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A geochemical investigation of the origin of Rouletted and other related South Asian fine wares

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 March 2015

L.A. Ford ,
A.M. Pollard ,
R.A.E. Coningham  and
B. Stern
L.A. Ford
Affiliation:
Archaeological Services WYAS, PO Box 30, Nepshaw Lane South, Morley, Leeds LS27 0UG, UK
A.M. Pollard
Affiliation:
Research Laboratory for Archaeology and the History of Art, University of Oxford, 6 Keble Road, Oxford OX1 3QJ, UK
R.A.E. Coningham
Affiliation:
Department of Archaeological Sciences, University of Bradford, Bradford BD7 1DP, West Yorkshire, UK
B. Stern
Affiliation:
Department of Archaeological Sciences, University of Bradford, Bradford BD7 1DP, West Yorkshire, UK
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Abstract

Pottery of the Rouletted ware family belongs to India’s Early Historic period (c. 500 BC to c. AD 200) and has been found as far east as Bali in Indonesia and as far west as Berenike in Egypt. Although they appear similar to Mediterranean products, scientific tests by the authors show that Rouletted ware Arikamedu Type 10 and Sri Lankan Grey ware had a common geological origin in India. Since Grey ware at least pre-dates the arrival of Roman pottery in India, all these related wares were probably the products of indigenous communities.

Keywords

South AsiaIndiaSri LankaArikameduAnuradhapuraceramicsRouletted wareGrey wareArikamedu Type 10ICP-AESICP-MSREE
Type
Method
Information
Antiquity , Volume 79 , Issue 306 , December 2005 , pp. 909 - 920
Copyright
Copyright © Antiquity Publications Ltd. 2005

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