From Macro to Micro: Integrated analysis of Funnel Beaker Culture pottery from Kiełczewo (Western Poland)

Abstract

Pottery is an artifact that is most commonly encountered by archaeological sites and demonstrates considerable resistance to post-depositional processes. Analyzing the pottery production process provides valuable insights into past human activities. This paper addresses the application of macroscopic and petrographic analysis, in addition to Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) to the pottery assemblage from the Kiełczewo site in western Poland, associated with the Funnel Beaker Culture (FBC). A total of 26 pottery fragments were selected for analysis. Thin sections were prepared and examined using a polarizing microscope, and the same pieces underwent ICP-MS analysis to determine the composition of the clay bodies used in vessel production and the various chemical composition groups of the pottery. Additionally, these analyses allowed for the identification of different workshops and the suggestion of possible imports of the vessels.