ABSTRACT
Instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) has been utilized in the analysis of thirty-seven archaeological ceramics fragment samples from Tal Al-Wardiate site, Missiaf town, Hamma city, Syria. Thirty six chemical elements were determined. These elemental concentrations have been processed using two multivariate statistical methods, cluster and factor analysis in order to determine similarities and correlation between the various samples. Factor analysis confirms that samples were correctly classified by cluster analysis. The results showed that samples can be considered to be manufactured using three different sources of raw material.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The authors wish to thank Professor S. Muhessin the general director of antiquity and museum in Damascus, and the archaeologist Mr. H. Hassan for supplying the samples discussed in this study. In addition, we wish to thank Dr. C. S. Munita for his kind help and discussion.