bias towards one non-calcareous clay source, for phyllite inclusions and animal hair tempering; the Postpalatial for a range of clays subjected to a uniform preparation with the addition of sand and vegetal temper. Both preferred to include their fuel within the crucible charge, which was thus heated from the inside, but the Neopalatial craftsmen arguably also used an external heat source. The ability of the Neopalatial artisans to access tin may be reflected in its higher presence then, as opposed to the leaded bronzes visible later.

The prototype of a relational database for archaeological ceramics is presented. At this stage, the ceraDAT database contains the elemental compositions of several thousand ceramic artefacts from the Eastern Mediterranean, analysed by neutron activation analysis (NAA) at different laboratories. The data have been calibrated on the basis of the analytical routine and can be accessed via a web application. Apart from the elemental compositions, the database contains reference patterns of specific sites, metadata concerning archaeological information, the geographical distribution, literature references and former statistical evaluations. Due to the database design, the structure can be extended in future towards petrographical and mineralogical information.

It is common to modify valuable, sophisticated equipment, originally acquired for other purposes, to adapt it for the needs of educational experiments, with great didactic effectiveness. The present project concerns a setup developed from components of a portable system for energy dispersive x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (EDXRF). Two educational modules have been developed on the basis of this setup. Module 1 comprises a series of x-ray laboratory exercises investigating basic principles, such as the verification of Moseley's law, Compton's law and the Lambert–Beer law. Module 2 concerns the calibration of the XRF with reference materials, aiming to get quantitative measurements of the elemental composition of objects of cultural interest. The application of the calibrated experimental setup is demonstrated with indicative measurements of metal objects and pigments of wall paintings, in order to discuss their spectra, and their qualitative and quantitative analyses. The setup and the applied experiments are designed as an educational package of laboratory exercises on the one hand for students in natural sciences, and on the other for the education of students who will work in the field of cultural heritage, such as conservation science or archaeological science.

The present case study concerns the technology of Byzantine wall paintings from the Mani Peninsula, Greece. An assemblage of 12 Byzantine churches, constructed in the tenth to fifteenth century, was included in an initial analytical survey. Two random samples of wall paintings were taken in each monument in order to study their micro stratigraphy and the composition of pigment and plaster layers. Polished sections were fabricated for examination with optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Furthermore, selected samples were powdered and analysed with Fourier-transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The analytical results achieved in this case study provided general conclusions concerning painting techniques for wall paintings in a rather provincial area of the Byzantine Empire. The palette comprised mainly earthen pigments like ochres and carbon black but occasionally also other pigments like cinnabar, minium and ultramarine. In view of future studies, a portable X-ray fluorescence analysis (XRF) set-up was tested.

In former studies on archaeological cooking pots or archaeological pyrotechnical ceramics their thermal conductivity was discussed only in relation with other parameters but, it was never actually determined. In the present study a modified Lees’ disk setup was used in order to determine the thermal conductivity of a series of experimental ceramic disks. As for the manufacture of these disks typical ceramic fabrics were simulated, which can be observed in archaeological cooking pots. In order to assess the effect of production parameters on the thermal conductivity, two different clays, one non-calcareous and one calcareous, were tempered with different amounts of granite or phyllite and were fired at three different temperatures: 550 °C, 850 °C and 1050 °C. The most important parameters emerged as the degree of vitrification and porosity of the ceramic matrix.

Mudbricks appear to have been one of the most common building materials used in domestic architecture in Bronze Age Crete. Well-preserved earthen construction materials from the sites of Vasiliki, Makrygialos and Mochlos in East Crete have been examined with regard to their macromorphological characteristics and their mineralogical and chemical composition in order to investigate the nature of the raw materials used, the technology of manufacture and the potential use of specific recipes. The methods applied include a combination of mineralogical and chemical analytical techniques, namely petrography, neutron activation (NAA), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. Finally, a range of raw materials from the immediate vicinity of each site were sampled and analyzed in order to compare with the archaeological data and identify potential sources. The analyses suggested that there is a degree of standardization in the recipes and the manufacturing process and that the selection of the raw materials depends on availability.

Ceramic amphorae have been the most popular transport and storage containers for a large variety of liquid and solid products. The amphorae of the present study were used as transport containers for wine from the island of Kos (East Aegean). Therefore, they had to fulfil certain requirements in terms of mechanical strength and toughness but also in terms of standardization of vessel size and shape. An assemblage of amphora fragments from the excavation of ancient Halasarna, an amphora production centre, will be presented. The ceramics were studied by means of their chemical and mineralogical composition and fabric. Furthermore, their material properties were measured and their mechanical performance was simulated in computer models.

An approach towards detecting and estimating possible disequilibrium in U and Th series is presented. This technique is an improvement and a further development of a previously presented new technique for the calculation of U and Th based on the alpha-particle spectrum taken from a thick sample by using a silicon detector (PIPS). The new technique was tested using soil, sediment and clay standards provided by IAEA and NIST and also by using gamma spectroscopy.

Pottery from the Late Minoan I kiln at Haghia Triada in the Mesara Plain, southern Crete, was analysed by a range of techniques, comprising thin-section petrography, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray fluorescence and neutron activation analysis. The project characterizes the ceramic fabrics and probable raw materials, correlates paste recipes with shape, reconstructs the firing conditions of the kiln and establishes a chemical reference group, taking into account post-burial alteration and contamination. Comparison of the reference group formed with that from the neighbouring, broadly contemporary, kiln at Kommos shows an unexpected differentiation of the two kilns.

International audience; A short history of the application of NAA in the characterization of archaeological materials at the National Center for Scientific Research 'Demokritos', Athens, is presented. NAA was first applied in archaeology in 1974 at the Radioanalytical Laboratory, and since 1989 has been one of the primary analytical techniques of the 'Demokritos' archaeometry programme. A case study is also presented, concerning chemical patterning of the black-on-red Neolithic pottery class from Macedonia. Four chemical groups were identified, each corresponding to a different area of production. It is shown that this standardized concept of pottery technology and style was spread out within at least eastern Macedonia.

The finite element method is used to examine the thermal properties of functional ceramics, which were used in metallurgical processes during antiquity. Based on the ceramics' microstructure a model is developed considering the impact of porosity and inclusions and the heat transfer from ceramics to environment. An example of a Bronze Age copper smelting furnace from Cyprus is presented. Particularly the influence of pore shape and pore orientation on the thermal conductivity is investigated. Temperature development in the entire furnace is simulated and compared with estimations of the firing temperature in particular areas of the furnace.