Olwen Williams‐Thorpe
Biographic Data
| ID | 5801874 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Olwen Williams‐Thorpe |
| GIVEN NAMES | Olwen |
| FAMILY NAME | Williams‐Thorpe |
| SIGNATURE | THORPE O W |
| AFFILIATIONS | The Open University |
| VERIFIED | No |
| TOTAL WORKS | 31 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 196 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 31 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1988 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2009 |
| H-INDEX | 9 |
Brian John. The bluestone enigma: Stonehenge, Preseli and the Ice Age. 160 pages, 57 b&w & colour illustrations. 2008. Newport: Greencroft Books; 978-0-905559-89-6 paperback £9.95
Brian John. The bluestone enigma: Stonehenge, Preseli and the Ice Age. 160 pages, 57 b&w & colour illustrations. 2008. Newport: Greencroft Books; 978-0-905559-89-6 paperback £9.95. - Volume 83 Issue 320
A Thousand and One Columns: Observations on the Roman Granite Trade in the Mediterranean Area
Provenancing and archaeological information on Roman granite columns in the Mediterranean area has been collated from a range of published papers by the author and others, together with new analyses for Rome, to produce an integrated dataset comprising 1176 columns. This dataset allows an overview of Roman granite trade in seven regions across the Mediterranean area. Examination of the data indicates that columns made from Troad (Turkish) granite…
Preseli Dolerite Bluestones: Axe‐heads, Stonehenge Monoliths, and Outcrop Sources
Chemical compositions and magnetic susceptibility data were compared for 12 dolerite bluestone implements including axes, axe‐hammers and battle‐axes, 11 Stonehenge monoliths (chemical data only), and potential source outcrops in Preseli, South Wales. Most of the studied artefacts are of spotted dolerite, a small number being unspotted dolerite. Bivariate graphs, discriminant analysis and t‐tests were used singly and in combination to show, respe…
Non-destructive provenancing of bluestone axe-heads in Britain
The authors present a new procedure for discovering where stone artefacts come from without having to cut a slice through them. The method is tested on axes of spotted dolerite bluestone from Preseli in Wales, source of monoliths at Stonehenge
Non-destructive geochemical and magnetic characterisation of Group XVIII dolerite stone axes and shaft-hole implements from England
Geochemical and Magnetic Provenancing of Roman Granite Columns from Andalucía and Extremadura, Spain
One hundred and fifty two granite columns were examined in eight towns and archaeological sites in Andalucía and Extremadura, Spain, in order to determine the geological provenance of the columns. Three non‐destructive methods of characterization were used: mineralogical features, magnetic susceptibility, and concentrations of radioelements (K, U, Th) determined by portable gamma ray spectrometry. Columns were compared with potential sources with…
An Illustration of the Use of an Atypicality Index in Provenancing British Stone Axes
An atypicality index has been used to compare the chemical compositions of 11 British prehistoric implements (axes and axe‐hammers, and a mace) with previously suggested and likely sources in South Wales (Group XIII spotted dolerite from the Carnmenyn area, and Group VIII rhyolite from Carnalw). Atypicality indices together with mineralogy indicate that only two out of six supposed Group XIII implements are likely to be Group XIII, and only one o…
An Illustration of the Use of an Atypicality Index in Provenancing British Stone Axes
The Sources of Roman Granite Columns in Israel
Three hundred and fourteen Roman granite columns at seven sites in Israel have been provenanced to their quarry sources, using a combination of mineralogy, magnetic susceptibility, portable gamma ray spectrometry and electron microprobe analysis. Most of the columns (195) originate in the Troad area of western Turkey. A small number (6) come from other sources in western Turkey, probably all from Kozak Dağ. The remainder of the columns (113) are …
Non‐destructive Portable Gamma Ray Spectrometry Used in Provenancing Roman Granitoid Columns From Leptis Magna, North Africa
Portable gamma ray spectrometry (PGRS) provides a non destructive means to analyst quantitatively large artefacts, such as building stones, for the radioelements K. U and Th. Nine Raman granitoid columns at the Leptis Magna Ruins in Windsor Great Park, London, were measured in situ by PGRS. Corrections for the environmental background contribution to the gamma ray flux measured, and for the shape and size of the columns, are described Comparison …
