Archaeometric Approach Research Articles

Cooking pottery as indicator of resilience and change in Early Medieval Cyprus. An archaeometric approach

The early medieval times in Cyprus are signified, conventionally, by the Arab invasions of the mid-seventh century (649/650CE). Past research viewed those events as the catalyst which led to a transformation from a prosperous province to a marginal territory balancing between two antagonising empires. Recently, studies have shifted their focus on reassessing this period’s scant -yet present- material culture. In pottery studies, despite the advances in typological and distribution aspects, few have explored technological issues of early medieval ceramic production through instrumental analysis. This study focuses on the compositional and technological characterisation of cooking vessels through ceramic petrography (TL-OM), found in relevant contexts in Cyprus, representing both wheel-thrown and handmade traditions. Sherds coming from five major early-medieval sites of the island (sites of Kophinou, Kalavasos-Kopetra, Akrotiri, Yeroskipou-Ayioi Pente and Dhiorios), outlined a picture of two parallel trends transversing across sites, i.e., an inter-regional shared sense of shape uniformity smoothening the local variances and a strong regionalism in terms of raw material procurement. Wheel-thrown cookware -found in every site and strongly represented by the Dhiorios workshop- showed the survival of Late Antique shapes well into the Early Middle Ages, in fabrics related mainly to the broader area of Dhiorios. In addition, handmade vessels of a "shared repertoire" showed a variety of local clays for their manufacture. When integrated into their archaeological context in Cyprus, the results support the idea of a ceramic koine persisting through the beginning of the Byzantine Early Middle Ages on an intra and inter-regional level.

A Unique Assemblage of Roman Handmade/Slow Wheel-Made Pottery at Tamuda (Tetouan, Morocco): Provenance, Production Technology, and Archaeological Implications

Abstract A study of a 2nd century AD assemblage of handmade/slow wheel-made cooking wares, found at the Roman settlement of Tamuda (Tetouan, Morocco) is presented. Such ceramics are rare in Early-Middle Roman Imperial contexts of the western Mediterranean. A combined typological and archaeometric approach – including petrographic, mineralogical, and chemical analyses – was carried out to study this assemblage, aiming to examine the hypothesis of a local or regional provenance and to shed light on its production technology. The results indicate the existence of a diversity of products, including a fabric that was likely locally manufactured, as well as other imported fabrics that point to micro-regional distribution or trade of some of these wares. This research is a significant contribution towards a better understanding of the handmade/slow wheel-made pottery that was produced and consumed in the northern Moroccan Rif in the Roman period.

Pottery Production Changes During the Transition from Byzantine to Umayyad Rule

Pottery is the most affected tool by the changes in human societies; this is due to its flexibility during forming. In order to estimate the effect of the transition of inhabitants of the urban center of Umm Qais (Gadara), north Jordan, from Byzantine (Christianity) to Umayyad (Islam) rule on pottery production traditions, a total of 29 cooking pots and sherds of pottery jars were selected. The samples were dated according to stratigraphy, archaeological context, and parallel examples to the proposed periods. The samples were investigated following the typological and archaeometric approaches. The raw materials and firing technology of the pottery during the two periods were determined following chemical and mineralogical methods using petrography, XRD, ED-XRF, and EDX-SEM techniques. The results revealed that many styles and forms of pottery continued to be produced and some new styles emerged at the urban center of Gadara. Technically, the potters inherited the knowledge of selecting the available raw materials and firing conditions of pottery during the Byzantine and Umayyad periods. During these periods, Umm Qais potters used the local raw materials—non-calcareous ferruginous illite clays mixed with medium to high amounts of coarse quartz grains and fired at temperatures around 1000° in an oxidizing atmosphere to produce cooking pots. They used the available medium to highcalcareous ferruginous illite clays and fired them at temperatures between 850° and 950° in an oxidizing atmosphere to produce the jars. Importing fine fabric jars and cooking pots during the seventh century from Jarash are indicated too. Thus, the types and forms of everyday use pottery were more affected by the political and religious changes than the technical aspects.

