Gunneweg, Jan, Asaro, F., Michel, Helen. V.and Perlman, I. 1990, Neutron activation analysis and the Origin of some Mycenaean IIIC:1 and Philistine Bichrome ware pottery from the eastern Mediterranean during the 12- 11th century B.C.E. Archaeometry '90, E.Pernicka and G.A.Wagner (eds.), Birkhauser Verlag, Basel 1990, 405-412. A provenance study has started on some 620 odd samples of Mycenaean IIIC:1, Philistine Bichrome, and Red-and-Black Ware pottery from 30 sites in the eastern Mediterranean, which were analyzed at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory at the University of California. Fifteen of these 620 samples are treated in this study. Mycenaean IIIC:1 pottery from Greece, Cyprus and Israel and Philistine Bichrome Ware are distinguishable in chemical composition by instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA). Both pottery repertories are chemically traced to reference groups, and reflect the traces of Sea Peoples and Philistines of the 12th-11th centuries B.C.E. in interregional contacts, as well as unidirectional socio-economic trade. In the present case, the MYC IIIC:1b pottery originated in Mycenae, while Philistine Bichrome ware found at Tell en-Nasbeh was locally made there. Comments? Please write: Jan Gunneweg To return, click Archaeometry abstracts of our work or click "BACK" or click the Homepage . Jan Gunneweg Ph.D., The Hebrew University, revised November 2005