Geochemical provenancing of igneous glacial erratics from Southern Britain, and implications for prehistoric stone implement distributions
Geochemical provenancing of igneous glacial erratics from Southern Britain, and implications for prehistoric stone implement distributions
Sixteen basic and intermediate composition igneous glacial erratics from Anglian (pre-423,000 years) deposits in Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire, southern Britain, were selected for chemical and petrographic analysis in order to determine their original source outcrops. Major and trace element compositions suggest that seven samples (plus two uncertain) originated in the Lower Carboniferous volcanics of the Scottish Midland Valley (SMV), four c…
Field-Portable Non-Destructive Analysis of Lithic Archaeological Samples by X-Ray Fluorescence Instrumentation using a Mercury Iodide Detector: Comparison with Wavelength-Dispersive XRF and a Case Stu…
Magnetic Susceptibility Variations at Mons Claudianus and in Roman Columns: A Method of Provenancing to Within a Single Quarry
Mons Claudianus in the Eastern Desert of Egypt was an important source of granodiorite for Roman columns. Computer contouring of 1119 magnetic susceptibility measurements at the quarry shows systematic variations, with low readings in the west of the quarry area and higher readings in the east. One hundred and seventy measurements on 62 columns of Mons Claudianus type in Rome and its environs were compared with the quarry readings, using a t‐test…
Stone Axe-head Manufacture: New Evidence from the Preseli Hills, West Wales
Fieldwork by the Dyfed Archaeological Trust during 1989–92 has identified clear evidence for the manufacture of stone axeheads at two locations on the eastern flanks of the Preseli Mountains, Dyfed: at Glyn-y-Fran, Llanfyrnach (SN 186 307) and near Glandy Cross (SN 143 266). At both sites, small quantities of lithic debris were collected from field surfaces after cultivation; unfortunately, no contemporaneous features were found by subsequent, ve…
Obsidian in the Mediterranean and the Near East: A Provenancing Success Story
Obsidian provenancing studies comprise one of the most productive and successful research programmes of archaeological science. Obsidian characterization has been successful because workable obsidian is homogeneous on a small scale, analysable by a large number of methods, and is restricted to a small number of mainly readily distinguishable geological sources. Analytical, dating, source, and trade studies within the western Mediterranean, centra…
Chlorine-36 dating and the bluestones of Stonehenge
The bluestones of Stonehenge on Salisbury Plain continue to attract controversy. New dates on Stonehenge material using the Chlorine-36 method have been reported as evidence that the bluestones were moved from their Welsh sources by human transport, not by glaciation. Here Olwen Williams-Thorpe and colleagues, who have argued for the glacial transport theory, show that the Chlorine-36 dates have been misinterpreted
Laser Argon Dating and Geological Provenancing of a Stone Axe From the Stonehenge Environs
The recently‐developed laser microprobe 40 argon‐ 39 argon technique has been used to give a geological date for a rhyolitic tuff stone axe fragment from the Stonehenge environs. The method requires only milligramme‐sized samples and gives dates of sufficient accuracy to aid in provenancing artefacts to sources, as well as information on the heating history of samples. The axe sample is of Lower Carboniferous date (341 ± 5 Ma) and this limits pos…
Mons Claudianus and the problem of the 'granito del foro: A Geological and Geochemical Approach
Granito del foro is a distinctive igneous rock, in fact a granodiorite rather than a granite, long known and named for its use in buildings of the Roman Forum. Exactly what is it? Where does it come from? Where else was it used and not used? What does the granito del foro say about ownership and empire
Geochemistry and Trade of Eastern Mediterranean Millstones from the Neolithic to Roman Periods
Magnetic Susceptibility Used in Non‐destructive Provenancing of Roman Granite Columns
Magnetic susceptibility provides a rapid, cheap and non‐destructive method of in situ characterization of archaeological artefacts containing magnetic minerals, and can be used as an aid to geological provenancing. Three hundred and sixty‐three Roman granite columns were measured by this method and results show clear groupings and similarities with potential granite sources in Italy, Turkey and Egypt. Magnetic susceptibility measurements must be …
