Journal of Archaeological Science 36 (2009) 21622176

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Journal of Archaeological Science

journal homepage: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/jas

Ceramic production and provenience at Gordion, Central Anatolia

Peter Grave a, *, Lisa Kealhofer b, Ben Marsh c, G. Kenneth Sams d, Mary Voigt e, Keith DeVries f
a

Archaeology & Palaeoanthropology, University of New England, C02 Building, Armidale NSW, Australia
Anthropology/Environmental Studies Institute, Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, CA, USA
c
Geography and Environmental Studies, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA, USA
d
Department of Classics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
e
Anthropology, College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA, USA
f
University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology & Anthropology, Philadelphia, PA, USA
b

a r t i c l e i n f o

a b s t r a c t

Article history:
Received 2 February 2009
Received in revised form
22 May 2009
Accepted 28 May 2009

Phrygian Gordion was the political center of an inuential Iron Age polity that extended across west
central Anatolia during the rst half of the 1st millennium BC. Though the borders of this polity remain
vague a characteristic of the Phrygian footprint is the distribution of highly distinctive ceramics. The
extent to which Gordion potters were the originators of these wares remains uncertain. In this paper we
use Neutron Activation Analysis (NAA) to establish the local signature of predominantly Iron Age
ceramics for this site by combining samples from several decades of excavation with an extensive
regional sediment sequence. We also compare previous NAA work at Gordion to suggest that the
formative stages of the Phrygian state appears to have involved a more extensive network of non-local
specialist producers than previously thought.
Crown Copyright 2009 Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Keywords:
Turkey
Political economy
NAA
Anatolian Iron Age ceramics project

1. Introduction
Understanding the political and economic organization of the
Iron Age state of Phrygia in central Anatolia requires data related to
local production as well as regional exchange patterns. In this paper
we seek to characterize local ceramic production at Gordion, the
capital of the Phrygian state, so that we can better understand the
complexity of both local and regional exchange patterns in relation
to the Phrygian political economy (Fig. 1). To achieve this we use
Neutron Activation Analysis (NAA) to compositionally compare
a relatively large sample of sediments from the Gordion region with
excavated ceramics from the site.
Establishing local production for ceramics (or additive technologies) is often not as straightforward as establishing provenience for raw materials like obsidian. Social, economic, and
technological variables combine to alter the geo-chemical ngerprint of the clay sources potters used. In addition, the identication
of the original quarries in this case clay beds is often impossible,
given both erosional and depositional processes in what are
commonly highly altered landscapes. In this paper, we dene local
production through a systematic sampling of the baseline geology,
a bottom up ceramic sampling strategy, and through assumptions
based on relative group sizes.

* Corresponding author.
E-mail address: pgrave@une.edu.au (P. Grave).

A previous NAA study of Gordion ceramics (Henrickson and

Blackman, 1996) dened not only local production, but provided
a set of interpretations about the changing production and
economic trajectories at Gordion from the Late Bronze Age into the
Iron Age. Here, we re-analyze these datasets in relation to our
geologically established local. Combining these two large NAA
datasets provides a new perspective on the nature of production
and exchange during the Iron Age in Phrygia.
2. Background
2.1. Gordion
The archaeological site of Gordion (modern Yasshoyuk), 100 km
SW of Ankara in central Turkey, has a long sequence of occupation,
from at least the Early Bronze Age through to the Medieval period
(Fig. 1). By the early 1st millennium BC, Gordion became the political
base for the emerging state of Phrygia, which controlled much of
inland western Anatolia over the rst half of the 1st millennium BC
(Sams, 1995; Voigt and Henrickson, 2000). The largest scale settlement at the site occurred during the Iron Age and the subsequent
Hellenistic period. Best known historically as the seat of King Midas,
the Gordion landscape includes an impressive array of more than
100 burial mounds of Phrygian and later Hellenistic elites.
Gordion lies on the oodplain of the Sakarya River within
a broad valley system (Fig. 1b). Tertiary evaporites and pale silts

0305-4403/$ see front matter Crown Copyright 2009 Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.jas.2009.05.029

P. Grave et al. / Journal of Archaeological Science 36 (2009) 21622176

2163

Fig. 1. a: map of Turkey showing location of Gordion (Yassihoyuk); b: composite map of geology and topography for Gordion and hinterland with locations of sediment samples and
compositional group attributions as discussed in text and presented in Table 2a and b.

dominate the landscape near the site and into the inhospitable
lands to the west (Erentoz, 2002). Toward the east, the geology
shifts to Tertiary continental clastics, and later basalts in the
uplands. Locally some sediments are heavily altered by hydrothermal processes. Heavily weathered soils and pediments overlay
the bedrock. Much of this material was removed by erosion,
beginning by the Early Bronze Age, that redeposited sediments
within the small stream oodplains. The Sakarya River has aggraded deeply since the Bronze Age with pale silts.
The site has had three major phases of excavation. The earliest
was by the Korte brothers at the turn of the 20th century (Korte and
Korte, 1904). The second phase followed World War II, when
Rodney Young re-initiated excavations both of the Citadel Mound
and of adjacent tumuli (Young, 1951). On the mound, Young focused
on the Palace Area, and ultimately exposed a Destruction Level
that he believed dated to the time of the Kimmerian invasion and
caused the collapse of Phrygia. Youngs excavations ended abruptly
after his death in 1974. The third and latest phase began in the late
1980s, when excavations and survey resumed at Gordion under
Project Director G. Kenneth Sams and Field Director Mary Voigt
(Voigt, 1994; Voigt, DeVries, et al., 1997). Voigts goals were to
better dene the stratigraphic sequence at the site, establish a more
rened absolute chronology, explore non-elite areas of the site, and
generally gain a greater understanding of the domestic and
industrial side of Gordions occupations.
The most recent phase of excavation included systematic study
of local ceramic production from the Late Bronze Age through to the
Hellenistic period (Henrickson, 1993, 1994, 1995; Henrickson and
Blackman, 1996; Henrickson, Vandiver, et al., 2002). An important
component of that work was the comparison of large scale ceramic
production at the site for the Late Bronze Age (YHSS 9-8, c. 1400
1200 BC) and the Early Phrygian period (YHSS 6B, 950800 BC).
This was done using elemental data (NAA) for a comparatively large
sample of ceramics excavated by Voigt from well dened archaeological contexts as well as samples of clay from the local region
(Henrickson and Blackman, 1996). Henrickson and Blackman
documented a major shift in resource use between the two periods
and agged the character of local production at Gordion as highly
complex. One of the more surprising aspects of their study was the
identication of compositional groups as either Late Bronze or Early
Phrygian with little overlap between the two periods.

In 2003 we commenced a large scale assessment of non-local

ceramics at Iron Age sites across Western Anatolia (Anatolian Iron
Age ceramics project (AIA): http://aia.une.edu.au). The project goals
focused on understanding exchange and emulation during the Iron
Age, as new political economies emerged after the collapse of the
Late Bronze Age empires in the eastern Mediterranean, particularly
Anatolia. Gordion, as one of the best excavated Iron Age sites in the
region, provided a foundation for developing a more nuanced
understanding of emerging regional polities. In addition, we were
able to build on a settlement and landscape survey project which
provided a detailed geological and geomorphological background
for dening local sediments and their ancient distribution
(Kealhofer, 2005; Marsh, 2005).
This paper has two aims. The rst is to present the results of our
rst phase of ceramic analyses for Gordion (20032005), and
specically to dene the pattern of non-local and locally made
ceramics. A broad methodological goal of the AIA project is to
incorporate legacy NAA datasets to extend the scale and research

Fig. 2. Histogram of the Gordion sample population by chronological phase (EP Early
Phrygian:- 10th9th c. BCE; MP Middle Phrygian:- 8thmid 6th. c. BCE; LP Late
Phrygian:- mid 6thmid 4th. c. BCE; Hellenistic:- mid 4thearly 2nd c. BCE; Roman:1st BCE3rd c. CE).

