Pots, plates and provenance: sourcing Indian coarse wares from Mleiha using X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometry analysis
Résumé
The identification of more than 25% of the pottery sherds from the late PIR.D period (ca. 2nd -
mid. 3rd c. AD) assemblage from the recently excavated building H at Mleiha as Indian is based
on form and fabric, but using only visual assessment. Petrographic analysis of the fabrics can
provide more precise indicators of the geographical origin of the wares. In this study, a total of 21
sherds from various key sites in Western India were compared with 7 different „Indian‟
coarse-ware vessels sampled at Mleiha using X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometry. The
analyses were conducted on powdered samples collected from the core of each sherd. Each
sample was irradiated for 1000 seconds using a 1.2 mm diameter X-ray beam. The resulting
spectra were used for quantification of the X-ray intensity and elemental concentration. Levels of
correlation in the elemental ratios of the sherds were statistically tested using an F-test as well as
a Chi-test. Initial review of the XRF results indicates that the Maharashtra and Gujarat regions of
India are probable source areas for at least two of the types of wares. Collection of additional
samples from these areas and other regions of India, and further statistical analysis through
methods such as Principal Component Analysis will help to isolate groups of wares from India
and correlate them with types of vessels imported into the Oman peninsula in antiquity.