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Hit and sunk: provenance and alterations of ceramics from seventeenth century Angra D shipwreck

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Abstract

A set of 34 archaeological ceramics, including olive jars, transparent green lead glazed, tin-lead glazed and unglazed ceramics, from seventeenth century Angra D shipwreck found at Terceira Island (Azores Archipelago, Portugal) was archaeometrically characterized by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Ceramic provenance has been established by statistical exploration of the ICP-MS chemical data, suggesting as being mainly from Seville origin (southern Spain) and, at a lesser extent, from the north of Portugal, piling up evidences to suggest a Spanish ship. Alteration and contamination effects of underwater environment in calcareous ceramics are assessed by XRD and SEM-EDS analyses, like the crystallization of zeolites, as well as pyrite.

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Acknowledgements

Authors want to thank Coupled Multispectroscopy Singular Laboratory (LASPEA) from the Advanced Research Facilities (SGIker) of The University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU) for SEM-EDS analysis. The authors also acknowledge The General X-ray Service from SGIker of the University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, as well as technical and human support provided by the SGIker-Geochronology and Isotope Geochemistry Facility (UPV/EHU, MICINN, GV/EJ, ERDF and ESF). Authors want to thank the valuable comments from two anonymous referees.

Funding

Authors received the support of Fundação para a Ciância e Tecnologia (Project PTDC/HIS-ARQ/104084/2008) and the Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (CERANOR-2 HAR2017-84219-P), Ramón y Cajal Program (RYC-2014-16835), and CHAM Strategic Project (FCSH, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Universidade dos Açores) by FCT-Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (UID/HIS/04666/2013). The University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) provided doctoral grant Hiring for Research Training (PIF2017/153).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. GPAC, Geography, Prehistory and Archaeology Department, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), C.I. Micaela Portilla, c/ Justo Vélez de Elorriaga, 1, 01006, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain

    J. G. Iñañez & U. Sanchez-Garmendia

  2. Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Humanas - Universidade Nova de Lisboa, CHAM - FCSH/UNL e UAç, Avenida de Berna, 26-C, 1069-061, Lisbon, Portugal

    J. Bettencourt, I. Pinto Coelho & A. Teixeira

  3. IBeA, Analytical Chemistry Department, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Barrio Sarriena, s/n 48940, Leioa, Spain

    G. Arana, K. Castro & U. Sanchez-Garmendia

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  1. J. G. Iñañez
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  2. J. Bettencourt
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  3. I. Pinto Coelho
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Correspondence to J. G. Iñañez.

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Iñañez, J.G., Bettencourt, J., Coelho, I.P. et al. Hit and sunk: provenance and alterations of ceramics from seventeenth century Angra D shipwreck. Archaeol Anthropol Sci 12, 182 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12520-020-01109-y

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