2164

P. Grave et al. / Journal of Archaeological Science 36 (2009) 21622176

Table 1
NAA results for three standard reference materials (SRM 697, 2711 and 1633b), National Institute for Standards and Technology, Washington D.C. Table shows experimental
results for replicates measured during the analysis of the Gordion ceramic sample presented in this paper. Results are given as mean values with % coefcient of variation (C.V.)
alongside certied/published values for each element and the deviation of the experimental mean from the certied/published values (% recovery). Elements reported as parts
per million (ppm) unless otherwise indicated.

Ba
Ca%
Ce
Co
Cr
Cs
Eu
Fe%
Hf
K%
La
Lu
Na
Rb
Sb
Sc
Sm
Ta
Tb
Th
U
Yb
Zn

SRM 1633b (n 4)

SRM 679 (n 4)

SRM 2711 (n 5)

Avg.

C.V.

Avg.

Avg.

C.V.

667.50
1.95
181.40
48.94
203.90
10.31
3.96
7.79
6.78

87.86
1.02
0.20
132.09
5.07
40.08
18.26
2.25
2.71
25.13
8.05
7.26
186.88

9.02
22.18
2.07
3.56
4.59
2.68
1.71
2.43
2.58

1.27
8.98
0.00
18.72
3.47
1.13
1.62
26.01
4.54
1.44
11.27
2.21
14.57

442.09

102.48
25.77
109.06
9.65
1.82
9.06
4.18
2.01
50.55
0.53
0.13
177.09
0.78
22.42
9.03
1.31
1.25
13.92
2.12
3.63
112.81

684.67
2.81
72.38
10.07
47.58
6.57
1.09
2.88
7.61
2.81
37.63
0.45
0.88
109.02
19.61
9.27
5.93
1.59
0.81
13.41
2.58
3.00
349.17

3.31
11.42
5.30
7.87
6.62
4.29
3.39
2.62
1.41
18.07
2.69
4.65
55.98
9.19
3.64
1.52
2.42
23.67
12.48
2.81
7.80
4.61
4.26

C.V.
8.08

0.95
2.19
2.53
7.22
6.67
1.01
3.72
35.02
0.97
7.70
0.00
10.57
1.18
9.21
0.76
22.54
12.89
3.02
16.06
3.72
8.36

ppm

Ba
Ca%
Ce
Co
Cr
Cs
Eu
Fe%
Hf
K%
La
Lu
Na
Rb
Sb
Sc
Sm
Ta
Tb
Th
U
Yb
Zn

depth of our analytic program. Given the previous extensive NAA

dataset of Henrickson and Blackman (1996), a further aim of the
present study is to compare and contrast the analysis and interpretations of both NAA datasets. Together this extensive corpus of
material, from both Young (this study) and Voigt excavations
(Henrickson and Blackman, 1996 and this study), provides the
platform for more detailed, future analyses of exchange and
emulation during the Phrygian periods.
3. Methodology
Understanding trade and exchange is predicated on the possibility of differentiating between local and non-local production. To
achieve this we employ two strategies. First, we work closely with
site ceramicists with long experience with the local and non-local
assemblages to target ceramics dened as local, non-local, and
unknown based on typological and fabric criteria. Second, the
geomorphology of the region is studied, and the regional
sedimentary sequences are differentiated. In this case, prior work
by project geomorphologist, both in relation to the site and the
oodplain and in relation to the regional catchments, provided an
in-depth understanding of the ancient regional environments and
sediment sequences (Marsh, 1999, 2005).
In 2003, the ceramics available for analysis included a limited
number of sample bags saved from specic Young excavation contexts
that had not been registered, as well as a much larger array of samples
from the more recent Voigt excavations (although a smaller array of
Phrygian period material). With the aid of Keith DeVries, Ken Sams,
and Robert Henrickson an assemblage of ceramics from these two
excavations was sampled (Fig. 2). Of this set, 146 Young excavation
samples and 133 Voigt excavation samples were chosen for analysis
here (n 279). Most samples were chosen specically because they
were thought to be non-local. Some samples, however, were included
as a measure of what ceramicists identied as local.
A total of 73 sediment samples were also chosen for analysis, 24
from stream sediment cores and 49 from different geological
sediments around the region (Fig. 1b, Table 2a). Rather than

SRM 1633b

SRM 679

SRM 2711

Cert/pub

% Recovery

Cert/pub

% Recovery

Cert/pub

% Recovery

709.00
1.51
190.00
50.00
198.20
11.00
4.10
7.78
6.80
1.95
94.00
1.20
0.20
140.00
6.00
41.00
20.00
1.80
2.60
25.70
8.79
7.60
210.00

94.15
128.97
95.47
97.88
102.87
93.75
96.52
100.10
99.71

93.47
84.58
99.50
94.35
84.50
97.76
91.28
125.00
104.23
97.78
91.52
95.56
88.99

432.20
0.16
105.00
26.00
109.70
9.60
1.90
9.05
4.60
2.43

0.13
190.00

22.50

14.00

150.00

102.29

97.60
99.12
99.42
100.52
95.92
100.08
90.82
82.61

99.69
93.20

99.64

97.60

69.50

726.00
2.88
69.00
10.00
47.00
6.10
1.10
2.89
7.30
2.45
40.00

1.14
110.00

9.00
5.90
2.47

14.00
2.60
2.70
350.40

94.31
97.71
104.89
100.68
101.23
107.67
99.27
99.72
104.27
114.78
94.08

77.19
99.11

102.98
100.47
64.29

95.79
99.31
111.04
99.65

attempting to nd ancient clay beds, most likely buried in this

heavily eroded landscape, the focus here is on characterizing the
entire geological and sedimentary variability in a w20 km radius
around the site.
Elsewhere we have detailed our sampling, processing, and
analysis procedures (Grave, Kealhofer et al., 2008; Kealhofer, Grave,
et al., in press). In summary, ceramic and sediment samples are
photographed and recorded in the eld, and prepared at the
University of New England for NAA. Comparatively large (1 g)
samples are submitted for NAA, with the advantage of minimizing
measurement distortions due to sample heterogeneity, a particular
concern in the analysis of sediments and coarse ceramics. The NAA
dataset, composed of twenty three elements with good counting
statistics are then processed through an iterative multivariate
routine of Principal Components Analysis (PCA) and Canonical
Variates Analysis (CVA), identifying and removing outliers, identifying and removing non-local groups, and ultimately differentiating the range of locally produced geo-chemical groups.
3.1. Standards
We routinely include replicates of three NIST standards (SRM
679, SRM 1633b, and SRM 2711) in the NAA sample runs both as
quality control checks for individual datasets and for individual
elements, and as an important element in published NAA datasets
to enable long term comparison and correction by future studies
(Table 1).
3.2. Sediment tting
Our approach assumes that geologically comprehensive sediment collection will contain samples that approximate the
elemental prole of the local ceramic signature (see also Kealhofer,
Grave, et al., in press). However, sediments are not the same as
clays; minimally, they will have a coarser rock component and
exhibit a greater degree of compositional heterogeneity. Typically,
summed NAA results for each sediment sample are up to 30%

P. Grave et al. / Journal of Archaeological Science 36 (2009) 21622176

2165

Table 2a
Description, and UTM locations for Gordion sediments used in this study and identied in Fig. 1b.
Grp#

AIA #

Description

Field numbers

UTM zone

UTM E

UTM N

i
i
i
i
i
i
i
i
i
i

305
310
318
319
320
2341
2342
2346
2361
3972

Silty core @ 80 cm Suluklu oodplain

Silt bank @ 45 cm, marl & basalt sed
Silty core @ 225 cm basaltic sed near river
Silty core @ 295 cm basaltic sed near river
Sandy core @ 250 cm near basalt mts
Surface sample, BA mound wash
Sandy silt sed below pediment
Sandy loam basaltic pediment sed, dark
Dark clay surface loam Sabanozu plain
Sand-sized basalt small stream sed @ Sabanozu

