HOME | INTRODUCTION | J. BROPHY | C. SHRINER | GEOCHEMICAL DATABASE | SEARCHABLE DATABASE
AEGINA ISLAND HISTORY | BIBLIOGRAPHY | FUNDING | FIELD WORK | IMAGE DATABASE

INTRODUCTION

The South Aegean Volcanic Arc website with its embedded databases pulls together a substantial collection of information, i.e. text, fieldwork studies, images, numbers and animations, to describe to an audience the vibrant research efforts of this collaboration. The site is designed to be used intuitively by multidisciplinary researchers.  It is hoped that the community-based approach will draw the viewer into both numerical and visual databases. 

At this point the image databases are divided into three categories with various long-term functions in mind: (1) images of the ceramic sample sets, (2) Geological reference map database, and (3) a petrographic database for photomicrographs and back scatter images of the representative SAVA rocks and sherd fabrics. 

CERAMIC ARTIFACT DATABASE

Digital images for the seven sample sets from the presumed distribution list of Aeginetan Ware are presently being integrated.  They are related to their respective geochemical analyses. The entries cross the line between visuals – words – and numbers.  They are a dissemination tool.  Along with the artifact image, each entry comprises mineralogical and chemical data (i.e. elemental mineral composition executed on the samples and references to petrography, NAA, etc. which were executed on the same samples) and archaeological data for the samples (i.e. chronology, class, shape, fabric, provenance, references).

GEOLOGICAL REFERENCE MATERIAL MAP DATABASE        

For any given island or volcanic center, multiple samples were collected from dacitic lava flows and/or altered volcanic ash horizons.  The sampling was guided by published geologic maps (Aegina: Dietrich et al., 1991; Methana: Dietrich et al., 1995 and Fytikas et al., 1972; Poros: Dietrich et al., 1991; Melos: Fytikas, 1977; Santorini: Druitt et al., 1999).  All attempts were made to collect at least one sample from each of the volcanic units identified on the maps.      

Our own field work led to the identification of a widespread volcanic ash horizon (now altered to clay) in the northwestern part of Aegina Island.  The horizon is exposed continuously along the shoreline and at isolated inland localities.  Samples were collected from 4 shoreline and 3 inland localities.  At any given locality multiple samples were collected along a vertical section that covered the entire thickness of the horizon.  The Aegina Island reference geochemical data consists of several thousand analyses of hornblende phenocrysts and/or mineral fragments from 37 samples of dacite lava and 17 samples of volcanic ash collected from across the island.  For dacite lavas, the geologic base map of Dietrich et al. (1991) was used as a sampling guide.

 PETROGRAPHIC DATABASE

We have thin-section collections for the sites of Lerna, Kolonna, Halieis, Tsoungiza, Athens, Asine and Asea.  In addition, we have thin-section collections for the rocks and clay-rich sediments which make up the SAVA raw material reference data.  Consistent petrographic descriptions for both these samples and their reference materials can reveal hints for future provenance analyses. Texture/fabric differentiation within quantitatively provenanced examples of the fabric can offer insights into specific local sources of the archaeological clay deposit. Subtle textural and mineral differences in identified non-local samples can help us predict other production locations of Aeginetan Ware.