Braden Cordivari

11 September 2026

Our latest Paper Spotlight comes from SAS member Nicolás C. Ciarlo (University of Cadiz), who shares a pair of recently published papers on archaeometallurgy.

The first, is "Spatially resolved neutron texture measurements of copper bolts from the Deltebre I (1813) site", published in the journal Materials Characterisation. Congratulations to Nicolas and the other authors! Check out the abstract below:

"Spatially resolved neutron texture analyses were performed on several copper bolts used to fasten different wooden components of the hull of the Deltebre I (1813) shipwreck. Since 2008 this site has been the subject of a thorough archaeological study by the Catalan Centre for Underwater Archaeology of the Archaeological Museum of Catalonia. It has been identified as one of the transport ships of a combined British, Sicilian and Spanish fleet that ran aground in the Ebro delta, off the coast of Catalonia, after an unsuccessful expedition to liberate the city of Tarragona from Napoleon's forces. In this paper, the texture and texture gradients of five different bolts recovered from this site were examined non-destructively, using the TOF neutron scanner ENGIN-X and analysing the data using the NyRTex methodology. The spatially resolved texture results indicate that at least three different methods were probably used to manufacture the bolts: drawing, casting, and forging and/or rolling. These results can both shed light on the processes of manufacture of fastenings of the early 19th century and contribute to identifying the ship.”

Berthaut-Clarac, S., Ciarlo, N.C., Bethencourt, M., Cloquet, C., 2026. A new insight into the sheathing of early 19th-century French warships: SEM-EDX and ICP-MS analyses of copper-based samples from the Lion (1809) and Robuste (1809). Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports 74, 105910. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jasrep.2026.105910

The second paper is on the forging of meteoritic iron: “Compositional, Microstructural, and Microtextural Evolution of an Octahedrite Iron Meteorite During Experimental Forging: Implications for Archaeometallurgy” in Archaeometry.

Highlights

• Characterisation of the chemical, microstructural, and microtextural evolution of an octahedrite iron meteorite
• Experimental forging and analyses of samples using LIBS, XRF, and SEM-EDS-EBSD
• Framework for interpreting the technological processing of meteoritic iron artifacts in archaeological contexts

Summary

Meteoritic iron represents an early metallic resource exploited by human societies. Despite its archaeological significance, the thermo-mechanical behavior of meteoritic iron during forging remains poorly understood. In this study, forging experiments were conducted on an octahedrite iron meteorite to evaluate its chemical, microstructural, and microtextural evolution under controlled thermal conditions. Samples were forged at three temperature ranges and subsequently analyzed using LIBS, XRF, and SEM-EDS-EBSD. The results provide experimental constraints on the thermal thresholds controlling the preservation or destruction of Widmanstätten patterns during forging and offer a framework for interpreting the technological processing of meteoritic iron artifacts in archaeological contexts.

García, L.N., Macchi, J.A., Senesi, G.S., Henry, R., Cuvilly, F., Ciarlo, N.C., 2026. Compositional, Microstructural, and Microtextural Evolution of an Octahedrite Iron Meteorite During Experimental Forging: Implications for Archaeometallurgy. Archaeometry. https://doi.org/10.1111/arcm.70167

Congratulations to Nicolas and his colleauges! Find out more about how to share your work with a Spotlight.

Braden Cordivari

04 September 2026

SAS is delighted to announce our newest Student Ambassador, Biaye Adekunle Julius! Julius is a PhD Candidate in the Department of History and International Studies at the University of Ilorin, Nigeria. His research focuses on African history, particularly the histories of indigenous communities, migration and mobility, and the processes through which historical knowledge is preserved, transmitted, and interpreted. Julius writes the following on his goals for the Student Ambassador program, which is geared toward fostering professional development and outreach:

“I am excited about the opportunity to serve as a Student Ambassador and to contribute to the growth and visibility of archaeological sciences in Nigeria and across Africa.

