Characterization of ancient amphorae by spectroscopic techniques

Aim of the present work is the characterization of transport amphorae fragments, coming from archaeological excavations in the southern Italy and classified as "Corinthian-Corcyran". The experimental results obtained by X-ray fluorescence and Fourier transform infrared absorbance measurements allowed us to identify the components of the ceramic paste. Then, by comparing our results with literature data and previous spectroscopic measurements, performed on productions from different sites, we have been able to hypothesize the origin of the fragments under investigations and to get information about trading patterns during the period from V to III centuries B.C. (C) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.