BAETICAN AMPHORAS ARCHAEOMETRY

Production area of amphorae as seen in page 76 of the map of the National Geological synthesis of Spain.

Las características geológicas de estos sectores son muy diversas : al Norte encontramos terreno Precambriano y Paleozoico de la Sub-Meseta meridional ; en el Sur, en un área que coincide con la depresión del Guadalquivir, afloran en gran cantidad los terrenos cuaternarios

The major number of possible physic-chemical analyses and statistics are needed to match amphora sherds to their place of origin. When there are budget cutbacks, it should be taken in account that some analyses are more relevant and exhaustive than others.

For our purpose petrological analyses and chemical studies combined with statistics were the most suitable. In today’s research, combining of these three methodologies together with geology is essential to match amphoras from the Testaccio to its places of origin.

The resulting groups are references for future studies. Hundreds of amphora sherds (stamped handles) were analysed with excellent outcomes. Baetican and Testaccio amphoras were made with same technology and employing the same kind of clay from the river Guadalquivir, refined and baked in a kilns with oxidant atmosphere and a temperature between 650 and 800º C.

The question about the origin of Testaccio amphoras has been answered. More than 50% of the amphoras came from one of the six places mentioned above. Special features from Cerro de los Pesebres, El Tejarillo and La Catria have been studied.

Stadistic elaboration (dendrogram) of chemical. It can be easily seen that from the same place.