The Neolithic and late Iron Age pottery from the
settlement site of Pool, Sanday, Orkney, was studied
on two levels. Firstly, a morphological and technological
study was carried out to establish a sequence
for the site. Secondly an assessment was made
of the usefulness of X-ray Fluorescence Analysis, Inductively
Coupled Plasma Spectrometry and Petrological
analysis to coarse ware studies, using the Pool assemblage
as a case study.
Recording of technological and typological attributes
allowed three phases of Neolithic pottery to be identified.
The earliest phase included sherds of Unstan
Ware. This phase was followed by an assemblage characterised
by pottery with incised decoration, which
was stratified below a traditional Grooved Ware assemblage.
The change in pottery styles and manufacturing
methods with the Grooved Ware indicated that it
evolved elsewhere. Grass tempered and burnished pottery
characterised the Iron Age assemblage.
Pottery samples from all phases of the site were
analysed by XRF and ICPS. In addition, pottery from
late Iron Age sites in the area was analysed for comparison
with the Pool Iron Age pottery. XRF and ICPS
analyses did not distinguish between either different
phases at Pool or different Orcadian sites. This was
attributed to the similarities in geological deposits
over much of Orkney and the variations which can occur
within a clay source.
A clay survey was carried out in the vicinity of the
site, and samples taken for comparison with the Pool
pottery. Identification of rocks and minerals in thin
section, and grain-size analysis, indicated that the
Pool pottery was made locally to the site, and that
both primary and secondary clays were used. It was
concluded that petrological analysis is more suitable
than elemental analysis in the study of coarse wares. / Science-based Archaeology'Committee
of the Science and Engineering Research
Council.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:BRADFORD/oai:bradscholars.brad.ac.uk:10454/3375 |
| Date | January 1990 |
| Creators | MacSween, Ann |
| Contributors | Warren, Stanley E., Hunter, John |
| Publisher | University of Bradford, Department of Archaeological Sciences |
| Source Sets | Bradford Scholars |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis, doctoral, PhD |
| Rights | <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/"><img alt="Creative Commons License" style="border-width:0" src="http://i.creativecommons.org/l/by-nc-nd/3.0/88x31.png" /></a><br />The University of Bradford theses are licenced under a <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/">Creative Commons Licence</a>. |
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