Characterizing ceramic production at Sardis: New insights from neutron activation analysis

Abstract

This paper presents the results of elemental analysis by neutron activation on 204 ceramics, 11 soils and two modern brick wasters from the site of ancient Sardis in the Republic of Türkiye. Study of these materials is part of collaboration between the Archaeological Exploration of Sardis and the Archaeometry Laboratory at the University of Missouri Research Reactor (MURR). The broader objective of this research is to advance our understanding of the changing nature of Sardis’ interactions within the wider region of western Anatolia, from the Archaic to the Late Roman periods. Using the concentrations of 33 elements, we identify and characterize the composition of the ceramics to establish a baseline for future provenance research at the site. Sixteen compositional groups have been identified and separated local production from potential imports. Two robust and well-defined groups characterize most of the local production at the site. Eleven groups are likely composed of imports and three other groups are composed of ceramics that could be local or imported. Thirty-one samples are unassigned. The preliminary results presented here lay the foundation for broader comparison with other databases for ceramics from Sardis and western Anatolia.