Reply to ‘Megalithic transport and territorial markers: Evidence from the Channel Islands’ by Mark Patton
The surviving author of ‘The myth of long-distance megalith transport’ (ANTIQUITY 65: 64–73) stresses the support given by megalithic sites in the Channel Islands to the exposure of this persistent myth
The import of millstones to Roman Mallorca
An abstract is not available for this content so a preview has been provided. Please use the Get access link above for information on how to access this content
Archaeology, geochemistry, and trade of Igneous Rock millstones in Cyprus during the late bronze age to Roman periods
Millstones used in Cyprus between the Late Bronze Age and Roman periods (saddle querns, reciprocally operated hopper‐rubber mills, cylindrical rotary querns, and hour‐glass‐shaped Pompeian style mills) were frequently manufactured from igneous rocks including vesicular lavas clearly imported to the island. Potential sources include volcanics of mainland Greece, the Aegean, Anatolia, Egypt, and the Levant (Syria, Israel, and Jordan). Geochemical a…
The Geological Sources and Transport of the Bluestones of Stonehenge, Wiltshire, UK
Stonehenge on Salisbury Plain is one of the most impressive British prehistoric (c. 3000–1500 BC) monuments. It is dominated by large upright sarsen stones, some of which are joined by lintels. While these stones are of relatively local derivation, some of the stone settings, termed bluestones, are composed of igneous and minor sedimentary rocks which are foreign to the solid geology of Salisbury Plain and must have been transported to their pres…
Geochemistry and Trade of Eastern Mediterranean Millstones from the Neolithic to Roman Periods
Provenancing and archaeology of roman millstones from the Mediterranean area
The Geological Sources and Transport of the Bluestones of Stonehenge, Wiltshire, UK
Stonehenge on Salisbury Plain is one of the most impressive British prehistoric (c. 3000–1500 BC) monuments. It is dominated by large upright sarsen stones, some of which are joined by lintels. While these stones are of relatively local derivation, some of the stone settings, termed bluestones, are composed of igneous and minor sedimentary rocks which are foreign to the solid geology of Salisbury Plain and must have been transported to their pres…
Magnetic Susceptibility Used in Non‐destructive Provenancing of Roman Granite Columns
Magnetic susceptibility provides a rapid, cheap and non‐destructive method of in situ characterization of archaeological artefacts containing magnetic minerals, and can be used as an aid to geological provenancing. Three hundred and sixty‐three Roman granite columns were measured by this method and results show clear groupings and similarities with potential granite sources in Italy, Turkey and Egypt. Magnetic susceptibility measurements must be …
Field-Portable Non-Destructive Analysis of Lithic Archaeological Samples by X-Ray Fluorescence Instrumentation using a Mercury Iodide Detector: Comparison with Wavelength-Dispersive XRF and a Case Stu…
Obsidian in the Mediterranean and the Near East: A Provenancing Success Story
Obsidian provenancing studies comprise one of the most productive and successful research programmes of archaeological science. Obsidian characterization has been successful because workable obsidian is homogeneous on a small scale, analysable by a large number of methods, and is restricted to a small number of mainly readily distinguishable geological sources. Analytical, dating, source, and trade studies within the western Mediterranean, centra…
Non-destructive geochemical and magnetic characterisation of Group XVIII dolerite stone axes and shaft-hole implements from England
Mons Claudianus and the problem of the 'granito del foro: A Geological and Geochemical Approach
Granito del foro is a distinctive igneous rock, in fact a granodiorite rather than a granite, long known and named for its use in buildings of the Roman Forum. Exactly what is it? Where does it come from? Where else was it used and not used? What does the granito del foro say about ownership and empire
Millstone Provenancing Used in Tracing the Route of a Fourth‐century Bc Greek Merchant Ship