New Insights in Metallurgical Manufacturing in the Caucasian Area: The Case Study of Artefacts from the Samshvilde Citadel Ruins (South Georgia)

An archaeometric approach was applied to the study of the hoard found in the Samshvilde fortress, one of the richest areas of archaeological artefacts in Caucasian Georgia, since it is representative of the historical events from the Neolithic period until the most recent epochs. In this context, four coins dated back to the 12th–13th centuries AD to the reign of King Giorgi III, Queen Tamar, and King Giorgi IV of Georgia underwent different analytical methods to collect information about the technological production process, the probable forge location, and their conservation state. Optical microscope observations provided details about the decorations, the stylistic aspects, and a preliminary evaluation of the conservation state. Portable X-ray fluorescence and scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis revealed a composition consisting almost exclusively of copper with a lower amount of tin, lead, and silver. Moreover, degradation products (copper chlorides and sulphates) and cuprite patina were identified. The metal-supplying areas could be related to the nearby Bolnisi Mining District, and the forge location could coincide with the hoard location in Samshvilde, but further data and analyses are necessary.

An archaeometric approach to biocontamination with manganese pigments in ancient marine hunter-gatherers of the Atacama Desert: health, ideological, and socioecononic considerations

The use of poisonous pigments for mortuary preparation in ancient hunter-gatherers allows us to investigate the relationship between this practice with socio-economic organization, mortuary ideology, and potential impacts on human health from overexposure to these dangerous compounds. About 6000 years ago, the Chinchorro people, maritime hunter-gatherers in the Atacama Desert, northern Chile, began mining manganese to ornament the dead, representing the earliest form of artificial mummification in the world. We present the analysis of the bones from 68 Chinchorro mummies using flame atomic absorption spectrometry, revealing, for the first time, the presence of manganese in their bodies. We excluded the potential diagenesis by comparison of manganese concentration difference between the cemetery soils and outer coating of the mummy and by manganese source identification by SEM/EDX. Approximately 84% (57/68) of individuals have manganese concentrations beyond normal 1 ppm and 20.6% (14/68) were overexposed to levels of higher toxicity (≥ 10 ppm), with no sex differences, suggesting equal participation in manganese handling. We conclude that manganese exploitation and refining for the ritualistic treatment of the dead posed a serious occupational hazard for the living, with evidence that many of the Chinchorro people were likely involved in these activities. This is relevant, considering manganese dust inhalation produces neurological disorders and Parkinson-like symptoms. These findings open new avenues for research into the long history of anthropogenic pollution in the Americas and the importance of mineral gathering and processing as part of a broader subsistence spectrum undertaken by these ancient hunters, gatherers, and fishers.

The modeling pastes of the monumental terracruda sculpture of the Silk Roads: Archaeometric study of the Tepe Narenj and Qol‐e‐tut examples (Kabul, Afghanistan)

AbstractThis paper presents the results of the mineralogical, petrographic and chemical study of different archaeological samples related to terracruda sculptures and other elements that were part of the architectural decoration of the Buddhist sites of Tepe Narenj and Qol‐e‐tut (Kabul, Afghanistan; fifth to 11th centuries CE). The main objective of the study was to characterize the samples using an archaeometric approach. The study helped to better understand the materials involved in the modeling of Afghan sculptures and their processing, such as the different nature of the clay layers and the finishing ‘stucco’ coating. The results further indicate that similarities exist among the manufacturing process of the studied samples and that used today by an ancient caste of clay artists in West Bengal (India), suggesting the existence of a continuous technological tradition that deserves to be further explored in the future.

POTTERY TECHNOLOGY THROUGH TIME: ARCHAEOMETRY OF POTTERY AND CLAYEY RAW MATERIAL FROM THE MULTI-PERIOD SITE IN EASTERN CROATIA

Consideration of multiperiod archaeological sites to understand the mechanisms of large-scale cultural changes is still a very rare research topic in Croatia. Technological traditions are of great importance, especially in the context of considering continuity, innovation, and change. In this paper, we used an archaeometric approach to investigate pottery technology. Therefore, this article presents an analysis of petrography and mineralogy of archaeological ceramics and potential raw materials collected in the vicinity of the multi-period archaeological site (the Neolithic through the Medieval period) Jagodnjak-Krčevine located in eastern Croatia, i.e. the south-western part of the Pannonian Basin. The primary goal is to determine what kind of clay recipe (clay and temper) potters used to make vessels in order to better understand their variability in the context of techno-functional features. The additional objective is to examine the availability and quality of clays for pottery production and to study their distribution in the local landscape. The analytical methods applied in the research are optical microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and grain size analysis. The comparison of archaeological ceramics with clayey materials established that ancient potters used locally available clays, and the selection of temper material added to the clay represents a strong element of techno-tradition, which is more pronounced for prehistoric communities. Furthermore, these results represent the first research in Croatia focused on a discussion about distances that potters travelled to obtain their resources in the different periods of the past, which can contribute to the study of a regional system of production and landscape use.

