Where are the Mudbricks? A Geoarchaeological Analysis of Minoan Earthen Architecture
Channel: Recording Archaeology
Date: 24/04/2019

The aim of this paper is to investigate earthen architecture as part of material culture focusing on the geoarchaeological analysis of selected samples from three Bronze Age sites in Crete. This research focuses on understanding the reasons of specific variation in construction techniques and manufacturing practices, raw source material selection and usage through the combined datasets obtained from XRF, XRD, FTIR and thin-section petrography. Specifically multivariate statistical analyses are performed to determine patterns of raw source collection over time and across the island, while technological choices are investigated through the use of petrography and archaeobotanical identification. The datasets indicate the presence of a precise labour organization behind earthen construction strategies in Bronze Age Crete. The main aim of this paper is to advance the theory of sediments as an important part of material culture and sheds light on earthen production process of an area which has not been fully investigated before. Finally the research highlights patterns in raw source materials procurement, construction and manufacturing practices, which have been largely impacted by the socio-political development of Bronze Age Crete.

Marta Lorenzon School of History, Classics and Archaeology, University of Edinburgh, UK