ARCHAEOMETRIC ANALYSES ON PRECUCUTENI-TYPE POTTERY FROM TRANSYLVANIA (ROMANIA). CASE STUDY: ALBA IULIA-LUMEA NOUĂ

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to find out - for the first time - through archaeometric analysis the provenance of the Precucuteni-type pottery from Alba Iulia-Lumea Nouă settlement and whether it has a local origin or is an imported ceramic. The presence of so-called Precucuteni-type pottery in Transylvanian sites, decorated by motifs using excision techniques, represents one of the most challenging debates related to the understanding of the material culture that belongs to Early Eneolithic human communities in the Intra-Carpathian area. A combination of non-invasive / micro-destructive analytical techniques and statistical methods were applied to provide comprehensive information about the studied fragments. In this respect, ten pottery samples were investigated to establish the elemental and molecular composition, as well as its origin. Overall, the analytical and statistical analyses show us that the local production of pottery is predominant, with a limited presence of imports. In summary, nine ceramic fragments out of all analyzed samples belong to the same group, with a strong correlation between them, confirming that they are locally made, while one sample can be considered as imported from elsewhere or obtained through mixing clay with some existing soils in the area during the pottery production stage.