I look forward to working with archaeological scholars and other researchers to promote interdisciplinary approaches that bring archaeological evidence into conversation with oral traditions, written records, and other forms of historical evidence. I also hope to organise and support seminars, awareness activities, and other engagements that connect SAS with students and early-career researchers in Nigeria and Africa. 

Beyond these, I look forward to participating in discussions, outreach, and other initiatives through which I can contribute meaningfully to the development of SAS and its wider community.”

Braden Cordivari

04 September 2026

Welcome to Thenia Panagiotopoulou, who joins SAS as a Student Ambassador! This program is designed to engage students in professional development and outreach. Thenia is a PhD candidate in Human Osteology at the Science and Technology in Archaeological Research Centre (STARC), studying what isotope analysis on human remains can tell us about diet, subsistence, and mobility in Bronze Age Cyprus and Crete. On her interest and goals in the program, Thenia writes:

"Joining the SAS Student Ambassadors program is especially meaningful to me because my interest in communication and community-building comes from a very personal place. Speaking up, presenting myself, and putting my ideas forward have not always come easily to me, and I still know how intimidating those first steps can feel. For this reason, I am particularly looking forward to helping create a welcoming and supportive environment where students and early-career researchers can feel comfortable sharing their ideas, asking questions, and becoming more actively involved in the archaeological science community. I truly believe that confidence often grows when people are given the right space, encouragement, and opportunity to participate. At the same time, I believe that putting ourselves out there, meeting people, exchanging ideas, and learning to feel comfortable within our professional communities benefits not only us as individuals, but archaeology itself. The more we get to know one another, the easier it becomes to build trust, communicate openly, and create meaningful connections. And it is through this trust and sense of safety that some of the strongest and most lasting collaborations can grow."

Braden Cordivari

31 August 2026

Our latest Paper Spotlight is a new Archaeometry paper from member Kyle Freund (Idaho National Laboratory), "Assessing the Impact of Firing on the Elemental Composition of Clays Using X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometry."

Highlights:

1. Raw clays from eastern Idaho were analyzed with energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (ED-XRF) both before and after firing to test whether there were significant differences in the elemental composition of these materials.
2. The firing of raw clays resulted in a significant loss of mass regardless of firing temperature as well as a statistically significant increase in the measured abundance of each of the 13 elements considered in this study
3. Using XRF, provenance assignments of ceramic artifacts to clay sources or alluvial systems can change based on the firing temperature of the comparative clay reference material.

The use of energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (ED-XRF) spectrometry for analyzing ceramic artifacts typically centers on identifying geochemical groups within an assemblage and/or matching artifacts to specific clay sources or alluvial systems. For those focused on provenance, there are unresolved methodological issues concerning the effects of firing on the composition of raw clays. For this study, raw clays from eastern Idaho were analyzed with XRF both before and after firing to test whether there were significant differences in the elemental composition of these materials. The results have implications for future provenance studies that compare ceramic artifacts to raw or fired clays.

Freund, K.P., Pink, J.M., Clements, J.G., Cathers, C.M., Woodbury, H.K., Alexander, C., 2026. Assessing the Impact of Firing on the Elemental Composition of Clays Using X‐Ray Fluorescence Spectrometry. Archaeometry. https://doi.org/10.1111/arcm.70171

Braden Cordivari

28 August 2026

SAS is happy to spotlight the work of member Silvia Amicone (Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen), who recently published “Ritual and Connectivity in Nuragic Sardinia: An Interdisciplinary Study of Ceramics and Metalwork from Nuraghe Barru” in Open Archaeology.

Highlights

• Interdisciplinary analysis of ceramics and metal artefacts from Nuraghe Barru provides new evidence for structured depositional and ritual practices during the Final Bronze–Early Iron Age transition in Sardinia.
• Petrographic and pXRF analyses point to connections between Nuragic communities through the movement of objects, materials, technologies, and ideas across and beyond the island, showing how archaeological science can illuminate connectivity and rituality.
• The study shows that nuraghi continued to play important ceremonial and social roles during a period of broader political and cultural transformation, highlighting the changing social life of monuments in later Nuragic society.

