EETD Scientists Help Archaeologists Determine the Origin of Ancient Pottery

May 19, 1999

EETD's Frank Asaro and Robert D. Giauque worked with D. Adan-Bayewitz of Israel's Bar-Ilan University to demonstrate the effectiveness of a new methodology of X-ray fluorescence in determining the origin of ancient pottery. Determining the origin of ancient pottery can help archaeologists better understand the relationships and influences between peoples. Correlating pottery fragments found in excavations with the ancient workshops in which they were made helps illuminate the trade and cultural contacts among ancient settlements.