Towards high resolution ceramic series for production site studies: the case of Loron amphorae (Croatia, 1st–3rd c. A.D.)

• Published in: Heritage science 2015-07, Vol.3 (1), p.1-7, Article 21
• Main Authors: Machut, Pierre, Ben Amara, Ayed, Cantin, Nadia, Chapoulie, Rémy, Frèrebeau, Nicolas, Le Bourdonnec, François-Xavier, Marion, Yolande, Tassaux, Francis
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Analytical chemistry; Archaeology; Archaeology and Prehistory; Archaeometry international workshop: XRF and Raman applied in archaeology; Ceramics industry; Chemical analysis; Chemistry and Materials Science; Containers; Humanities and Social Sciences; Materials Science; Olive oil; Organic chemistry; Research Article; Workshops; X ray fluorescence analysis
• ISSN: 2050-7445; 2050-7445
• DOI: 10.1186/s40494-015-0050-5

Background From the 1st to the 3rd centuries A.D., the territory of Istria (present-day Croatia) was a prominent area of olive oil production. Archaeologists have identified the so-called Dressel 6B amphora as the main container used in the transport and trade of this oil. So far archaeology and epigraphy have helped identify probable sources of production and two workshops in Istria, and have also allowed the reconstruction of main trade routes through the identification of stamped amphorae. However, much less is known about the organization of the production of these ceramic containers, which may have been conducted on an almost industrial scale. This preliminary study demonstrates how chemical analysis using energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (EDXRF) may address this question and provide new answers and avenues of inquiry. Results Our study of 53 amphorae, produced during two important periods in the history of the workshop of Loron, has evidenced that even in chronologically closely related contexts of production chemical analysis could significantly separate samples according to production groups. Conclusions This result constitutes a very important first step towards a thorough study of the entire production history of the workshop, involving the creation of a comprehensive geochemical reference group comprising several hundred samples. This in turn will enable us to address an array of hypotheses concerning the economy and ecology of this production site, which are briefly presented in the article. The application of this methodology to the whole corpus of Istrian amphorae is then advocated in light of this study.