PIXE characterization of Lebanese excavated amphorae from Jiyeh archaeological site

Archaeological excavations were undertaken in the Jiyeh archaeological site which is located north of Sidon, identified as the Greco-Roman Porphyreon. The first investigations raised suggest a probable pottery production centre. About 40 sherds were analyzed by Proton Induce X-ray Emission technique PIXE in order to identify and characterize the elemental composition of four types of amphorae, using the 1.7 MV tandem accelerator in Beirut. The analysis protocol provided almost 24 elements in one spectrum, including majors, minors and traces. The elemental composition provided by PIXE and based on 12 most abundant elements, ranging from Mg to Zr, was used in a multivariate statistical program and consequently the studied objects were classify into well defined groups. (author)