Research Summary

This PhD project consists in the textural, mineralogical and chemical characterization of prehistoric ceramics collected in Chalcolithic settlements of the Lisbon region, namely in the settlements of Espargueira - Serra das Éguas, Baútas, Penedo de Lexim and Vila Nova de S. Pedro. Also, pottery recorded as grave goods in collective burials located near these settlements and of the same age will be analyzed. Samples of geological clay deposits of the region will be collected to determine the provenance of the sampled Chalcolithic ceramics. This research will also allow the comparison of pastes among pottery typologies or between domestic and funerary pottery with an insight about the technologies in use. Several analytical techniques will be applied to achieve these aims, namely optical microscopy (petrographic microscope), X-ray Diffraction, Raman spectroscopy and X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometry. The results will be statistically analysed using tools of numerical taxonomy.

PhD Project title: Chalcolithic Pottery of the Lisbon Region - Archeometric Characterization of Prehistoric Ceramics.

Supervisors: António Manuel Monge Soares (Centro de Ciências e Tecnologias Nucleares (C2TN), IST-UL) and Augusta Moniz Lima (VICARTE, DCR FCT-UNL, Portugal)