NEUTRON ACTIVATION ANALYSIS OF ROMAN AFRICAN RED SLIP WARE KILNS

Abstract

Roman African Red Slip ware (ARS) sherds from four ARS kiln sites in modern‐day Tunisia (El Mahrine, El Ala, Oudna and Pheradi Maius) have been analysed using instrumental neutron activation analysis. Multivariate statistical methods (including cluster analysis and Manhattan City Block distances), with a dilution correction applied to the data, were used to interpret the concentration data. Reference groups for each of the four kiln sites were established. Both El Mahrine and Oudna were described by two dilution‐related groups. These kiln groups were all shown to be compositionally distinct from each other and suitable for use in provenance studies.