The Story of the International Scientific Commission of the UISPP for Archaeometry of Pre- and Protohistoric Inorganic Artifacts, Materials and Technologies

The International Union of Prehistoric and Protohistoric Sciences (UISPP), an organisation with over 90 years of history, includes all the fields and disciplines that contribute to the development of prehistory and protohistory. To achieve their goals, the UISPP organises periodically a world congress on prehistoric and protohistoric sciences. Based on proposals received, the general assembly decides on the creation of scientific commissions, following the advice of the executive committee of the UISPP. The main objective of these commissions is to promote and coordinate international research in a specific or specialised domain of the prehistoric and protohistoric sciences between each world congress. Based on the success and interest shown in a session of the 17th UISPP Congress, the need has arisen to create a new scientific commission in the field of archaeometry. This brief text describes the creation of this commission and its scientific activities to date. The commission aims at discussing and transmitting the archaeometric approaches to technologies in Prehistory and Protohistory concerning lithic technology, metallurgy, ceramics and glass making; gathering and organising the results, conclusions and circumstances of archaeometric case studies of artifacts; paying particular attention to production, procurement and characterisation of raw materials, and fabrication technologies; and discussing relevant interdisciplinary investigation methods and techniques.

The northern-Italy Renaissance in a panel by Defendente Ferrari: A complete study with a multi-analytical investigation

Defendente Ferrari, one of the most important painters of the Piedmontese Renaissance, was extremely active in the early 16th century. His Madonna with Child and two Saints (1505–1510 ca.), which was originally located in the Collegiate Church of Carmagnola (Turin province, Italy) now in the collections of Palazzo Madama - Museo Civico d’Arte Antica in Turin, was recently analyzed and restored at the Centro Conservazione e Restauro La Venaria Reale, as part of a study and conservation project focused on the artist and his circle.This study presents an interdisciplinary and multi-analytical archaeometric approach resulting from the collaboration of several universities and research centers. The adopted protocol allowed for clarifying some peculiarities of the artist's painting technique, such as the use of the dotted - a technique applied to render the nuances, volume, and flesh tones of the figures - and that of thin black cross-hatched strokes, drawn to shape the clothes and to define the related volumes and folds. Moreover, specific degradation processes were studied, which apparently occur also in other contemporary artworks with similar features. Of particular interest is the alteration of the blue color of the Virgin's garment, made of azurite and presently strongly blackened.SWIR reflectography performed with a high-resolution InGaAs scanner prototype allowed for imaging both the detailed underdrawing and the careful hatching used to highlight the shadows. The combined application of optical microscopy, SEM-EDS, µ-Raman, FT-IR spectroscopy, and GC–MS has been fundamental for analyzing some specific pigments, binders, and varnishes, as well as for inferring the cause for Virgin's garment blackening. A complete mapping of the pigments was provided through the combination of FORS (350–2000 nm), portable µ-Raman, MA-XRF, and Hypercolorimetric Multispectral Imaging. The latter also allowed for observing the distribution of what is supposed to be either the original or the ancient organic finishing layer, which was maintained during the conservation treatment.This research has brought to an in-depth knowledge of the artist's painting technique and helped the adoption of the best choices for an effective and minimal-invasive restoration intervention.

Moving to the land: First archaeometric study of chert procurement at Cueva de la Cocina (Eastern Iberia)

AbstractThe present work represents the first attempt using an archaeometric approach to characterize the potential chert outcrops and retrace the provenance of the chert raw materials in the Mesolithic and Neolithic contexts of the Eastern Iberia central site of Cueva de la Cocina (Dos Aguas, Valencia). Therefore, a research project aimed at identifying and characterizing potential sources in the surroundings of the site was carried out, as a first step, to test some hypotheses related to raw material provenance. Elemental profiles of several archaeological artifacts and of geological samples collected in different local and nonlocal outcrops were obtained using X‐ray fluorescence spectroscopy and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. These chemical data were processed using multivariate statistics to investigate the possible links between the outcrops and archaeological artifacts. Preliminary results point to the use of local raw materials and also the presence of rocks outcropping in a perimeter of more than 50 km around Cueva de la Cocina, opening a new window to investigate the socioecological dynamics of the last hunter‐gatherer and the first farmer inhabitants from a diachronic point of view in this region.

