Ceramic Petrography

The W. A. McDonald Laboratory of Petrography, thanks to the vision and financial support of Dr. Jennifer Moody, was founded in the summer of 2002. The laboratory is equipped with a cut-off and trim saw, an impregnation machine, and a lapping unit for the manufacture of ceramic thin sections. The thin sections are studied under a Leica polarizing microscope and microphotographs are provided by a Kodak digital camera coupled to the microscope.

Maria Dikomitou, a recent petrography intern, Eleni Nodarou and Matina
Tzari in the W.A. McDonaldPetrography Laboratory

The projects undertaken by the W. A. McDonald Petrography Laboratory concentrate on the island of Crete, and the ceramic material analyzed extends chronologically from earliest prehistory to historic times. The individual projects are designed according to the archaeological questions raised by the study of the pottery in order to achieve optimum representation of vessel shapes and wares. A good understanding of the pottery prior to sampling is essential because the typology, context, and date of material all factor into the results of petrographic analysis.

Phyllite fabric (north coast of east Crete)

Sites sampled for petrographic analysis

1) Chamalevri, 2) Eleutherna, 3) Kommos, 4) Zominthos, 5) Philioremos Gonies, 6) Kastrokephala, 7) Alonaki/Juktas, 8) Knossos, 9) Gournes, 10) Pyrgos, 11) Skoteino Cave, 12) Hagios Charalambos , 13) Karphi, 14) Symi Viannou, 15) Chrysokamino, 16) Pseira, 17) Mochlos, 18) Petras, 19) Kephala Petras, 20) Trypetos, 21) Hagia Photia, 22) Zakros Karoumes, 23) Zakros-Choiromandres

Through these individual projects, the W. A. McDonald Laboratory aims to establish a diverse collection of Cretan fabrics that extend from the western to the eastern ends of the island and from the Neolithic to modern times. In this way, scholars will be able to examine issues such as clay recipes and their continuity through time, as well as the distribution of ceramic products across the island. The Laboratory's collection of ceramic thin sections is open to researchers interested in fabric studies and can be consulted.

Serpentinite tempered fabric (south coast)

Since 2003, the W. A. McDonald Laboratory has established collaborations with all of the Ministry of Culture's Departments of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities on Crete and also with institutions practicing other types of analysis such as the National Centre of Scientific Research (NCSR) Demokritos and the Department of Geology at the University of Patras in order to provide a more integrated approach to the ceramic material studied.

Finally, the Institute of Aegean Prehistory has established a two-month internship available every year to graduate students in archaeology, geology, and related studies who are interested in acquiring experience in ceramics petrography. For terms and conditions, see: http://www.aegeanprehistory.net/.

Recent Bibliography

Hein, A., V. Georgopoulou, E. Nodarou, and V. Kilikoglou, in press (available on line). "Koan amphorae from Halasarna: Investigations in a Hellenistic Amphora Production Center," Journal of Archaeological Science.

Nodarou, E. 2003. "Appendix B: A Petrographic Analysis of a Clay Sample from the Field Adjacent to the Artisan's Quarter," in K.A. Barnard and T.M. Brogan, eds., Mochlos IB: Period III. Neopalatial Settlement on the Coast: The Artisan's Quarter and the Farmhouse at Chalinomouri. The Neopalatial Pottery, pp. 171–173, Philadelphia.

Nodarou, E. 2006. "Appendix L: Soils and Sediments from Natural Deposits at Chrysokamino," in P.P. Betancourt, ed., The Chrysokamino Metallurgy Workshop and its Territory (Hesperia Suppl. 36), Princeton, pp. 403–412.

Nodarou, E. 2006. "Appendix N: Petrographic Analysis of Two Final Neolithic Sherds from the Chrysokamino Metallurgy Location," in P.P. Betancourt, ed., The Chrysokamino Metallurgy Workshop and its Territory (Hesperia Suppl. 36), Princeton, pp. 429–432.

Nodarou, E. 2007. "Exploring Patterns of Intra Regional Pottery Distribution in Late Minoan IIIA–B East Crete: The Evidence from the Petrographic Analysis of Three Ceramic Assemblages," in C.Y. Waksman, ed., Archaeometric and Archaeological Approaches to Ceramics: Papers presented at EMAC ‘05, 8th European Meeting on Ancient Ceramics, Lyon, 2005 (BAR-IS 1691), pp. 75–83.

Poulou-Papadimitriou, N., and E. Nodarou 2007. "La céramique protobyzantine de Pseira: la production locale et les importation—étude typologique et pétrographique," in M. Bonifay and J.-C. Tréglia, eds., LRCW2 Late Roman Coarse Wares, Cooking Wares and Amphorae in the Mediterranean: Archaeology and Archaeometry, vol. II (BAR-IS 1662 [II]), pp. 755–766.

For more information regarding the W. A. McDonald Laboratory of Petrography, please contact Dr. Eleni Nodarou (enodarou@yahoo.gr)