01-3-1
01-5-1
01-7-7
01-7-10
01-8-5
06_34
06_35
06_39
06_54
G6

36
36
36
36
36
36
36
36
36
36

416842
416853
413966
413966
421170
422164
422263
420728
416681
422898

4388284
4382199
4396129
4396129
4388782
4387735
4387101
4386516
4396202
4397314

ii
ii
ii
ii
ii
ii

307
308
321
2350
2353
2354

Silty core @ 308 cm Suluklu oodplain

Gravelly bank, @ 85 cm basaltic sed
Sandy core @ 530 cm near basalt mts
Pediment sed in low-basalt catchment
Silt-loam basalt-rich sed below Upinar
Light-colored silt-loam sed below Upinar

01-3-11
01-4-4
01-8-11
06_43
06_46
06_47

36
36
36
36
36
36

416842
420953
421170
417099
421455
421634

4388284
4387884
4388782
4383634
4380644
4380797

iii
iii
iii
iii
iii
iii
iii
iii
iii
iii
iii
iii

306
322
323
324
325
326
2332
2338
2343
2352
2355
2359

Silty core @ 165 cm Suluklu oodplain

Sandy core @ 775 cm near basalt mts
Silt-sand core @ 255 cm, near tumulus MM
Silt-sand core @ 360 cm, near tumulus MM
Silt-sand core @ 470 cm, near tumulus MM
Pale silt core @ 165 cm below marl banks
Red expansive clay in Suluklu fan at river
Fresh sandy basaltic sediment below ekerdeksz
Sandy basaltic pediment sed
Weather basalt near Dua Dag Rd.
Silty BA mound material at ekerdeksz
Silt-clay stream bottom below Sabanozu

01-3-2
01-8-15
01-9A-1
01-9A-4
01-9A-8
01-12-4
06_25
06_31
06_36
06_45
06_48
06_52

36
36
36
36
36
36
36
36
36
36
36
36

416842
421170
415166
415166
415166
408846
412977
418663
422164
419407
418889
419865

4388284
4388782
4390094
4390094
4390094
4392693
4389945
4386573
4386594
4384078
4388170
4396518

iv
iv
iv
iv
iv
iv
iv
iv

311
312
313
314
315
316
317
2351

Silt bank @ 155 cm, marl & basalt sed

Silt bank @ 230 cm, marl & basalt sed
Silty core @ 160 cm deep silty oodplain
Silty core @ 245 cm deep silty oodplain
Silty core @ 330 cm deep silty oodplain
Silty core @ 560 cm deep silty oodplain
Silty core @ 75 cm basaltic sed near river
Clay-rich soil, continental clastics

01-5-7
01-5-11
01-6-3
01-6-6
01-6-9
01-6-18
01-7-1
06_44

36
36
36
36
36
36
36
36

416853
416853
416460
416460
416460
416460
413966
417293

4382199
4382199
4392478
4392478
4392478
4392478
4396129
4383902

v
v
v
v
v
v

2331
2356
2357
2358
2360
2370

Brick wash in Middle Phrygian layer, Citadel mound

Silty surface sed Suluklu tributary
Silt from deep historic sedimentation T4 area
Pale silt low pediment SW Sabanozu
Silty abandoned plain Sabanozu stream
Silty M Phrygian brick wash S edge Citadel mound

06_24
06_49
06_50
06_51
06_53
06_63

36
36
36
36
36
36

412266
419793
418410
418395
417169
412428

4389533
4389132
4390761
4395482
4394758
4389361

vi
vi
vi
vi
vi
vi
vi
vi
vi
vi

327
328
329
2333
2334
2335
2336
2367
2369
3969

Pale silt core @ 265 cm below marl banks

Pale silt core @ 360 cm below marl banks
Silty core @ 308 cm Suluklu oodplain
Silt Sakarya R. sed N of mound @ 200 cm
Silt Sakarya R. sed N of mound @ 400 cm
Gleyed silt-clay in Sakara R. dredge pile
Silt Sakarya sed S. of mound @100 cm
Clay Porsuk oodplain dredgings at Kiranharman
Silt Sakarya sed 300 cm
Marly slope wash

01-12-8
01-12-12
01-3-7
06_26
06_27
06_28
06_29
06_60
06_62
G2

36
36
36
36
36
36
36
36
36
36

408846
408846
416842
412246
412246
412012
411799
411645
412279
413799

4392693
4392693
4388284
4389805
4389805
4389442
4389049
4392510
4389836
4392952

below summed values for ceramic samples. This difference reects

the diluting effects of dominant but non-measured elements (i.e.
silicon and magnesium in basalts and clastics, and sulphur in
evaporites). The compositional differences between ceramic and
sediment proles can be expressed as the % difference between
elemental averages (Table 3). The majority of elements are more
concentrated in the ceramics but are not equally weighted. To
accommodate this variability the multivariate sediment centroid is
made equivalent to the multivariate ceramic centroid1:

Where Ceramicavg is the average of all of the datasets value for an individual
element, and Sedimentavg is the average of all of the sediment datasets values for
the same element. Sedimentsample is the value of a single sample for the same
element.



Ceramicavg =Sedimentavg *Sedimentsample
This tting technique, effectively aligning both datasets in
multivariate space facilitates matching likely sediment sources for
local ceramics around a common multivariate centroid without
distorting multivariate structural differences between sediment
and ceramic groups.

4. Results
Prior to comparing the ceramics with sediments both datasets
were analyzed separately using a standard multivariate protocol
detailed elsewhere (Grave, Kealhofer et al., 2008). For the initial
ceramic dataset two broad groups were identied with different

Ca%

K%

La

Lu

Sm

2166

Table 2b
NAA results for Gordion sediments used in this study organized by PCA/CVA identied groups ivi with group average value and % coefcient of variation (C.V.).
Ta

Tb

Th

Yb

Zn

AIA#

Ba

Ce

Co

Cr

Cs

Eu

Fe%

Hf

Na%

Rb

Sb

Sc

i
i
i
i
i
i
i
i
i
i
YH i (n 10)

305
310
318
319
320
2341
2342
2346
2361
3972
Avg.
C.V.

350
430
300
310
320
380
320
300
330
320
336
12.2

6.3
6.1
5.6
4.9
5.4
6
6
6.7
6.2
6.3
5.95
8.72

43
40
40
43
41
44
45
43
45
47
43.1
5.3

21
27
26
26
26
21
27
23
27
30
25.4
11.3

152
197
128
133
139
216
215
170
149
177
168
19.6

5.2
4.4
4.6
4.6
4.8
4.5
5.6
4.6
3.8
4.5
4.66
10.3

1.2
1.4
1
1.2
1
1.1
1.3
1.2
1.1
1.3
1.18
11.2

3.9
5.4
4.68
4.84
4.51
4.14
5.01
4.42
4.88
5.42
4.72
10.5

2.6
4.4
3
3.2
2.9
3
3
3.4
3.2
3.2
3.19
15

1.8
1.6
1.7
1.6
1.7
1.7
1.8
1.7
1.8
2
1.74
6.75

23.3
23
22
23.5
22.6
21.2
24.6
21.1
22.6
25.1
22.9
5.71

0.26
0.29
0.27
0.28
0.26
0.24
0.29
0.28
0.27
0.26
0.27
5.79

0.94
1.22
0.66
0.67
0.71
0.81
1.1
0.89
0.71
0.83
0.85
22

64
48
47
53
57
52
61
41
46
58
52.7
13.9

0.5
0.5
0.5
0.5
0.5
0.5
0.7
0.5
0.5
0.4
0.51
14.5

12.8
16.1
15.4
16.3
15.6
14.4
16.4
15
16.8
21.1
16
13.4

3.98
4.34
3.86
4.02
3.96
4.04
4.4
4.08
4.11
4.46
4.13
4.94

1.4
1.3
1
0.9
1
1
1
1
0.8
1.5
1.09
20.9

0.6
0.7
0.6
0.5
0.5
0.5
0.7
0.6
0.6
1
0.63
23.7

6.3
5.2
5.3
5.6
5.7
5
6.1
5
5.1
5.5
5.48
8.24

0.8
1.1
1.2
1.1
1.3
0
0.9
0.8
0.9
0.8
0.89
40.5

1.7
1.9
1.7
1.8
1.7
1.6
1.9
1.8
1.7
1.9
1.77
5.99

48
70
50
61
55
70
63
60
57
100
63.4
23.4

752
891
664
702
712
853
812
710
729
818
764

ii
ii
ii
ii
ii
ii
YH ii (n 6)

307
308
321
2350
2353
2354
Avg.
C.V.

