Neutron activation analysis of pottery lamps from Ephesus dating from the archaic to the late Roman period

Because of the considerable variety in the forms and decorative motifs of ancient clay lamps, their characteristics make them extremely useful chronological indicators when discovered on well stratified excavation sites. The understanding of the production and distribution of clay lamps in antiquity is often complicated by the copying of forms by potters, and also the use of imported lamps to produce moulds for local production. The aims of this investigation were to analyse several different ancient pottery lamp types which are found in some numbers at Ephesus in Western Anatolia, and to try to use the data obtained to answer questions of the origin of lamps which are outwardly quite similar but found at other sites in the East Mediterranean area. This work has concentrated upon pottery lamp production at Ephesus. The results of neutron activation analysis are reported. The data were examined using the statistical technique of discriminant analysis. The results are plotted and discussed. (author)