Hostname: page-component-5c6d5d7d68-sv6ng Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-08-18T13:44:50.956Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

ICP-AES analysis of some Mycenaean vases from the cemetery at Pylona, Rhodes

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 September 2013

Efi Karantzali
Affiliation:
22nd Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities, Rhodes
Matthew J. Ponting
Affiliation:
Department of Archaeology, University of Nottingham

Abstract

This paper presents the results of the chemical analyses by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) of a selection of vases from the recent excavations of Mycenaean tombs at Pylona, Rhodes. The data are used to support and confirm the stylistic attributions of the vases as either local Rhodian products or mainland imports. It is suggested that the majority of the imports are from the Argolid, but that at least one other origin is likely as well. Two distinct compositional groups of ‘local’ pottery are also identified. Comparison is made with the data from the analyses of pottery from Ialysos and the veracity of the conclusions drawn from the earlier optical emission data is confirmed.

Type
Articles
Copyright
Copyright © The Council, British School at Athens 2000

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1 The first investigation in the area was undertaken by the 22nd Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities of the Dodecanese and we are very grateful to the Director, Dr I. Papachristodoulou. Thanks are due to the Institute of Aegean Prehistory for its generous financial support over the subsequent three years (1994–6). It has also greatly facilitated Karantzali's research papers and the subsequent full publication of the cemetery.

2 E. Karantzali, The Mycenaean Cemetery at Pylona on Rhodes (BAR, forthcoming).

3 Dickinson, O. T. P. K., The Origins of Mycenaean Civilisation (SIMA 49; Göteborg, 1977), 60–3Google Scholar; id. ‘Gist graves and chamber tombs’, BSA 78 (1983), 64–5; Blegen, C., Prosymna: The Helladic Settlement preceding the Argive Heraeum (Princeton, 1937), 86 98, 104, 116–18, 180Google Scholar; Epidauros/Monemvasia: PAE (1956), 207–10; A. Delt. 23 (1968), Mel. 145–94. For Agia Triada cemetery: Vikatou, O., ‘Το Μυκηναϊκὀ νεκροταφεἱο της Αγἱας Τριἀδας Ν. Ηλεἰας 1994,’ in first Mycenaean Symposium ‘The Periphery of the Mycenaean World’ Lamia 1994 (Lamia, 1999), 237–9Google Scholar, fig. 3. For other references concerning chamber tombs with side-chambers of Mycenaean and even earlier periods (MM III–LM I) see: Karantzali, E.. ‘New Mycenaean finds from Rhodes’, in Betancourt, P., Karageorghis, V., Laffineur, R. and Niemeier, W-D. (eds), Meletemata: Studies in Aegean Archaeology Presented to Malcolm H. Wiener (Aegaeum 20; Liège, 1999), 403–8Google Scholar.

4 Jones, R. E. and Mee, C., ‘Spectrographic analyses of Mycenaean pottery from Ialsos on Rhodes: results and implications’, JFA 5 (1978), 461–70Google Scholar.

5 Many thanks are due to the excavator of this important site at Trianda, Ms Toula Marketou, for allowing us to analyse this unpublished material.

6 Pollard, A. M. and Heron, C., Archaeological Chemistry (Cambridge, 1996), 48Google Scholar.

7 Hayworth, M. P., Hunter, J. R., Warren, S. E, and Walsh, J. N., ‘ICPS and glass: the multi-element approach’, in Hughes, M. J., Cowell, M. R. and Hook, D. R. (eds), Neutron Activation and Plasma Emission Spectrometric Analysis in Archaeology (British Museum Oecasional Paper 82; London, 1991) 143–54Google Scholar.

8 Potts, P. J., A Handbook of Silicate Rock Analysis (London, 1995)Google Scholar.

9 Hayworth et al. (n. 7) 146.

10 Ibid., 146.

11 Jones and Mee (n. 4).

12 Jones, R. R. E., Greek and Cypriot Pottery: A Review of Scientific Studies (Fitch Laboratory Occasional Paper 1; London, 1986), 503Google Scholar.

13 E. Karantzali, ‘Νἐοι μυκηναϊκοἱ τἁφοι Ρὁδου ᾿ in First Mycenaean Symposium (n. 3), 296 suggested that the rhyton 16489 was an import. This needs revision in the light of the present analysis.

14 For a detailed discussion see Baxter, M. J., Exploratory Multivariate Analysis in Archaeology (Edinburgh, 1996), 204–12Google Scholar.

15 For Rhodo-Myccnaean ware: Benzi, M., Rodi e la civiltà micenea (Rome, 1992), 79Google Scholar.

16 See Akavi Collection, probably from the Vati area: Morricone, M. L., ‘Vasi della collezione Akavi di RodiAnnuario 1979 80 (1986), 307Google Scholar, figs. 168, 169.

17 Jones and Mee (n. 4).

18 Karantzali, E., ‘A new Mycenaean pictorial rhyton from Rhodes’, Acts of the International Symposium ‘Eastern Mediterranean: Cyprus, Dodecanese, Crete’ (Athens, 1998), 87104Google Scholar.

19 Benzi (n. 15), 110, 417, tav. 130: a; Vermeule, E. and Karageorghis, V., Mycenaean Pictorial Vase Painting (Cambridge Mass, 1982), XII 17, 154–5Google Scholar; Karantzali 18.

20 Karpathos-Makeli, : A.Delt. 17 (1961/1962)Google Scholar Mel., 45, 62, pl. 16: a, pl. 25: e; Vermeule Karageorghis (n. 19), XII:27. XII:28, 158–9.

21 Jones and Mee (n. 4).

22 Our suggestions proposed at the 1994 First Mycenaean Symposium ‘The Periphery of the Mycenaean World’, (Lamia, 1999), 296, concerning the percentages of the imported and local wares of the first three Pylona tombs, are now revised by this present work, where there are clay analyses available.

23 See Jones 501–8, and Jones and Mee.

24 Jones, loc. cit.

25 For the sea-routes: Mee, C., Rhodes in the Bronze Age (Warminster, 1982), 81–2Google Scholar; Benzi (n. 15) 209–12; Jones and Mee (n. 4), 461–70; Mantzourani, E. K. and Theodorau, A. J., ‘An attempt to determine the sea-routes between Crete and Cyprus during the Bronze Age’, in Karageorghis, V. (ed.), The Civilizations of the Aegean and their Diffusion in Cyprus and to Eastern Mediterranean, 2000–600 BC: Proceedings of an Interational Act of the Symposium, 18–24 September 1989 (Larnaka, 1991), 50–1Google Scholar, fig. 9; Sherratt, A. S., ‘From luxuries to commodities: the nature of the Mediterranean Bronze Age trading system’, in Gale, N. H. (ed.), Bronze Age Trade in the Mediterranean (SIMA 90; Göteborg, 1991), 370–3Google Scholar.