This paper presents an interdisciplinary study of ceramics and metal artefacts from Nuraghe Barru (Sardinia), dating to the transition between the Final Bronze Age and the Early Iron Age. Combining archaeological analysis, ceramic petrography, and pXRF, the study investigates depositional practices, material circulation, and the social significance of the site. The evidence points to the intentional deposition of selected objects within a structured context, suggesting that the nuraghe retained an important ceremonial and communal role during a period of broader cultural transformation. Petrographic and compositional analyses indicate connections between Nuragic communities through the movement of objects, materials, technologies, and ideas across and beyond the island. Rather than viewing Nuraghe Barru as an isolated site, the paper situates it within wider networks of interaction and exchange, contributing to ongoing debates on ritual practices, connectivity, and social change in later Nuragic Sardinia.

Congratulations to Silvia and her colleagues! Find out more about how to share your work with a Spotlight.

Amicone, S., Tiezzi, V., Broisch-Höhner, M., Freund, K.P., Heinze, L., Morandi, L.F., Salis, G., Pilo, C., 2026. Ritual and Connectivity in Nuragic Sardinia: An Interdisciplinary Study of Ceramics and Metalwork from Nuraghe Barru. Open Archaeology 12. https://doi.org/10.1515/opar-2025-0078

Braden Cordivari

24 August 2026

This month’s Reading Recommendation comes from VP for Member Communications Braden Cordivari, who has chosen a newly published paper in Journal of Archaeological Science on the trade in amber by Zuzana Golec Mírová and colleagues, “Amber workshops in Central Europe during the Early Iron Age. Technology, chemical analyses, and Amber Roads.”

The Amber Roads leading from the Baltic to the Mediterranean have long fascinated archaeologists, yet many aspects of the trade remain unclear. This paper is an interesting and thorough synthesis of the latest excavation and chemical data underpinning the discourse. This paper discusses workshop evidence from 41 different sites, showing how amber was worked into beads. Well-preserved and well-excavated workshop sites allow for a step-by-step reconstruction of the chipping, grinding, and drilling that went into turning raw amber into finished objects. The study also combines Raman and infrared spectroscopy as a means for differentiating between eastern and western Baltic sources of amber, allowing for a more detailed look at sourcing and trade. The authors then integrate this chemical data with quantitative modeling of sites and landscape features to show how amber moved across the continent.  

Golec Mírová, Z., Golec, M., Kučera, L., Chytráček, M., Hagemann, K., Mischka, D., Dienstpier, M., Martínek, J., Zemek, V., Přichystal, M., Čižmářová, H., Čižmář, I., Popelka, M., Lečbych, M., Fojtík, P., Parma, D., Sovová, K., Zeman, J., Tomešová, B., Dufek, J., Novák, R., Valentová, J., Hiltscher, T., Krausse, D., Hansen, L., Hoppe, T., Wendling, H., Koch-Waldner, T., Trebsche, P., Praprotnik, T., Potrebica, H., Perkić, D., Dizdar, M., Dmitrović, K., 2026. Amber workshops in Central Europe during the Early Iron Age. Technology, chemical analyses, and Amber Roads. Journal of Archaeological Science 191, 106569. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2026.106569

Golec Mírová et al. 2026, Fig. 11. Supplementing the input data for amber roads with strategic chemical analyses that distinguish the origin of amber from Early Iron Age Europe (800‒370 BC; numbers according to Fig. 1) into “Eastern Amber Road” (eastern Baltic Sea) displayed red ‒ Gdańsk, Lithuania and Kaliningrad source; “Western Amber Road” (North Sea and western Baltic Sea) displayed blue ‒ Denmark and northern Germany source (after Supplement 5).