Bell Beaker pottery from Galicia (NW Spain): An archaeometric characterization and provenance study of some representative sites

We describe the results of an archaeometric study (mineral and elemental composition) of 55 samples from Bell Beaker vessels recovered from 8 archaeological sites in the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula. The samples are representative of the formal variation of the pottery (both decorated and undecorated) and type of contexts (ceremonial, domestic and funerary) in which Bell Beaker pottery is found in the region. Both, mineral and elemental composition were found to be highly consistent. Most of the vessels had compositions resulting from mixtures of potassium feldspar and plagioclase or plagioclase and amphibole, which are coherent with the local lithology. A few pottery samples showed a mixed composition of potassium feldspar and amphibole, which is not found naturally in the surrounding geological materials, indicating an intentional mixing of different raw materials. Compared to previous periods, Bell Beaker pottery represented a significant change in terms of style but continuity in terms of the use of raw materials. No relationship was found between the formal aspects and the composition of the pottery. Most of the samples we studied were probably manufactured with materials obtained from the area around the sites. An analysis of distances to potential source areas for the materials, using a geographical information system, indicates that almost all can be found within a radius of 16 km (most between 2-5 km), implying between one and two hours walk. A greater effort seems to have been associated to pottery of ceremonial sites compared to funerary and settlement sites.