A Greek merchant ship carrying a cargo of millstones, amphorae and bronze vessels was wrecked at Sec, off Mallorca, Spain. in about 375‐350 BC. Geochemical provenancing of the millstones helps in reconstructing the route of the ship and complements evidence from the amphorae. Thirty‐eight lava hopper‐rubber millstones and one Pompeian‐style rotary mill from the ship were sampled for provenancing. The hopper‐rubbers are mainly of basalt from the i…
Magnetic Susceptibility Variations at Mons Claudianus and in Roman Columns: A Method of Provenancing to Within a Single Quarry
Mons Claudianus in the Eastern Desert of Egypt was an important source of granodiorite for Roman columns. Computer contouring of 1119 magnetic susceptibility measurements at the quarry shows systematic variations, with low readings in the west of the quarry area and higher readings in the east. One hundred and seventy measurements on 62 columns of Mons Claudianus type in Rome and its environs were compared with the quarry readings, using a t‐test…
The myth of long-distance megalith transport
The megalithic monuments of western Europe have long been a celebrated proof of the engineering achievements possible in an early farming society. With the engineering skills to raise up the stones went the capability to move them to the site, with Stonehenge the best-known example of an apparent long-distance transport, incorporating Welsh bluestones and sarsens that perhaps originate in the Avebury region to the north. Following their recent ch…
The Provenance of Donkey Mills From Roman Britain
Pompeiian‐style (hourglass) grain mills are common at many Roman sites within the circum‐Mediterranean countries. Three examples are known from Corfe Mullen, London and Hamworthy in southern Britain. Petrographic examination, chemical and microprobe analyses indicate that the Corfe Mullen millstone and the London donkey mill were imported from central France into southern Britain. The Hamworthy mill should be designated a ‘flat donkey mill’, and …
Preseli Dolerite Bluestones: Axe‐heads, Stonehenge Monoliths, and Outcrop Sources
Chemical compositions and magnetic susceptibility data were compared for 12 dolerite bluestone implements including axes, axe‐hammers and battle‐axes, 11 Stonehenge monoliths (chemical data only), and potential source outcrops in Preseli, South Wales. Most of the studied artefacts are of spotted dolerite, a small number being unspotted dolerite. Bivariate graphs, discriminant analysis and t‐tests were used singly and in combination to show, respe…
Archaeology, geochemistry, and trade of Igneous Rock millstones in Cyprus during the late bronze age to Roman periods
Millstones used in Cyprus between the Late Bronze Age and Roman periods (saddle querns, reciprocally operated hopper‐rubber mills, cylindrical rotary querns, and hour‐glass‐shaped Pompeian style mills) were frequently manufactured from igneous rocks including vesicular lavas clearly imported to the island. Potential sources include volcanics of mainland Greece, the Aegean, Anatolia, Egypt, and the Levant (Syria, Israel, and Jordan). Geochemical a…
A Low Dilution, Wavelength‐dispersive X‐ray Fluorescence Procedure for the Analysis of Archaeological Rock Artefacts
A method is described for the analysis of archaeological rock artefacts which provides major and trace element data. Wavelength‐dispersive X‐ray fluorescence (WDXRF) analysis of 2:1 fusion beads permits the accurate and precise measurement of a wide range of elements. Accuracy and precision are nominally 1‐5% for elements having concentrations above 3 times the detection limit. The method requires a much smaller sample size than conventional WDXR…
Non‐destructive Portable Gamma Ray Spectrometry Used in Provenancing Roman Granitoid Columns From Leptis Magna, North Africa
Portable gamma ray spectrometry (PGRS) provides a non destructive means to analyst quantitatively large artefacts, such as building stones, for the radioelements K. U and Th. Nine Raman granitoid columns at the Leptis Magna Ruins in Windsor Great Park, London, were measured in situ by PGRS. Corrections for the environmental background contribution to the gamma ray flux measured, and for the shape and size of the columns, are described Comparison …
A Thousand and One Columns: Observations on the Roman Granite Trade in the Mediterranean Area
Provenancing and archaeological information on Roman granite columns in the Mediterranean area has been collated from a range of published papers by the author and others, together with new analyses for Rome, to produce an integrated dataset comprising 1176 columns. This dataset allows an overview of Roman granite trade in seven regions across the Mediterranean area. Examination of the data indicates that columns made from Troad (Turkish) granite…