360
450
420
360
360
430
397
10.4

5.4
5.7
5.4
5.1
6.2
6.6
5.73
9.85

47
45
48
48
52
53
48.8
6.27

39
20
22
22
24
20
24.5
29.6

197
338
225
216
222
301
250
22.4

6.3
4.4
5.8
8.3
4.2
3.5
5.42
32.4

1.1
1.2
1.1
1.1
1.3
1.1
1.15
7.28

4.24
3.93
4.2
4.33
4.68
3.81
4.2
7.33

3
3.5
3.4
3.8
3.4
3.5
3.43
7.52

2.2
2.2
2
1.6
1.6
1.5
1.85
17.3

26.1
25.3
26.2
23.4
26.9
26.4
25.7
4.85

0.28
0.28
0.29
0.27
0.28
0.28
0.28
2.26

0.74
0.98
0.95
0.71
0.73
1
0.85
16.2

74
61
72
71
62
54
65.7
12

0.8
0.6
0.8
0.9
0.7
0.8
0.77
13.5

14.7
13.1
14.5
14.5
15
12.2
14
7.85

4.41
4.41
4.5
4.08
4.7
4.56
4.44
4.69

1
1.1
1.2
0.9
1.1
0.8
1.02
14.5

0.5
0.6
0.7
0.6
0
0.7
0.52
51.1

8.2
6.8
8.1
7.4
7.5
7.4
7.57
6.82

1.8
1.2
1.2
1.1
1.2
1.3
1.3
19.5

1.8
1.8
1.8
1.7
1.9
1.8
1.8
3.51

53
52
59
57
66
65
58.7
10

853
1043
928
854
867
1000
924

iii
iii
iii
iii
iii
iii
iii
iii
iii
iii
iii
iii
YH iii
(n 12)

306
322
323
324
325
326
2332
2338
2343
2352
2355
2359
Avg.
C.V.

420
440
450
420
300
260
300
400
230
410
350
310
358
21.1

5.4
5.6
6
4.7
5.9
6.8
5.6
5.9
7.1
9
8.1
7.4
6.46
19.3

37
45
44
38
36
37
41
44
39
40
40
40
40.1
7.41

18
19
18
18
20
17
18
16
24
20
19
23
19.2
12.2

213
297
348
132
172
130
132
203
198
182
228
150
199
33.9

4.3
5.2
4.1
7.8
5.3
6.5
4.6
11
6.9
2.9
5.2
4.7
5.71
37.3

1
1.1
1
0.92
0.94
0.89
0.94
0.93
0.92
1
1
1.1
0.98
6.98

3.37
3.46
3.05
3.42
3.59
3.08
3.53
3.49
4.45
4.05
3.6
4.41
3.63
12.5

2.8
3.1
3.4
3
3
2.9
2.7
3.2
3.1
2.8
2.8
2.9
2.98
6.74

1.9
2
1.5
1.9
1.7
1.7
1.7
2.3
1.6
2.2
2
0
1.71
34.4

22.3
23.5
23.4
21.4
19.9
21
21.4
22.4
18.8
18.5
20.9
19.7
21.1
7.81

0.23
0.26
0.26
0.23
0.24
0.22
0.24
0.24
0.23
0.22
0.24
0.23
0.24
5.5

0.96
0.98
1.16
0.88
0.74
0.55
1.6
0.87
0.37
1.2
0.83
0.83
0.91
34.5

63
70
60
73
56
64
50
65
73
51
48
52
60.4
14.9

0.6
0.6
0.6
0.7
0.5
0.6
0.6
0.7
0.8
0.9
0.6
0.5
0.64
18.1

11.8
12
10.7
11.7
12.8
10.6
11.2
12.2
14.7
12.9
11.7
14.9
12.3
11.2

3.72
4.04
4.05
3.61
3.53
3.39
3.71
3.85
3.54
3.89
3.6
3.68
3.72
5.52

1.1
1.1
0.7
1
0.8
0.7
0.8
0.9
0.6
0.6
0.6
0
0.74
40

0.5
0.4
0.6
0.6
0.6
0.5
0
0
0.5
0.5
0
0.7
0.41
63.1

6.4
7.2
7
7.3
5.7
6.7
5.9
6.8
5.5
5.8
5
5
6.19
13.2

0.9
1.5
1.6
1.2
1.5
2.2
1.4
0.9
0
1.4
1.5
1
1.26
42.4

1.6
1.6
1.6
1.5
1.6
1.4
1.6
1.6
1.4
1.5
1.6
1.6
1.55
5.15

57
44
47
57
46
49
41
44
62
52
56
53
50.7
12.8

877
989
1038
810
698
627
650
849
697
824
810
697
797

iv
iv
iv
iv
iv
iv
iv
iv
YH iv (n 8)

311
312
313
314
315
316
317
2351
Avg.
C.V.

