Geochemical Characterisation of Late Neolithic Penha-Type Pottery from NW Spain

This paper presents the geochemical characterisation of Penha-type ceramics, one of the most iconic prehistoric ceramics in Western Iberia. Penha pottery was a widespread material expression in Late Neolithic communities who displayed significant socio-cultural transformation before the advent of the Metal Ages. Samples (108) from seven archaeological sites in Galicia (NW Spain) were analysed by XRD, FTIR-ATR and ICP-MS to determine their mineral, molecular and elemental composition, respectively. The results indicate that most vessels are compositionally consistent with local geological sources, whether mafic or felsic, pointing to strong intra-site production. The use of raw materials seems to have been selective, and there are minor discordances and mixed compositions in almost all sites. The selected methods were effective in determining temper composition, while FTIR-ATR was also informative of clay transformations due to firing. The firing conditions were generally low-temperature (600–900 °C) with relatively short times (<5 h), compatible with simple kiln technology. Archaeometric evidence suggests two scales of mobility: predominant local mobility and limited long-distance exchange (coastal/inland). The geochemical characterisation reveals that individual communities seem to have developed their own customised recipes for pottery production using a profound knowledge of available local resources.