Strontium in pots : an experimental study on the determination of strontium isotope ratios (87Sr/86Sr) and provenance of prehistoric vessels from Verteba cave, Ukraine (Tripolye culture)
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| Year of publication | 2022 |
| Type | Chapter of a book |
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| Description | The most important analytical approach in archaeology since radiocarbon dating, stable isotope analysis provides quantitative evidence for ancient diets, provenance/mobility, and ecology. In this study, we analyzed the 87Sr/86Sr isotopic composition of ceramics from Verteba Cave, the underground sacrificial site associated with the Tripolye culture in Western Ukraine. The study sought to provide an initial outline and isotopic reference dataset to be used in archaeometric analysis of provenance for prehistoric pottery and other clayey artefacts, and consequently in studying ancient mobility of the communities living close to the Seret River and Verteba Cave site. The approach here adopted relies on Thermal Ionisation Mass Spectrometry, using the clayey materials tout court, without any pre-treatment, in order to maintain unaltered the mineralogical and geochemical characteristics of the natural resources possibly available in ancient times for the pottery production, and avoid any possible preparation bias. Results indicate the presence of both locally made vessels and imports in the Verteba cave. Strontium isotopic ‘finger-printing’ can be used as a discrimination tool applied to ancient ceramics provenance, however, this method encounters certain significant technical limitations. |
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