Things we gain in the fire. Archaeometric approach of firing temperatures in pre-Hispanic pottery from the Upper Delta of Paraná River (Argentina)

Resumen En la arqueología del Nordeste argentino son escasos los trabajos que estudian las condiciones de quema de la alfarería prehispánica, no habiéndose aplicado técnicas físico-químicas que midan las transformaciones que sufre la pared cerámica durante el proceso de cocción. Con el propósito de revertir este estado de situación, aplicamos difracción de rayos X, análisis térmico diferencial y termogravimétrico, y dilatometría sobre 31 muestras de cerámicas arqueológicas recuperadas en los sitios Los Tres Cerros 1 y Cerro Tapera Vázquez (Delta Superior del río Paraná). La mayoría de las muestras (i.e., contenedores restringidos y no restringidos, campanas y cuchara) fue cocida a temperaturas superiores a 550/650 ºC e inferiores a 800 ºC; cuatro no superaron los 550/650 ºC y dos fueron sometidas a temperaturas superiores a los 800/900 ºC. A partir de la integración de estos resultados con evidencia etnoarqueológica, experimental y arqueológica interpretamos el amplio rango de temperaturas de cocción detectado (< 550 ºC y > 800 ºC) como un indicador de quemas en estructuras abiertas (i.e., fogones o pozos). Esta información nos permitió discutir hipótesis sobre las condiciones de cocción propuestas en investigaciones previas y plantear a futuro un programa experimental que permitirá conocer distintos aspectos de las quemas prehispánicas.

Exploring New Ways to Reconstruct the Forma Urbis Romae: An Archaeometric Approach (CL Color and Stable Isotope Analyses)

The Forma Urbis Romae (F.U.) was a 3rd-century-AD monumental map of ancient Rome consisting of 151 rectangular marble slabs. Several efforts have been made to reconstruct it from its current incomplete and fragmentary condition. In this paper, we explore the potential of an archaeometric approach to serve this purpose. Almost a hundred F.U. fragments have been characterized, particularly focusing on cathodoluminescence (CL) microscopy and stable isotopes (δ18O and δ13C). Different statistical methods have been used to quantify the similarity between samples. The central assumption is that samples from a given slab share similar CL colors and isotopic ratios. The assumption has been verified for samples from single fragments and then it has been used to check ten debated reconstruction hypotheses. The measured isotopic ratios confirm the Proconnesian nature of the F.U. marble, except for a fragment. Beyond provenance, the results cast doubts on four out of the ten checked reconstruction hypotheses and support the other six. The reconstruction of the F.U. remains a fascinating challenge, and both isotopic and CL analyses have demonstrated their potential to tackle it. Further research could extend the presented methodology to a higher number of samples. The innovative use of CL to reconstruct a fragmented artwork could be applied to other projects.

Supply of glass to the medieval hilltop settlement of Ultrera (Eastern Pyrenees, France)

Founded in the fifth century on a granite outcrop overlooking the deep valleys of the eastern Massif des Albères and the Roussillon coast, the hilltop settlement of Ultrera/Ultrère was strategically located to dominate the lowlands. Its position on this natural boundary between the Iberian Peninsula and Central Europe raises interesting questions about its connectivity and the circulation of materials. In the early days of rural feudalism, the emergence of the castrum led to the birth of the “feudal” castle and the first fortified villages. Ultrera was organized into several districts spread over three hectares and survived until the tenth century CE, which is an exceptionally long occupation. The present paper examines the glass supply to Ultrera throughout its history, combining typological and archaeometric approaches to study the evolution of glass compositions and the use of different raw materials through time. A series of 43 well-contextualized glass objects have been analysed for major, minor and trace elements using LA-ICP-MS. The glasses of the fifth to seventh centuries comprise mostly vessels and especially goblets. The base glass can be affiliated to previously established natron-type primary production groups (HIMT, Foy 2.1, Foy 3.2 and Levantine 1), and about half of it shows substantial signs of recycling. The ninth- to tenth-century assemblage marks a change from the previous occupation. Two beads made from a soda-rich plant ash glass confirm Islamic imports from Mesopotamia and perhaps the western Mediterranean. A linen smoother with a wood ash glass signature is the only testimony of Carolingian influences. Glass tableware is becoming increasingly rare and some of the drinking goblets are remnants from a previous phase. The progressive independence of the Catalan counties from the Carolingian Empire and the change of the glass production system towards the end of the first millennium CE may explain the absence of typical Frankish glass. Soda plant ash glass from the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, probably from the feudal castle, indicates yet another change at the end of the Middle Ages, when there is evidence for both regional production and long distance imports.

