MYCENAEAN AN D CYPRIOT LATE BRONZE AGE CERAMIC IMPORTS TO KOMMOS: AN INVESTIGATION BY NEUTRON ACTIVATION ANALYSIS

Abstract

The results of a small-scale program of neutron activation analysis of 69 ceramic fragments from the Minoan harbor town of Kommos are presented and critically evaluated. Prior to analysis, the vessels represented in the sample were thought to be imports from outside of Crete, manufactured either on Cyprus or in the Mycenaean cultural sphere. The chemical analyses support the identifications of the vessels as imports from the regions in question in roughly 80% of the cases. They further suggest that the vast majority of these ceramic imports were produced in a comparatively small number of production centers.