Gherdán Katalin¹, Szakmány György¹, T. Biró Katalin²,

One of the most important goals of pottery analysis is to identify ceramics of different origin, possible raw materials and provenance.

There are several methods to meet this aim.

Pottery composition can be compared to the composition of possible raw materials. This method is suitable only in case of locally distributed raw materials; especially on territories covered in geologically well described formations.

If possible raw materials are present in a large area or their occurrence is not well defined geologically (which is the case in most parts of the Carpathian Basin) archaeological objects are grouped according to their petrographic and geochemical characteristics.

Sometimes there is possibility to compare the composition of the examined material to the composition of potteries of well-known origin – for example to potteries found in kilns.

Many archaeological sites in the Carpathian Basin, however, are not suitable for the use of the above mentioned methods. In these cases a formerly established geochemical and petrographic database can be used as reference material.

Working with ceramic material of a multi period site might also have advantages. At these sites it is possible to carry out diachronic investigations in order to identify raw material choice through time. A well defined petrographic and geochemical composition present in all periods is supposed to indicate local origin. Samples of this composition can form a kind of internal reference group used during further investigations. Pottery analysis at a multi level site, Vörs-Máriaasszonysziget is an example for this.

The oldest pottery samples come from the VIth millennium BC, and the youngest finds are from the II millennium AD. Samples are supplemented by potteries from coeval, nearby archaeological sites. Petrographic and geochemical investigations show that there must have been a raw material at or near the site which was used by potters through a long time. In each period this common raw material was tempered differently (vegetal material, grog, sand). Most of the potteries – except for some proved cases – are most probably of local origin.

Results show that diachronic petrographic and geochemical analysis of pottery samples from a multi level site makes it possible to identify non-local potteries and pottery making recipes.