Geochemistry of Neolithic Pottery in the Kashmir Valley: Provenance Insights from QICP-MS Analysis

Abstract

In order to investigate provenance and inter-site connectivity, this study employs Quadrupole Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (QICP-MS) to analyse the elemental composition of Neolithic pottery from the Kashmir Valley, with a focus on trace and Rare Earth Elements (REEs). The primary aim is to identify locally produced pottery and potential clay sources. This paper is complementary to the previous article “Spectroscopic and thermal analysis of Neolithic pottery of Kashmir valley, India, using XRD, FT-IR and SEM-EDX analysis” that investigated the chemical composition, estimated firing temperature, and examined the provenance of Neolithic pottery alongside the distribution of settlement patterns in the Kashmir Valley. Taken together, the two studies establish a multi-method analytical framework — combining spectroscopic, thermal, and geochemical approaches — for a more comprehensive understanding of Neolithic pottery traditions in the region. Comparative analysis with the geochemical baseline study by Chandra and Ahmad (2013) and the petrographic and genetic characteristics of the Karewa sediments documented by Agrawal (1992) indicates that most pottery samples were manufactured using locally available materials, suggesting a predominantly localised mode of production. Calibration was performed using MBH, AMH, and JB-1a reference standards, with accuracy verified through quality control protocols and measurement precision maintained at better than 5% RSD. The results reveal the presence of elements such as Sc, V, Cr, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ga, Rb, Sr, Y, Zr, Nb, Ba, a full suite of REEs (La–Lu), Pb, and Th. These findings substantiate hypotheses regarding technological uniformity, localised resource exploitation, and the socio-economic organization of Neolithic communities in the Kashmir Valley, while also contributing valuable geochemical datasets for broader cross-comparative and provenance studies in South Asian archaeology.