More than just a pot? An archaeometrical investigation of unusual Chalcolithic small-sized biconical closed pots from the archaeological sites of Gumelnița and Măriuța-La Movilă

Oltenița-Măgura Gumelnița, the eponymous site of the Gumelnița communities, is located on the left bank of the Danube (Southeastern Romania), Călărași County. Within the same administrative region, 50 km Northwest, lies the Măriuța-La Movilă site, on the right bank of the Mostiștea River. These communities belong to a larger techno-cultural complex well-known in the literature as Kodjadermen-Gumelnița-Karonovo VI, which inhabited the Balkans throughout the second half of the fifth millennium BC. This presentation will discuss some preliminary results of the archaeometrical investigation of an unusual category of small, biconical closed pottery, with flat bases and small upper holes. These pots have been enigmatic in archaeology as their purpose could not be discerned, encouraging various use explanations, such as recipients for powder substances. However, recent studies have shown that some retain lead traces and may have been used as crucibles for smelting. Through X-ray CT scan, X-ray Fluorescence (XRF), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) with Energy Dispersive X-ray Analyser (EDX), and experimental archaeology, we aim to construct a comprehensive image on the manufacture technology and use of this type of pots, and ultimately contribute to the overall understanding of Chalcolithic ceramic technologies in Southeastern Europe. This work was supported by the Interdisciplinary School of Doctoral Studies of the University of Bucharest, Research Institute of the University of Bucharest, Museum of the Lower Danube (Călărași), the National Institute for Laser, Plasma and Radiation Physics (Bucharest), and Bucharest Municipality Museum, Romania.

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