Abstract
The suitability of combining Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA) and Electron Probe X-ray Microanalysis (SEM-EDX) for the classification of archaeological pottery based on their composition is illustrated with two examples of different nature and complexity: the study of Cuban aborigine pottery production and distribution and the classification of Majolica from the colonial period. The different scope and features of both techniques complement each other in achieving a more consistent and complete characterization of the composition and structure of the ceramic paste.
Acknowledgments
The INAA work was performed within the frame of the IAEA Co-Ordinated Research Programme on “Nuclear Analytical Techniques in Archaeological Investigations,” and partially supported by the IAEA Research Contract CUB9397. The completion of SEM-EDX work was performed within a framework collaborative agreement between CEADEN and MiTAC, University of Antwerp, Belgium, providing access to the SEM-EPMA facilities. The authors wish to acknowledge Dr. Ronald L. Bishop from the Smithsonian Centre for Materials Research and Education, who worked as the scientific advisor of the IAEA Co-ordinated Research Program “Introduction of Nuclear Techniques in the Archaeological Researches in Latin America.”