Store Frigård on Bornholm:
Provenance Determination Using ICP Analysis of Pottery from an Early Iron Age Cemetery
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7146/dja.v15i1.158780Keywords:
ICP-MA/ES analyses, Bornholm, Ceramics, Pre-Roman Iron Age, Roman Iron Age, ProvenanceAbstract
The Early Iron Age cemetery at Store Frigård, Bornholm, is currently under study in preparation for a forthcoming publication of the so far largely unpublished material. As part of this work, a series of ICP analyses has been carried out to investigate the provenance of the pottery and to explore the wider potential of such analyses.
The results show that most vessels were locally produced, but a few indicate connections to other regions around the southern Baltic Sea. Notable examples include a vessel from western Scania dating to the Late Bronze Age, one from Schleswig-Holstein from the Early Roman Iron Age, and another from Blekinge from the Late Roman Iron Age. These finds provide evidence of contacts and exchanges extending beyond Bornholm.
The analyses also shed light on how some of the vessels were made and used. In several cases, it appears that pots were specifically produced for funerary purposes, or that newly made vessels were selected for deposition. This observation, combined with information on wear and use, highlights the importance of ICP analyses in addressing questions of production, choice, and ritual practice. Such approaches contribute to a deeper understanding of social and cultural aspects surrounding burial customs.
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