Pottery making tradition in Logroño: an archaeometric approach to the Late Medieval workshops

This paper deals with the findings of Hospital Viejo site of Logrono (La Rioja, Spain), which yielded the largest evidence of local pottery production, comprising three kilns and a potters’ dump (13th–15th centuries). The study of pottery production in inland Iberia provides valuable information on the material conditions in which the Iberian medieval and post-medieval society occurred. Yet, the territory of La Rioja has been largely eclipsed by studies at coastal and southern areas of Iberia, due to their role in maritime exchange. With the aim of understanding the specific incidence and evolution of medieval pottery at regional scale, 77 sherds (MNI 637) including glazed and unglazed ware and kiln utensils were archaeometrically examined by combining the use of ICP-MS, XRD and SEM-EDS. Likewise, NAA was applied for provenance analysis, including the collation with a large majolica NAA database. The results provided the first chemical fingerprint of the production from Logrono consisting on three compositional groups within the same workshop (LOG-A, LOG-B and LOG-C). Moreover, pottery trading from Teruel and Valencia was detected, sustaining the historical records of these trade-networks. The imports showed tin lead glazes obtained by known recipes, contrasting with simpler manufactures (mostly unglazed or only lead glazed) of contemporary Logrono.

Submerged and reused: An archaeometric approach to the early Modern ceramics from Aveiro (Portugal)

Aveiro, a city located in northern Portugal that lies next to the Atlantic Ocean, has a long potting tradition. Indeed, during the 15th–17th centuries, this region played an important role in the maritime trade between the north of Europe, the Iberian Peninsula and the Atlantic. Historical records reflect regular trade contacts between ship-owners and masters of Aveiro with English, Irish, Flemish, Galician and Basque entrepreneurs, in Europe and overseas.The archaeological research carried out on the Ria de Aveiro A (RAVA) shipwreck collection (16th – beginning 17th centuries), revealed a large amount of ceramics as cargo, tentatively produced in Aveiro Region. That was compared to a collection from Santo António church, in Aveiro, which includes ceramics used to fill the upper choir dome, with an exact chronology (1524), also manufactured in Aveiro. Such set of pottery enabled the establishment of a typology divided in three groups, used in everyday life at that time in Aveiro (tableware, long-distance storage and transportation and sugar moulds) and combining red and black pastes and shiny and matte black finished surfaces.With a view to characterize and to assess the provenance of local or regional origin of this Post-Medieval pottery assemblage from the two sites, an archaeometric approach of 25 unglazed ceramics showing red and black pastes has been performed. In this way, chemical and mineralogical analyses have been carried out by Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), and microstructural analysis by Scanning Electron Microscopy-Energy Dispersive Spectrometry (SEM-EDS) analytical techniques. The results show that ceramics from RAVA have a compatible chemical fingerprint with those from the church, forming the A-1 local production reference group. Moreover, the A-1 reference group has been further assessed by comparing against the main reference groups from the Iberian Peninsula.

Archaeometric analysis of ceramic production in Tiwanaku state (c.500–1000 ce): An exploratory study

The chemical and mineralogical characterization of seven ceramic fragments produced within Tiwanaku state (c.500–1000 ce) is reported. The instrumental techniques used included X‐ray elemental and mineralogical chemical analysis, Raman spectroscopy, and scanning and light microscopy. The results indicate there are several clay types, although they show similarities, such as the use of a plant‐based temper. The red colour of the decoration is hematite, and manganese oxides such as jacobsite are present in the black. The white colour is a mixture of gypsum and clay, and the orange is a mixture of hematite and clay. The use of colours, the quality of the clays and the temperatures reached during pottery firing point to expertise in ceramic production and to complex decision‐making processes. The multi‐elemental archaeometric approach documented here could become an important tool to shed a light on ancient ceramic technology and the internal variance of Tiwanaku pottery.