Provenancing and Archaeology of Roman Millstones From Sardinia (Italy)
Sardinia was an important Roman settlement and trade centre between 238 BC–500 AD and is an ideal site for study of Roman trade. Study of Roman millstones in Sardinia shows that the commonest type is the Pompeian (hour‐glass) mill (forty‐eight stones studied), with smaller numbers of cylindrical hand querns (sixteen stones studied). Most of these millstones are composed of igneous rocks which include grey vesicular lavas of basic/intermediate com…
Non-destructive provenancing of bluestone axe-heads in Britain
The authors present a new procedure for discovering where stone artefacts come from without having to cut a slice through them. The method is tested on axes of spotted dolerite bluestone from Preseli in Wales, source of monoliths at Stonehenge
Geochemical and Magnetic Provenancing of Roman Granite Columns from Andalucía and Extremadura, Spain
One hundred and fifty two granite columns were examined in eight towns and archaeological sites in Andalucía and Extremadura, Spain, in order to determine the geological provenance of the columns. Three non‐destructive methods of characterization were used: mineralogical features, magnetic susceptibility, and concentrations of radioelements (K, U, Th) determined by portable gamma ray spectrometry. Columns were compared with potential sources with…
Stone Axe-head Manufacture: New Evidence from the Preseli Hills, West Wales
Fieldwork by the Dyfed Archaeological Trust during 1989–92 has identified clear evidence for the manufacture of stone axeheads at two locations on the eastern flanks of the Preseli Mountains, Dyfed: at Glyn-y-Fran, Llanfyrnach (SN 186 307) and near Glandy Cross (SN 143 266). At both sites, small quantities of lithic debris were collected from field surfaces after cultivation; unfortunately, no contemporaneous features were found by subsequent, ve…
The import of millstones to Roman Mallorca
An abstract is not available for this content so a preview has been provided. Please use the Get access link above for information on how to access this content
Chlorine-36 dating and the bluestones of Stonehenge
The bluestones of Stonehenge on Salisbury Plain continue to attract controversy. New dates on Stonehenge material using the Chlorine-36 method have been reported as evidence that the bluestones were moved from their Welsh sources by human transport, not by glaciation. Here Olwen Williams-Thorpe and colleagues, who have argued for the glacial transport theory, show that the Chlorine-36 dates have been misinterpreted
Provenancing and archaeology of roman millstones from the Mediterranean area
The Provenance of Donkey Mills From Roman Britain
Pompeiian‐style (hourglass) grain mills are common at many Roman sites within the circum‐Mediterranean countries. Three examples are known from Corfe Mullen, London and Hamworthy in southern Britain. Petrographic examination, chemical and microprobe analyses indicate that the Corfe Mullen millstone and the London donkey mill were imported from central France into southern Britain. The Hamworthy mill should be designated a ‘flat donkey mill’, and …
A Low Dilution, Wavelength‐dispersive X‐ray Fluorescence Procedure for the Analysis of Archaeological Rock Artefacts
A method is described for the analysis of archaeological rock artefacts which provides major and trace element data. Wavelength‐dispersive X‐ray fluorescence (WDXRF) analysis of 2:1 fusion beads permits the accurate and precise measurement of a wide range of elements. Accuracy and precision are nominally 1‐5% for elements having concentrations above 3 times the detection limit. The method requires a much smaller sample size than conventional WDXR…
Provenancing and Archaeology of Roman Millstones From Sardinia (Italy)
Sardinia was an important Roman settlement and trade centre between 238 BC–500 AD and is an ideal site for study of Roman trade. Study of Roman millstones in Sardinia shows that the commonest type is the Pompeian (hour‐glass) mill (forty‐eight stones studied), with smaller numbers of cylindrical hand querns (sixteen stones studied). Most of these millstones are composed of igneous rocks which include grey vesicular lavas of basic/intermediate com…
Millstone Provenancing Used in Tracing the Route of a Fourth‐century Bc Greek Merchant Ship