270
250
380
250
250
240
240
190
259
20.9

5
3.8
5.3
4.7
5.1
4.5
4.3
2.7
4.43
19.1

30
31
30
38
39
38
39
31
34.5
12.5

24
23
24
22
23
24
20
22
22.8
6.1

159
157
145
139
133
134
116
181
146
13.7

7.7
8.9
7.7
8
8.1
8.2
8.5
7.8
8.11
5.16

0.89
0.8
0.91
1
1
1
0.88
0.71
0.9
11.6

4.36
4.27
4.36
4.24
4.3
4.62
4.08
4.62
4.36
4.25

2.6
2.6
2.8
3
3
2.9
2.9
2.7
2.81
5.84

2.9
3.7
2.6
2.5
2.5
2.5
2.5
2.6
2.73
15.3

18
17.8
18.8
21
22
21.9
22.7
16.8
19.9
11.5

0.22
0.19
0.23
0.24
0.25
0.26
0.24
0.18
0.23
12.5

0.96
1.17
1.11
0.82
0.77
0.85
0.76
1.5
0.99
25.8

73
92
68
73
76
70
75
86
76.6
10.7

1
1.1
0.9
0.9
0.9
0.8
0.8
1.1
0.94
12.7

15.3
13.7
15.4
13.5
13.6
14.6
13
14
14.1
6.19

3.16
2.98
3.27
3.61
3.71
3.81
3.68
2.77
3.37
11.4

1.1
1.1
1.2
1.3
1.2
1.1
1
0.7
1.09
16.6

0.6
0.4
0.5
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.4
0
0.46
50.3

5.6
6.9
5.2
7.3
7.6
7.1
7.7
6.1
6.69
14.1

0.7
0.8
0.7
2.1
2.3
2
2.2
1.4
1.53
46.5

1.5
1.3
1.5
1.6
1.6
1.7
1.6
1.2
1.5
11.3

69
64
64
44
51
62
60
61
59.4
13.5

697
689
783
643
651
646
627
638
672

v
v

2331
2356

320
300

8.9
10

35
38

15
17

176

5.9
5.7

0.66
0.91

2.53
3.18

2.4
2.4

2.6
1.2

17.5
19.7

0.18
0.22

1.1
0.41

54
61

0.7
0.7

8.3
10.5

2.91
3.34

0.7
0.8

0.6
0

5.6
6.1

1.6
1.9

1.2
1.4

58
45

721
647

2357

280

7.1

29

15

5.2

0.68

2.67

2.1

1.6

15

0.18

0.53

43

0.5

9.2

2.63

0.6

0.6

4.6

1.6

1.2

43

616

7.3
7.7
7

0.69
0.72
0.82

2.75
3.22
2.83

2.4
2.4
2.4

1
1.1
3.2

16.6
18.6
18.4

0.17
0.2
0.19

0.43
0.43
0.48

53
59
50

0.7
0.7
0.6

8.9
10.2
9.4

2.67
2.97
3.12

0.6
0.9
0.6

0
0
0

5.4
6.1
5.8

2.9
3.1
1.9

1.2
1.4
1.3

38
46
57

579
635
677

118

v
v
v

2358
2360
2370

260
270
300

7.2
8.2
11

32
37
38

15
17
16

150
120
138
147

P. Grave et al. / Journal of Archaeological Science 36 (2009) 21622176

Grp#

882
774
898
786
764
748
845
962
700
673
803
36
49
49
54
40
38
58
55
51
54
48.4
16
1.3
1.3
1.4
1.5
1.4
1.2
1.5
1.4
1.4
1.1
1.35
9.4
1.7
2.1
2.2
1.8
2.3
2
2.8
3.2
1.8
4.9
2.48
39.2
7.6
7.2
8.1
7.4
6.7
6.2
7.2
8.9
6.7
7.4
7.34
10.4
0.32
0.33
0.38
0.46
0.69
0.64
0.81
0.43
0.47
0.31
0.48
35.7
0.19
0.21
0.22
0.24
0.2
0.19
0.23
0.21
0.2
0.16
0.21
11.1
2.5
2.4
2.7
3
3.1
2.7
2.7
2.8
2.4
2.2
2.65
10.6
327
328
329
2333
2334
2335
2336
2367
2369
3969
Avg.
C.V.
vi
vi
vi
vi
vi
vi
vi
vi
vi
vi
YH vi
(n 10)

410
250
260
320
240
260
310
250
260
280
284
18.1

10
10
9.2
9.4
11
11
9.4
7.5
13
10
10.1
14.3

33
34
34
44
38
34
40
42
36
39
37.4
10.2

18
20
23
18
15
12
20
20
15
15
17.6
18.8

260
284
384
197
291
288
273
431
188
126
272
33

9.3
11
14
13
13
11
9.4
22
22
18
14.3
33.6

0.64
0.7
0.66
0.86
0.77
0.59
0.8
0.77
0.79
0.73
0.73
11.4

2.49
2.86
2.98
3.38
2.57
2.09
3.36
3.09
2.64
2.57
2.8
14.6

1.1
1.4
1.1
1.7
1.4
1.2
2.1
1.5
0
1.5
1.3
42

19.5
19
20
22.3
19.8
17.4
20.5
21.8
18.3
20.5
19.9
7.47

55
63
69
71
63
49
66
74
66
76
65.2
12.7

1
0.9
1.1
1
0.8
0.7
0.9
1
0.9
1.3
0.96
17.2

8.8
10
10.3
11.6
9.1
7.2
11.4
10.9
9.4
8.41
9.71
14.4

2.9
3
3.14
3.7
3.35
2.84
3.49
3.27
3.09
2.94
3.17
8.77

0.6
0.7
0.7
0.8
0.7
0
0.7
0.6
0.6
1
0.64
39.8

0.4
0.4
0.4
0
0
0
0.6
0.5
0
0.4
0.27
89.1

1.28
7.66
2.17
30.6
0.56
47.3
0.19
9.42
2.35
5.21
Avg.
C.V.
YH v (n 6)

288
7.73

8.73
17.8

34.8
10.5

15.8
6.21

142
15.2

6.47
15.5

0.75
13.1

2.86
9.75

1.78
51

17.6
9.43

53.3
12.1

0.65
12.9

9.42
8.69

2.94
9.17

0.7
18.1

0.2
155

5.6
10

47.8
16.7

646

P. Grave et al. / Journal of Archaeological Science 36 (2009) 21622176

2167

Table 3
To compensate for a systematic offset between sediments and the ceramics
compositions they most closely match (i.e. and therefore presumed to be local)
a tting factor is calculated as discussed in the text. This table shows the combined
means of the general ceramic groups YH A and YH B, and of sediment groups (YH ivi)
(note the lower S for the sediment mean), and the factor ((Ceramicavg/Sedimentavg)  Sedimentsample)) to combine the sediments and YH A/B ceramics over
the same (ceramic sample) centroid.

Ba
Ca%
Ce
Co
Cr
Cs
Eu
Fe%
Hf
K%
La
Lu
Na%
Rb
Sb
Sc
Sm
Ta
Tb
Th
U
Yb
Zn
P

YH A & B

YH sed. (ivi)

(Ceramicavg/Sedimentavg)
 Sedimentsample

Avg.

Avg.

Fitting factor

374.10
8.02
49.58
28.40
286.48
7.17
1.16
4.80
3.70
2.70
25.77
0.27
0.98
83.63
0.92
16.99
4.47
0.98
0.58
8.74
1.69
1.90
96.71

320.21
6.89
39.79
20.88
195.90
7.44
0.95
3.76
2.90
1.85
21.19
0.23
0.78
62.32
0.74
12.59
3.63
0.88
0.41
6.48
1.60
1.54
54.72

1.1683
1.1632
1.2459
1.3607
1.4624
0.9633
1.2275
1.2761
1.2766
1.4561
1.2162
1.1712
1.2572
1.3419
1.2294
1.3495
1.2330
1.1109
1.4056
1.3492
1.0519
1.2303
1.7672

1009.73

767.69

trajectories in the multivariate projections. These were then

analyzed iteratively with outer groups and outliers identied and
removed until only a core cluster of 106 samples remained. This
group could be decomposed into two major subgroups (YH A and B)
that in turn contained smaller internal clusters and outliers
(Table 4).

4.1. Sediments establishing local

Of the 73 sediment samples analyzed, 21 were removed from
further analysis due to their relatively impoverished compositional
proles. The remaining 52 samples separated into six compositional groups, YH ivi (Fig. 3a; Table 2b). An important methodological step in the sediment analysis is to establish overall
compositional trajectories in multivariate projections that relates
the sediment groups to landscape locales.
Compositional distinctions between these six groups reected
a discontinuous trajectory from basalt to marl. This can be most
readily expressed in a bi-variate plot of calcium and iron showing
how groups vary between calcium rich marl-type compositions to
iron rich basalts (Fig. 3b). YH i and ii are basalt-derived sediments,
with YH ii revealing more chemical weathering. YH iii and v are
dominated by pediment soils derived from the clastic lake deposits
rocks, with YH iii located closer to the basaltic uplands. YH iv and vi
are oodplain deposits from deep, silt-rich sections. YH vi is heavily
marl-dominated. The basalt groups are dened by relatively higher
concentrations of iron, scandium, zinc, cobalt and are depleted in
calcium, rubidium, and cesium. YH vi has more calcium, cesium,
thorium, uranium, and chromium. While a clear trajectory from
marls to basalts is evident in the YH sediments, mapping individual
members of these groups back into the landscape reveals the

2168

P. Grave et al. / Journal of Archaeological Science 36 (2009) 21622176

Table 4
Summary statistics for the local component of the Gordion NAA dataset identied organized by the two major compositional groups: marl (YH A) and basaltic (YH B) and their
subsets giving group identication, number of samples in each group, average value and % coefcient of variation (C.V.). Below detection limit measurements marked with .
YH A

Ba
Ca%
Ce
Co
Cr
Cs
Eu
Fe%
Hf
K%
La
Lu
Na%
Rb
Sb
Sc
Sm
Ta
Tb
Th
U
Yb
Zn
P
YH B

1 (n 20)
C.V.

317.50
10.55
44.09
24.88
273.80
7.45
1.02
4.08
3.56
2.45
22.95
0.26
1.06
65.50
0.82
13.52
4.01
1.11
0.35
7.52
1.66
1.77
88.56
898.48

21.51
15.89
11.12
17.04
27.67
24.76
14.41
10.85
18.75
24.20
9.63
8.58
27.79
27.44
20.73
13.20
8.72
48.98
104.65
21.18
81.52
10.64
17.60

Avg.
447.47
8.98
49.16
19.27
266.29
7.11
1.05
3.44
3.71
2.73
26.38
0.25
0.96
65.81
0.86
11.78
4.19
0.90
0.58
8.41
1.89
1.64
73.44
1006.29

2 (n 30)
Avg.

