Thin-Section Petrography of Ceramic Materials

INSTAP Archaeological Excavation Manual 2

by Sarah E. Peterson

Book cover: Thin-Section Petrography of Ceramic Materials

Extent: 27 pages

Publisher: INSTAP Academic Press

Subjects: World Archaeology

Series: INSTAP Archaeological Excavation Manual

Series volume number: 2

Language: English

Paperback (Published)

(August 2009)

ISBN: 9781931534550

Price: $12.95

In stock

PDF (Published)

(August 2009)

ISBN: 9781623031268

Price: $11.00

The wall paintings from the West House at Mycenae are discussed in relation to their context within the building. Their iconography and stylistic details are explored in relation to other Aegean Bronze Age wall paintings. The fragments are fully cataloged and illustrated with drawings and photos.


As part of the INSTAP Archaeological Excavation Manual series, Thin-Section Petrography of Ceramic Materials provides a concise overview of the history and application of the practice while detailing how this type of petrographic analysis can benefit archaeologists in the field. When thin-section analysis is employed as part of a thorough, multi-disciplinary study of ceramic materials, it provides a wealth of additional interpretative data to archaeologists, allowing for more accurate interpretations of the past, especially regarding pottery production, provenance, variations in technology over time and space, exchange networks on local and non-local scales, and even social issues such as choices of both manufacturers and consumers and traditions of manufacture.

  • By (author) Sarah E. Peterson