A Greek merchant ship carrying a cargo of millstones, amphorae and bronze vessels was wrecked at Sec, off Mallorca, Spain. in about 375‐350 BC. Geochemical provenancing of the millstones helps in reconstructing the route of the ship and complements evidence from the amphorae. Thirty‐eight lava hopper‐rubber millstones and one Pompeian‐style rotary mill from the ship were sampled for provenancing. The hopper‐rubbers are mainly of basalt from the i…
The import of millstones to Roman Mallorca
An abstract is not available for this content so a preview has been provided. Please use the Get access link above for information on how to access this content
Archaeology, geochemistry, and trade of Igneous Rock millstones in Cyprus during the late bronze age to Roman periods
Millstones used in Cyprus between the Late Bronze Age and Roman periods (saddle querns, reciprocally operated hopper‐rubber mills, cylindrical rotary querns, and hour‐glass‐shaped Pompeian style mills) were frequently manufactured from igneous rocks including vesicular lavas clearly imported to the island. Potential sources include volcanics of mainland Greece, the Aegean, Anatolia, Egypt, and the Levant (Syria, Israel, and Jordan). Geochemical a…
The Geological Sources and Transport of the Bluestones of Stonehenge, Wiltshire, UK
Stonehenge on Salisbury Plain is one of the most impressive British prehistoric (c. 3000–1500 BC) monuments. It is dominated by large upright sarsen stones, some of which are joined by lintels. While these stones are of relatively local derivation, some of the stone settings, termed bluestones, are composed of igneous and minor sedimentary rocks which are foreign to the solid geology of Salisbury Plain and must have been transported to their pres…
The myth of long-distance megalith transport
The megalithic monuments of western Europe have long been a celebrated proof of the engineering achievements possible in an early farming society. With the engineering skills to raise up the stones went the capability to move them to the site, with Stonehenge the best-known example of an apparent long-distance transport, incorporating Welsh bluestones and sarsens that perhaps originate in the Avebury region to the north. Following their recent ch…
Geochemistry and Trade of Eastern Mediterranean Millstones from the Neolithic to Roman Periods
Magnetic Susceptibility Used in Non‐destructive Provenancing of Roman Granite Columns
Magnetic susceptibility provides a rapid, cheap and non‐destructive method of in situ characterization of archaeological artefacts containing magnetic minerals, and can be used as an aid to geological provenancing. Three hundred and sixty‐three Roman granite columns were measured by this method and results show clear groupings and similarities with potential granite sources in Italy, Turkey and Egypt. Magnetic susceptibility measurements must be …
Reply to ‘Megalithic transport and territorial markers: Evidence from the Channel Islands’ by Mark Patton
The surviving author of ‘The myth of long-distance megalith transport’ (ANTIQUITY 65: 64–73) stresses the support given by megalithic sites in the Channel Islands to the exposure of this persistent myth
Laser Argon Dating and Geological Provenancing of a Stone Axe From the Stonehenge Environs
The recently‐developed laser microprobe 40 argon‐ 39 argon technique has been used to give a geological date for a rhyolitic tuff stone axe fragment from the Stonehenge environs. The method requires only milligramme‐sized samples and gives dates of sufficient accuracy to aid in provenancing artefacts to sources, as well as information on the heating history of samples. The axe sample is of Lower Carboniferous date (341 ± 5 Ma) and this limits pos…
Mons Claudianus and the problem of the 'granito del foro: A Geological and Geochemical Approach
Granito del foro is a distinctive igneous rock, in fact a granodiorite rather than a granite, long known and named for its use in buildings of the Roman Forum. Exactly what is it? Where does it come from? Where else was it used and not used? What does the granito del foro say about ownership and empire
Stone Axe-head Manufacture: New Evidence from the Preseli Hills, West Wales
Fieldwork by the Dyfed Archaeological Trust during 1989–92 has identified clear evidence for the manufacture of stone axeheads at two locations on the eastern flanks of the Preseli Mountains, Dyfed: at Glyn-y-Fran, Llanfyrnach (SN 186 307) and near Glandy Cross (SN 143 266). At both sites, small quantities of lithic debris were collected from field surfaces after cultivation; unfortunately, no contemporaneous features were found by subsequent, ve…