Ba
Ca%
Ce
Co
Cr
Cs
Eu
Fe%
Hf
K%
La
Lu
Na%
Rb
Sb
Sc
Sm
Ta
Tb
Th
U
Yb
Zn
P

1.1 (n 17)

Avg.

432.63
5.96
57.00
34.57
300.03
6.14
1.39
5.94
3.94
2.92
29.22
0.30
0.98
104.13
1.08
20.90
5.25
1.18
0.76
9.83
1.60
2.06
113.74
1141.57

1.2 (n 4)

1.3 (n 3)

27.24
17.01
6.83
17.65
10.89
14.15
13.13
8.00
9.57
20.17
7.07
7.56
20.79
23.47
15.06
7.67
6.87
53.23
40.57
8.08
86.83
9.92
15.09

1.5 (n 3)

Avg.

C.V.

Avg.

C.V.

Avg.

C.V.

Avg.

C.V.

24.95
29.60
10.03
21.73
33.63
36.23
12.18
10.91
15.92
26.08
10.13
9.44
20.83
20.18
22.15
8.56
9.12
71.30
50.64
9.09
63.35
9.71
13.39

227.50
11.50
31.00
24.25
341.25
6.08
0.79
3.56
2.03
3.15
16.55
0.20
0.81
53.50
0.70
13.43
2.87
0.73
0.15
5.43
2.50
1.33
97.00
846.27

29.46
11.23
7.90
11.36
18.27
19.91
10.49
10.38
16.32
12.83
3.61
8.65
22.87
6.38
11.66
5.88
3.08
68.85
200.00
10.89
36.22
7.23
16.47

299.67
14.47
41.83
16.10
222.33
11.21
0.74
2.79
3.02
2.09
20.73
0.14
0.65
66.80
0.90
9.97
3.47
0.80
0.42
7.28
1.30
1.43
73.50
801.64

25.22
8.89
5.39
10.26
12.76
44.78
17.57
8.92
8.41
34.71
6.07
86.90
6.97
16.48
22.22
8.99
1.80
106.80
88.19
10.99
108.51
10.66
30.60

266.00
8.09
54.75
30.15
298.50
12.14
1.15
4.62
4.09
2.31
28.85
0.26
0.78
104.25
0.97
16.90
4.59

0.75
11.05
1.34
1.97
94.55
948.03

34.03
5.34
4.26
3.99
3.55
28.66
19.14
4.59
6.06
11.96
8.58
0.00
2.74
24.08
6.59
5.02
5.55

9.43
4.48
141.42
0.36
11.14

284.67
5.81
40.57
27.43
231.00
6.76
1.15
4.55
3.21
2.05
21.07
0.32
1.38
34.60
3.13
21.20
3.89

0.75
8.96
0.47
2.37
87.53
792.86

10.26
6.90
5.96
56.43
13.93
16.37
19.39
19.27
12.15
15.34
3.56
9.45
24.98
87.06
67.53
12.68
8.88

5.53
15.18
173.21
2.32
6.58

2.05 (n 3)
C.V.

1.4 (n 3)

C.V.

Avg.
414.00
5.79
51.50
37.63
338.33
8.06
1.13
6.07
4.06
3.00
25.93
0.31
0.90
109.83
1.12
21.97
4.76
0.39
0.54
10.02
1.58
2.18
110.67
1159.76

2.1 (n 8)

2.3 (n 3)

C.V.

Avg.

C.V.

9.40
41.76
2.39
15.53
13.33
11.02
10.89
7.28
5.49
24.35
6.79
1.84
7.12
18.34
23.77
3.92
3.18
173.21
87.21
7.74
86.99
7.12
7.52

294.75
6.29
47.70
30.04
266.88
8.87
1.15
5.47
3.87
2.56
24.45
0.35
0.99
108.66
0.84
21.58
4.36
0.54
0.58
9.71
2.01
2.36
97.84
941.85

48.22
10.25
5.37
9.77
5.66
8.52
7.21
5.65
8.86
22.04
3.23
5.62
15.34
23.24
20.92
4.14
7.60
149.20
62.18
2.87
45.59
9.97
16.32

sedimentary complexity of the local region, both in space and over

time (Fig. 1b).
To dene the local component of the ceramic assemblage, the
sediment groups are compared with the larger ceramic assemblage.
Prior to applying the sediment tting procedure both sediments
and ceramics are analyzed together. Reassuringly, this combined
analysis showed that the large core ceramic group of 106 samples
was the most proximate to the sediments. Following sediment
tting to the multivariate centroid of the core ceramic group,
a partial match between sediment and ceramic groups highlighted
the fact that not all sediments in the environs of the site would have
been suitable for ceramic production (Fig. 3c). The clastic-derived
YH sediments iii and v match with the YH A ceramics, while basaltic

Avg.
305.00
2.54
49.33
39.53
364.00
5.01
1.36
6.33
4.17
2.51
26.67
0.32
1.19
78.77
0.61
22.57
4.80
1.68
1.07
7.67
0.97
2.10
122.10
1050.29

C.V.
9.97
15.82
3.10
21.14
20.53
25.69
17.54
8.29
1.46
37.64
1.32
6.25
17.22
20.49
26.56
8.08
1.70
15.85
21.04
4.91
93.87
8.25
22.04

YH sediments i and ii match with the YH B ceramics. The remaining

oodplain sediments (iv and vi) are without ceramic matches.

4.2. Dening the non-local ceramics

Correlation of local sediments with ceramics was used to
identify the most probable local component of the ceramic sample.
Beyond the local ceramics, multivariate analysis identied a structurally complex suite composed of small groups and singletons.
When compared with other Iron Age sites in the region, the PCA
projection of the non-local component of the Gordion sample
(Fig. 3d, Table 5) is both large and highly diverse reecting their

P. Grave et al. / Journal of Archaeological Science 36 (2009) 21622176

compositional and geological heterogeneity (see Grave, Kealhofer,

et al., 2008; Kealhofer, Grave, et al., in press).
4.3. Characterising the ceramic assemblage
A total of 10 local (YH 1-2.3 and local outliers; n 106) and 29
non-local groups (YH 3-2000 and non-local outliers; n 173) were
identied (Tables 4, 5 and 6). Outliers include 12 local and 17 nonlocal samples. All outliers were removed from further analysis.
4.3.1. Local ceramics (n 106)
Local ceramics are dened both by their abundance and their
matches with local sediment samples (Fig. 3c). YH A includes YH 1
and its subgroups, while YH B is composed of YH 2 and its
subgroups. Of these two clusters, YH 1 and its subgroups are
marginally larger (n 50). The subgroups, within both local clusters, may reect shifts in clay source location within a similar
geology or shifts in processing over time. In general, both local YH
clusters are common in all periods. The local YH 2 cluster (including
subgroups) is proportionally about one-half as common as the
local YH 1 cluster over time. The one main exception is during the
Late Phrygian (LP), when YH 2 is nearly as abundant as YH 1 (see
Table 6). This suggests considerable continuity in local ceramic
production.
Both of the main local groups have different chronological
trajectories (Table 6). YH 1 is rst used in the Middle Phrygian (MP)
period, and is most common at that time; however its use
continues into the Hellenistic period. YH 1.1 and 1.2 begin in the
Early Phrygian (EP) period, but 1.1 follows a similar trajectory to YH
1, while 1.2 is last used in the LP. YH 1.4 and 1.5 were only used in
the MP and LP.
YH 2 is used throughout the periods studied, but is most
common during the LP, overshadowing any other group at any
other time. In the Roman period it is the only local YH group represented. YH 2.1 and 2.3 are used only during the Phrygian periods,
and only YH 2 and 2.3 date earlier than the MP. Additional, rare,
local sources are used throughout the sites occupation (singletons).
However, these patterns are based on small group sample sizes and
therefore may not be representative.
The trajectories of YH 1 and 2 suggest a shift in importance
between YH 1 and YH 2, which could relate either to shifting source
availability or to changing clay preferences (in relation to forms and
styles).
In the MP, the greatest number of local groups was represented
(9), while eight were found in LP. All of the groups found in the LP
were used in the MP, suggesting a very strong continuity in both
clay sources and in clay processing. Both before and after these
periods four different local clay types were in use, and there is less
overlap in clay types (only 2 shared: 1.1 and 2).
4.3.2. Non-local ceramics (n 173; 29 groups plus 17 outliers)
While the number of local groups is large, the number of nonlocal groups is even greater2 (Table 6). We expect that observed
compositional diversity will increase with increasing group size
(Rhode, 1988) but relative to their size, the Late Phrygian sample
has an unusually high number of non-local groups and the Hellenistic sample a comparatively low number of non-local groups
(Fig. 4 inset; Table 6). The LP includes not only the most non-local
samples, but also the greatest number of non-local groups (20).
Four groups (YH 10, 600, 900 and 2000) account for >5% each of the

