Reference

Al-Dayel, O. A. F.
1995 Characterisation of Ancient Egyptian Ceramics by Neutron Activation Analysis. Unpublished Ph.D. Thesis, University of Manchester, UK.

Abstract

Over 600 Egyptian sherds have been analysed by Instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) to produce 24 element concentrations. The data is used in the statistical program CLUSTAN to characterise these different sherds and their chemical groups.

Four types of Egyptian pottery are investigated:
1. Foreign imports: Canaanite jars.
2. Vessels of Nile alluvium (silt clays)
3. Vessels of clay, with high Ca content (Marl clays)
4. Material from Roman quarries.

Canaanite jars mainly from Memphis and Amarna in Egypt are characterised into groups. Also, Canaanite jars from Israel are placed into groups. Finally, a comparison between the Egyptian and the Israeli groups is made.
Silt and marl samples from different places in Ancient Egypt are compared. Also material from the Roman quarries at Mons Claudianus is included.
Over 200 multiple samples have been analysed to determine the experimental errors inherent in INAA.

The data of INAA are compared with Inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) data among 193 samples and the correlation between the two techniques is obtained.

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