Obsidian in the Mediterranean and the Near East: A Provenancing Success Story
Obsidian provenancing studies comprise one of the most productive and successful research programmes of archaeological science. Obsidian characterization has been successful because workable obsidian is homogeneous on a small scale, analysable by a large number of methods, and is restricted to a small number of mainly readily distinguishable geological sources. Analytical, dating, source, and trade studies within the western Mediterranean, centra…
Chlorine-36 dating and the bluestones of Stonehenge
The bluestones of Stonehenge on Salisbury Plain continue to attract controversy. New dates on Stonehenge material using the Chlorine-36 method have been reported as evidence that the bluestones were moved from their Welsh sources by human transport, not by glaciation. Here Olwen Williams-Thorpe and colleagues, who have argued for the glacial transport theory, show that the Chlorine-36 dates have been misinterpreted
Magnetic Susceptibility Variations at Mons Claudianus and in Roman Columns: A Method of Provenancing to Within a Single Quarry
Mons Claudianus in the Eastern Desert of Egypt was an important source of granodiorite for Roman columns. Computer contouring of 1119 magnetic susceptibility measurements at the quarry shows systematic variations, with low readings in the west of the quarry area and higher readings in the east. One hundred and seventy measurements on 62 columns of Mons Claudianus type in Rome and its environs were compared with the quarry readings, using a t‐test…
Geochemical provenancing of igneous glacial erratics from Southern Britain, and implications for prehistoric stone implement distributions
Geochemical provenancing of igneous glacial erratics from Southern Britain, and implications for prehistoric stone implement distributions
Sixteen basic and intermediate composition igneous glacial erratics from Anglian (pre-423,000 years) deposits in Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire, southern Britain, were selected for chemical and petrographic analysis in order to determine their original source outcrops. Major and trace element compositions suggest that seven samples (plus two uncertain) originated in the Lower Carboniferous volcanics of the Scottish Midland Valley (SMV), four c…
Field-Portable Non-Destructive Analysis of Lithic Archaeological Samples by X-Ray Fluorescence Instrumentation using a Mercury Iodide Detector: Comparison with Wavelength-Dispersive XRF and a Case Stu…
The Sources of Roman Granite Columns in Israel
Three hundred and fourteen Roman granite columns at seven sites in Israel have been provenanced to their quarry sources, using a combination of mineralogy, magnetic susceptibility, portable gamma ray spectrometry and electron microprobe analysis. Most of the columns (195) originate in the Troad area of western Turkey. A small number (6) come from other sources in western Turkey, probably all from Kozak Dağ. The remainder of the columns (113) are …
Non‐destructive Portable Gamma Ray Spectrometry Used in Provenancing Roman Granitoid Columns From Leptis Magna, North Africa
Portable gamma ray spectrometry (PGRS) provides a non destructive means to analyst quantitatively large artefacts, such as building stones, for the radioelements K. U and Th. Nine Raman granitoid columns at the Leptis Magna Ruins in Windsor Great Park, London, were measured in situ by PGRS. Corrections for the environmental background contribution to the gamma ray flux measured, and for the shape and size of the columns, are described Comparison …
An Illustration of the Use of an Atypicality Index in Provenancing British Stone Axes
An atypicality index has been used to compare the chemical compositions of 11 British prehistoric implements (axes and axe‐hammers, and a mace) with previously suggested and likely sources in South Wales (Group XIII spotted dolerite from the Carnmenyn area, and Group VIII rhyolite from Carnalw). Atypicality indices together with mineralogy indicate that only two out of six supposed Group XIII implements are likely to be Group XIII, and only one o…
An Illustration of the Use of an Atypicality Index in Provenancing British Stone Axes
Archaeology (28 works) · Geology (26 works) · Geography (24 works) · Archaeology and ancient environmental studies (21 works) · Geology (15 works) · Geochemistry (13 works) · History (13 works) · Geological and Geochemical Analysis (12 works) · Paleontology (10 works) · Cultural Heritage Materials Analysis (8 works)