Search

ABSTRACTThe characterization of chert artifacts and the identification of their raw material is a pivotal issue in archaeology for the comprehension of economic and territorial patterns related to prehistoric populations. In the last years, several analytical techniques have been employed to characterize chert and discriminate among different provenances. In this study, cherts collected from different outcrops exploited since the Prehistory in the area of Alcoi (Alacant, Spain) were analyzed. Nucleus and cortex of each sample were divided and separately analyzed to determine their concentrations of major, minor and trace elements. The analyses revealed the elemental difference between both the parts of the chert and pointed out the importance of separation during sample preparation. Eventually, only the results of the nucleus analysis allowed discriminate among the different outcrops.

For the first time, an archaeometric study was carried out on the carbonate rock ashlars of the Sagunto Castle. The studied site is one of the most important and best preserved Spanish archaeological and architectural monuments, characterized by different construction phases from the Roman period to Modern Ages. Forty samples collected from thirteen different structures of Sagunto Castle and two quarries, located in the Sagunto's hill were used for comparative purposes. The samples were analyzed by X-ray diffraction, X-ray fluorescence and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry to determine their mineralogical and elemental composition. The obtained data show similar chemical and mineralogical features between the rocks outcropping in the city quarries and some of those employed to build the structures, suggesting that rocks could have been used to build the structures from different periods along the centuries.

This paper presents the study of the prestigious terracotta votive figurines from the Iberian Iron Age sanctuary of La Serreta (Alicante province, Spain) composed of 174 items. Portable X-ray fluorescence (PXRF) was used to identify elemental markers that permit us to observe the differences between local and non-local terracotta figurines and furthermore to evaluate the geographical influence of the La Serreta sanctuary using Principal Component Analysis (PCA). The Partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis (PLSDA) statistical method was also used to classify the figurines of uncertain geographical origin. The resulting groups were related to typological and stylistic groups of figurines and the distribution in different sites in the region.