Investigating Compositional Variability among Early Neolithic Ceramics from Kor a Region, Albania

In this study, Laser-Ablation ICP-MS and other archaeometric methods shed light on the technological and compositional variability of the ceramics from Podgori and Vasht mi, two Early Neolithic settlements located in the Kor a Plateau in Southeast Albania. The results are able to demonstrate clear differences in pottery manufacturing and raw material procurement. In addition, this study provides evidence for the location and chemical composition of the clays used by the Early Neolithic settlers of Vasht mi. Previous research relied mostly in stylistic similarities and rough typological frequencies to conclude that Vasht mi and Podgori belong to the same chronological sequence. The study presented here does not support this assumption. Fundamental differences in pottery quality and technology argue for a lack of association between the two settlements, even though the distance between them is less than 10 km. Future research needs to investigate whether this lack of relatedness is chronological or otherwise.