Archaeometric characterization of attic pottery from the Cancho Roano palace-sanctuary (Zalamea de la Serena, Badajoz)

Abstract

The group of 410 attic pots from Cancho Roano palace-sanctuary (Zalamea de la Serena, Badajoz) is considered one of the most important collections of the 5^th century BC ever published in the Iberian Peninsula. With 360 examples, the best represented pots are those belonging to the stemless inset-lip type. They show a wide variety in typology and macroscopical features, which suggests the existence of materials from different production centres. Because of this, an archaeometric study by means of X-Ray Fluorescence and X-Ray Diffraction analyses has been conducted in order to investigate their provenance and technology. The characterised material, which includes 60 examples, is the biggest one ever published for the 5^th century BC in the Mediterranean basin. The results suggest an Attic origin, while the important differences in their macroscopic and typological features are due to technological factors.