2
The high proportion of non-local groups as well as of non-local ceramics in the
sample reects the well-informed selection of non-local samples by site
ceramicists,

2169

non-local assemblage, while the remainder (16 groups) have <5%

each of the non-local samples. YH 3, and its two subgroups (n 8),
are in a different, closer orientation to the local clusters than the
other non-local groups, but are compositionally and typologically
distinctive and considered non-local.
The EP, MP and MP/LP each account for 10% of the non-local
assemblage with a range of 611 non-local sources. In the LP both
the percentage of the non-local assemblage (22%) and the number
of non-local sources is doubled (n 20). In the Hellenistic period,
the percentage of non-local ceramics (27%) is the highest of any
period, but the number of groups decreases to levels comparable to
the earlier Phrygian periods.
The low frequency of any one group makes the signicance of
patterning somewhat difcult to interpret. All non-local groups
with >2% of the non-local assemblage are represented in at least
two periods. All of the groups with 5% or more of the non-local
sample have samples from at least as early as the MP. Nine groups
begin in or after the LP (all 24% of non-local samples). In general
terms, there appears to be considerable continuity in exchange
patterns through the Phrygian period, although a signicant
number of new sources were added in the LP. Non-local outliers are
present in low frequencies in every period. There is one major
exception to this. During the Hellenistic period, one source stands
out as the most dominant non-local source for any period (YH 10).
This group includes mainly black glazed wares, and rst occurs in
the Middle Phrygian period.
5. Henrickson and Blackman 1996
Based on NAA of 289 samples from Gordion including both
excavated ceramics and clays, Henrickson and Blackman (1996)
identied ve compositional clusters (here labeled as HB AE) that
could be statistically decomposed into 13 sub-clusters (Table 7).
Explicitly aware of the probabilistic character of inferring ceramic
provenance from compositional data (Henrickson and Blackman,
1996, p73 note 35) they dened a set of empirical criteria from
which to infer local production: a) compositional matches between
clay and pottery samples; b) compositional groups with a large n;
c) large n groups that also contain a wide range of types; d)
inclusion of heavy, large or cumbersome types most readily
produced locally; e) compositional groups that contain samples
from multiple periods (1996: p. 76). They considered the presence
of only a small number of large groups in their dataset indicative of
large scale local production both for the LBA and EP periods at
Gordion. The largest group in this dataset, HB B (n 159), represents more than 50% of the total sample and is largely restricted to
Late Bronze Age samples. While considerably smaller, HB A (n 69)
is predominantly Early Phrygian. HB CE are even smaller (Table 7).
Henrickson and Blackman matched HB B samples with local sediments.
While Henrickson and Blackman did not nd a local sediment
match for HB A groups they assumed that these groups were also
local because they included comparatively large subgroups and
dominated the entire Early Phrygian sample.
With the likely signatures of local and non-local samples for our
Gordion Iron Age sample now identied we can compare our
dataset with that of Henrickson and Blackman. There are two major
concerns for this type of comparison. In order to integrate the two
datasets each must be reduced to a common set of elements (in this
case 21). Reduction of the number of elements used in a multivariate analysis has a direct impact on the level of resolution that can
be achieved (Grave, Lisle, et al., 2005). We therefore relax the
resolution requirements of the comparison by restricting it to
group mean values for the local YH A and B, non-local YH groups,
and the published BH mean values. The combined dataset is also
decompressed for multivariate analysis by removing the more

2170

P. Grave et al. / Journal of Archaeological Science 36 (2009) 21622176

Fig. 3. Multivariate analysis of the present studys (YH) and Henrickson and Blackman (1996) (HB) NAA datasets. Point projections are combined with conventional normal
distribution ellipses (2s) but also with non-parametric density contours to highlight the probabilistic complexity inherent in multivariate modeling of this dataset: a) PCA projection
showing multivariate relationship for sediment groups YH iYH vi. In this projection the YH sediment centroid has been tted to the centroid of the two clay groups of Henrickson
and Blackman (1996) (labeled HB Clay 1 and Clay 2) as discussed in text to indicate a high level of correspondence between the basaltic and marl sediments and clays of the two
datasets; b) bi-variate plot of calcium % and iron % for the sediments showing the negatively correlated compositional trajectory (arrow) moving from marl (YH vi) to basaltic (YH i)
compositions. Discontinuous and non-linear character of data (consistent with the discrete geological origins of the samples) highlighted by non-parametric density contours (each
contour accounts for 5% of the sample) and comparison of linear and exponential ts; c) PCA of the Gordion local dataset composed of two general ceramic groups YH A and YH B
and the sediment groups that have been tted to the YH A and B multivariate centroid (note this project excludes sediment groups that remain outliers after tting (YH iv and vi); d)
PCA of the ceramic dataset showing orientation of YH local and YH non-local compositions outliers removed. The local compositional trajectory is indicated by the yellow arrow

P. Grave et al. / Journal of Archaeological Science 36 (2009) 21622176

compositionally exotic non-local groups identied in the separate

YH and the HB analysis (HB CE).
A second potential problem is the possibility of an offset
between NAA measurements from different facilities. As the standards used in the Henrickson and Blackman (1996) paper are either
no longer available (SRM 1633) or published in a way that is not
amenable to offset calculations, we could not directly identify or
correct potential differences between the NAA datasets. However,
their published standards data indicate an overall high level of
absolute precision and accuracy for the HB dataset comparable to
ours. In addition, from our previous experience in combining
different uncorrected NAA datasets of ceramics for a single site NAA
measurement offsets are small, particularly at the relatively coarse
level employed here of distinguishing between local and non-local
elemental proles (Grave, Kealhofer, et al., 2008).
Multivariate analysis (PCA, CVA, Hierarchical Cluster) of the
combined dataset shows it to be composed of three groups (Fig. 3e
& f). The rst of these captures all groups identied as local (YHA,
B and BH B, C and Clays). The second group is composed of non-local
YH500, 600, 800 and 900 and it is with these that the Henrickson
and Blackman groups HB (local) A1-4 most closely correspond.
A third group is exclusively composed of YH non-local groups. The
presence of non-local groups from YH that are not replicated in the
HB dataset is likely to reect the very different archaeological
contexts from which the samples were taken (Voigt vs. Young
excavations) as well as the sampling regime of Henrickson and
Blackman focusing on what were thought to be predominantly
local ceramics.
This apparent contradiction in the interpretation of the HB A
series allows three possible explanations: the HB A series
represents a local compositional prole not sampled for our
analysis; HB samples collected from the destruction level were
signicantly compositionally altered by re; HB A samples are
non-local. We suggest that a non-local origin offers a best-t
interpretation.
The rst alternative, that we did not identify a local compositional prole, seems the least likely. Our sediment sampling was
comprehensive and designed to represent the geological range in
the Gordion catchment within a 1520 km radius. All of the
retained sediment samples fall within the local YH A and B cluster
of ceramics suggesting that we had captured the range of local
compositional variability. Our ceramic sampling was also a broad
spectrum approach designed to encompass the range of likely local
and non-local wares present in the Iron Age levels. From the
comparison of the sediment and ceramic data we could clearly
identify both local and non-local elemental packets.
The second alternative, in-situ compositional alteration
through burning, while possible, does not match the elemental
data proles. Notwithstanding the explicit selection criteria
employed by Henrickson and Blackman to exclude obviously reaffected samples (1996: p. 70 note 19), the high temperature
conagration of the Destruction Level (one source for the Henrickson and Blackman Early Phrygian samples) provides the
potential for systematic volatilization of temperature sensitive
elements (Grave, 2009). However, this scenario is not supported
as HB A is enriched in several elements with particularly low