Le projet Crumbel et l’apport de la recherche archéométrique

The CRUMBEL project aims to investigate the mobility of the former population in Belgium from the Neolithic period until the Early Middle Ages. To reach these research goals different topics will be studied. In a preliminary phase, the ancient collections of cremated bone will be documented. A selection of these funerary sites will be studied to understand the mobility using different archaeometric approaches as stable isotopes and radiocarbon dating to obtain reliable information on earlier mobility in Belgium.

Looking for paint mixtures to glimpse pictorial techniques: a micro-stratigraphic physicochemical approach to the rock art from the Oyola\u2019s Caves (Argentina)

Could not be possible that rock paintings with similar hues and morphologies were the result of different paint preparations inside a cave but distanced in time? Is there any archaeometric approach that allow us to evidence these subtle differences? Aiming to address these inquires, in this work are presented the potentials of new physicochemical lines of evidence for characterization and differentiation of paint mixtures. This will improve the understanding of the technical heterogeneity and temporal complexity of painting sets executed in a particular archaeological site. In order to explore these points, the results obtained in the micro-stratigraphic studies of samples taken from the painted walls of Oyola, an archaeological site located in the northwest of Argentina, are presented. These samples have been analyzed by micro-Raman spectroscopy (mRS) and scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray (SEM–EDS). The differences found by cross-section chemical studies could be explained as a consequence of two situations: 1-differences in the painting’s chemical components, either in the pigments involved or additives used; and, 2-differences in the physical properties of the mixtures such as stratum thickness and/or particle size. Also, in this article are explained each of the hypothesis, presenting the limits of these interpretations and pointing out future research challenges. As we discussed, it could be possible that the chemical and physical differences found between paint mixtures were the material expression of varied types of pictorial techniques.

The first combined archaeological and archaeometric analyses on Bronze Age pottery from Kyrgyzstan (Uch Kurbu site)

The integration of the Bronze Age populations in Kyrgyzstan into the Andronovo sphere is largely based on the resemblance of the ceramic material discovered at the Kyrgyz sites with the pottery from various Andronovo sites, which has been explained by human migrations. However, very few detailed pottery studies have been conducted, and no archaeometric analyses have been applied to date to the material from Kyrgyzstan. We present a first investigation on Bronze Age pottery from Uch Kurbu (Kyrgyzstan) through a combined archaeological (field-based stylistic and macroscopic examinations) and archaeometric (the application of X-ray fluorescence, X-ray diffraction and thin-section Optical Microscopy) approaches. Compositional analyses on nine samples demonstrate an unexpected diversity in their provenance and a continuity in the main technological processes of pottery manufacture: raw material supply and processing to get coarse, low calcareous pastes, modelling using handmade methods and firing at low temperature in rather basic conditions. The study also highlights the combination of local peculiarities and extra-regional connections in style and technological processes compared to the pottery assemblages from other Andronovo sites. The whole integrated approach brings new information on the Bronze Age pottery production in Kyrgyzstan and contributes to the investigation of the social interactions as driving force for the diffusion of styles and techniques over central Eurasia in the Bronze Age.

The provenance and distribution of Early Bronze ceramics in the Kolyaei Plain, central Zagros, Iran

Within Iran, there is little archaeological evidence for relationships between newly arrived Early Trans‐Caucasian (ETC) or Kura‐Araxes settlers and earlier inhabitants and contact with neighbouring cultures, or for their apparently abrupt end. Based on the evidence, the Iranian Kura‐Araxes was not a simple ‘copy' of the Caucasian Kura‐Araxes package. Ceramic traditions show local peculiarities, and all are elements suggesting that the Kura‐Araxes traditions went through processes of adaptation, change and re‐elaboration according to local tastes and technologies. In this study, an archaeometric approach to ceramics in the Kolyaei Plain of central Zagros contributes to the discussion of contact and exchange between indigenous communities and several cultural spheres of influence on the Early Bronze Age (beginning in the fourth millennium bce). Morphological data, as well as the mineralogical and chemical composition of ceramics, were applied to determine the major and trace elements of the pottery shards. Based on the trace element profiles, it can be suggested that all the pottery shards are in the same group and they strongly are local products. The ceramic provenance indicates the same patterns of material interactions during the ETC or Kura‐Araxes in all the sites within the Kolyaei Plain.