Production Sites of Early Iron Age Greek Bronze Tripod Cauldrons: First Evidence from Neutron Activation Analysis of Casting Ceramics

Neutron activation analysis (NAA) reveals distinct chemical groupings of clay pastes used in Early Iron Age Greek bronze tripod cauldron production, enabling the geographical localization of ancient casting workshops. The study analyzed 61 samples from Olympia and five from Kalapodi, demonstrating that NAA effectively traces production sites and travel routes of both workshops and clients. This provides unprecedented hard data for modeling political and economic structures in Early Iron Age Greece, leveraging preserved clay cores or mold residues on tripod fragments.

Kiderlen, M., Hein, A., Mommsen, H., & Müller, N. S. (2016). Production Sites of Early Iron Age Greek Bronze Tripod Cauldrons: First Evidence from Neutron Activation Analysis of Casting Ceramics. Geoarchaeology, 32(3), 321–342. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1002/gea.21604