CLASSIFICATION OF MEDIEVAL CERAMICS IN THE RHINELAND AND NEIGHBORING AREAS BY NEUTRON-ACTIVATION ANALYSIS

Instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) is known to be well su ited for provenance determinations of ceramics, since more than 25 min or and trace elements can be measured with precisions high enough to d iscriminate between different pottery production workshops. INAA-data are presented for more than 1500 shards, mostly wasters, produced in d ifferent places such as Bruggen/Elmpt, Brunssum/Schinveld, Frechen/Col ogne, Hohr-Grenzhausen, Mayen, Paffrath, Pingsdorf/Bruhl, Raeren and S iegburg, to name only the most important earthen and stoneware product ion centres of the Rhine area in medieval and post medieval times. It turned out, that the wares of these different centres, although by arc haeological criteria often very similar, can be clearly recognized by INAA. This large reference databank can now be used to determine expor t pieces from these centres and to trace trade relations in the Middle Ages. An example of a provenance determination of questionable finds of Pingsdorf and Paffrath Ware from Emden is given.