Überblick
It forms part of ‘The Prehistoric Settlement at Heraion on Samos (Sacred Road)’ research project being carried out by Assoc. Prof. Ourania Kouka since 2009 (University of Cyprus). Originally, a pilot fabric study was conducted on 44 ceramic samples from the EBA II late-III levels (ca. 2500-2000 BC), corresponding to five architectural phases (Heraion I-V) as defined by Milojčić (1961, SAMOS I). The petrographic analysis complemented macroscopic observations and typological-stylistic evaluations, and allowed a detailed characterisation of the samples with respect to textural and mineralogical data. The analytical results revealed preliminary information regarding issues of technology, as well as of geological and/or geographical provenance. This study, undertaken in the framework of an MSc dissertation, formed a firm basis and was further extended into a PhD project that included an integrated examination of pottery recovered from the old (1981) and the recent (2009-2013) excavations in the area north of the Sacred Road.
