0000000000202654
AUTHOR
D. Berikashvili
The first archaeometric characterization of obsidian artifacts from the archaeological site of Samshvilde (South Georgia, Caucasus)
This paper presents the first results about the provenance of obsidian fragments recovered in the archaeological site of Samshvilde (South Georgia, Caucasus) with the aim to obtain knowledge related to the network distribution and procurement of obsidian in Georgia. The geochemical characterization of thirty archaeological finds was obtained by the LA-ICP-MS method, an almost non-destructive technique capable of chemically characterizing the volcanic glass. A comparison of geochemical results obtained on both archaeological artefacts and geological samples collected from Chikiani outcrop in Georgia, together with literature data of southern Caucasus and eastern Turkey, allowed us to define …
Ceramics from Samshvilde (Georgia): A pilot archaeometric study
Abstract This archaeometric study deals with seven samples of prehistoric pottery and, for the first time in Georgian studies, thirteen samples of glazed medieval pottery. All specimens were collected at Samshvilde, the most remarkable archaeological complex in southern Georgia and believed to represent locally-manufactured products. Two additional samples of raw materials composed of clay, silt, and sand were collected near the site and used to compare composition. Several analytical techniques were applied: Optical Microscopy (OM), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Electron Probe Microanalysis (EPMA), X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and X-ray Fluorescence (XRF). The results allowed to build a c…