Late La Tène pottery from western Switzerland: one regional or several local workshops?

Abstract

AbstractA total of 203 pieces of fine ceramic and four clays from seven sites of western Switzerland (Bern, Genève, Grotte du Four, La Tène, Marin, Saint-Triphon — Massongex and Yverdon) were studied chemically and mineralogically to determine if there was local production at each site and if trade links existed between the sites. Firing wasters from Bern and the region of Genève indicate local ceramic production. The sherds are often contaminated with secondary phosphorus and, in the case of Bern, copper. Most of the fine ceramic is CaO-poor, contrasting with the CaO-rich clays. Based on the chromium and nickel concentrations, it can be subdivided into two distinct groups. The majority of the sherd populations from Genève, Saint-Triphon and Massongex, as well as a few specimens from Bern, La Tène and Yverdon, have high Cr and Ni values. The remaining sherds have low Cr and Ni concentrations. The analyses show that: (1) the fine ceramic from each of the seven sites forms an often inhomogeneous and widely dispersed group, distinct from the others; consequently, it is most probably a local or regional product; (2) ceramic import is probable for one piece from Grotte du Four (provenance Yverdon); (3) the Late La Tène fine ceramic was manufactured mainly from silicate or silicate-carbonate, fat to lean clays.