Pottery assemblages from the site of Al-Khidr on Failaka Island, Kuwait, were analysed in order to reconstruct the chemical composition of Bronze Age wares and to build a mineralogical database of Bronze Age pottery dated from Failaka Periods 1–3B (2000–1650 BCE). A total of 145 ceramic sherds from Al-Khidr, as well as reference groups, were analysed by non-destructive portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) spectrometry. Preliminarily petrographic thin-section analysis was applied to four samples to reconstruct possible clay paste recipes and to identify raw materials. The results indicate that geochemical analyses can successfully distinguish subgroups within a typological category of ceramic assemblages. The results identified two subgroups within the Al-Khidr typological category: the Dilmun Barbar tradition and the Mesopotamian tradition. Future comparative compositional studies can be conducted to explore other aspects of craft specialisation, such as ceramic technological choices and possibly the influence of sociopolitical units.

中文翻译：

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调查 Al-Khidr 遗址（科威特法拉卡岛）的古代技术和陶瓷成分：通过 pXRF 和薄片岩相分析对青铜时代陶器进行地球化学分析

对科威特法拉卡岛 Al-Khidr 遗址的陶器组合进行了分析，以重建青铜时代器皿的化学成分，并建立一个可追溯到法拉卡时期 1-3B（公元前 2000-1650 年）的青铜时代陶器矿物学数据库）。通过非破坏性便携式 X 射线荧光 (pXRF) 光谱法分析了来自 Al-Khidr 以及参考组的总共 145 个陶瓷碎片。初步对四个样品进行了岩相薄层分析，以重建可能的粘土糊配方并确定原材料。结果表明，地球化学分析可以成功地区分陶瓷组合的类型学类别中的亚组。结果确定了 Al-Khidr 类型学类别中的两个子组：Dilmun Barbar 传统和美索不达米亚传统。