Diverging productions or not? A preliminary exploration of the chemical composition of Neolithic Vlaardingen Pottery

Abstract

This paper is an exploratory study into the variability of sherds found at the Neolithic sites of Vlaardingen and Steynhof in the Western part of the Netherlands. Neolithic ceramics can be highly variable and determining discrete fabrics, and especially their use, technology and provenance can often be problematic. In total 44 sherds of these sites were analysed here with porTable X-ray fluorescence in an exploratory fashion in order to assess whether systematic differences occur that need further differentiation. The results obtained in this study highlight the possibility of two different resources for the production of pottery that was

employed, with especially Steynhof showing more chemical variation than Vlaardingen in this small-scale study, potentially indicating a more diverging selection and preparation of raw materials for the production of pottery.