2171

melting and boiling points relative to its potentially unaltered

equivalent HB B (i.e. Cs, Rb, K, and Zn which melt below 500 C
and boil below 1000 C).
The third alternative, that, HB A1-4 are non-local, is supported
by the matches between them and the YH non-local groups whose
multivariate trajectory suggests a distinct geological origin relative
to the local YH A and B packet.
6. Discussion
Through the denition of local vs. non-local ceramics we have
identied several unusual patterns in ceramic production at
Gordion, particularly during the Early Phrygian period. While the
ceramic sample chosen for our analyses was focused on non-local
samples, at most other Anatolian sites locally produced (stylistically non-local) ceramics usually dominate our sample. At
Gordion, however, the non-local sample was substantially larger
than the local. This partly reects the expertise of the site
ceramicists in non-local sample selection and their long experience at the site, and partly the prominence of imports at this
inland site, particularly in the early stages of Phrygian political
development. Non-local groups are not strongly patterned by
period in our sample (except the Hellenistic period black glazed
samples of YH 10).
The importance of our denition of the local and non-local
sample at Gordion is more strongly highlighted when we
compare it to the Henrickson and Blackman (1996) dataset that
explicitly targeted local ceramics. When re-analyzed in relation to
our local sediment groups their Early Phrygian assemblage
appears to be ca. 80% non-local and belongs to one of the three
broad packets of non-local samples in our analysis. The archaeological context of the HBA samples, within the Palace Area of the
Citadel Mound, undoubtedly plays a strong role in this distribution. When compared to their dominantly local LBA sample, this
even more strongly supports a dramatic change in the organization of the political economy at Gordion than originally suggested
by Henrickson and Blackman. While these contexts, and these
samples, provide no data about the range of (non-ceramic) goods
that may or may not have been imported to the site in the Early
Phrygian period, the diversity of non-local proveniences and the
range of jugs, jars, and bowls represented in the EP assemblage
suggests that elite food practices, potentially feasting, using
vessels brought from a broad region, were a signicant factor in
Early Phrygian political dynamics. The inow of vessels into the
Palace Area runs counter to a view that political centers were also
places for production of exports into the larger region. The nature
of economic relationships and production is substantially
different from LBA patterns at Gordion.
The comparison of the two NAA datasets underscores the
difculties in obtaining archaeological ceramic samples that are
both well contextualized and broadly representative. While
relatively large in number, the limited geographic extent of the
sediments used by Henrickson and Blackman constrained their
ability to differentiate non-local groups, with their conservative
interpretation erring on the side of an undened local. Though
specic, their selected archaeological contexts, as noted above,

running from marl (YH A) to basaltic (YH B) compositions. Note the relatively compact character of the YH local compared to the multivariate extent of the two YH non-local groups
reecting the geological heterogeneity of the non-local samples; e) PCA projection of group means for the YH dataset and the HB NAA dataset based on 21 common elements.
Colored circles mark the local group means for YH A (red) and YH B (green); colored squares mark clay means for HB Clay 1 (blue) and HB Clay 2 (red). Solid circles mark the HB
ceramic group means. Note only the major YH local and non-local groups are used for this comparison. Red ellipse separating local from non-local groups is a 3D rendering of the
red demarcation line shown in f; f) Two dimensional projection (Hierarchical Cluster Analysis - Wards algorithm) of the same dataset and symbols of e. HB group B sub-clusters are
conned to the YH local groups (red); HB group A sub-clusters are conned to a subset of YH non-local groups (green), with the remaining YH non-local groups (yellow). Red line
separating local and non-local groups equates with 3D red ellipse of e.

Ba
Ca%
Ce
Co
Cr
Cs
Eu
Fe%
Hf
K%
La
Lu
Na%
Rb
Sb
Sc
Sm
Ta
Tb
Th
U
Yb
Zn
P

YH3.1 (n 3)

YH3.2 (n 2)

YH10 (n 29)

YH11 (n 5)

YH11.5 (n 2)

YH12 (n 2)

YH100 (n 6)

YH150 (n 2)

YH200 (n 5)

Avg.

Avg.

C.V.

Avg.

C.V.

Avg.

Avg.

Avg.

Avg.

Avg.

Avg.

Avg.

7.70
33.61
2.98
5.97
15.93
30.43
25.49
21.17
7.35
24.33
5.06
23.62
8.01
8.33
8.18
26.52
11.61
18.90
18.94
19.11
173.21
18.18
26.56

278.00
14.45
47.95
13.65
160.50
15.40
1.01
4.18
2.68
2.31
24.40
0.27
0.21
105.55
4.88
12.60
4.57
0.52
0.68
11.00
2.70
1.83
86.60
795.92

63.08
0.49
0.44
2.59
3.08
5.51
5.60
1.19
8.44
26.33
0.58
2.67
0.00
9.98
0.15
2.24
5.11
141.42
8.32
3.86
1.05
0.00
19.11

221.33
5.96
44.53
56.50
669.33
4.60
1.20
6.35
3.04
1.90
23.07
0.28
1.01
60.60
1.30
23.17
4.27
1.66
0.79
6.90

2.06
104.47
1244.32

C.V.
12.56
15.12
7.32
12.78
19.20
18.08
27.36
7.29
14.04
16.55
7.81
10.19
31.76
56.39
50.87
14.98
13.34
33.65
27.33
19.48

8.99
9.17

388.00
5.99
51.70
49.73
932.67
18.13
1.20
6.38
3.78
2.50
27.97
0.32
1.02
72.33
1.62
24.90
4.76
1.40
0.83
8.63
0.33
2.20
122.67
1729.06

512.24
5.64
60.75
35.18
297.48
9.70
1.31
5.55
4.31
2.42
30.72
0.37
0.82
123.79
1.40
21.59
5.69
1.30
0.92
11.79
1.76
2.68
110.13
1247.53

C.V.
26.54
16.45
4.64
13.78
10.92
12.17
10.27
5.23
9.36
15.75
3.95
5.65
11.33
11.98
15.25
6.17
4.47
68.02
7.27
5.04
71.37
5.14
9.37

439.60
4.30
68.52
40.20
526.80
12.50
1.17
5.53
4.34
2.63
33.52
0.36
0.58
140.40
1.44
21.58
6.29
0.68
0.77
11.42
1.91
2.70
115.66
1442.91

C.V.
12.98
25.84
3.12
10.92
4.70
7.63
13.80
5.73
9.52
13.89
3.69
2.31
8.51
7.94
22.57
4.80
3.37
144.62
57.96
5.52
92.99
5.06
17.15

495.50
5.71
67.85
51.00
559.50
12.50
1.54
5.82
4.04
2.57
34.15
0.38
0.50
143.50
1.45
22.20
6.85
1.55
1.04
11.75

2.81
122.50
1554.69

C.V.
3.28
2.48
2.81
4.99
5.18
21.50
0.46
4.62
16.65
12.41
1.04
3.72
10.00
1.48
9.75
2.55
2.06
10.95
2.72
3.01

2.77
14.43

360.00
3.90
68.00
41.00
586.00
11.00
1.05
5.08
3.85
3.40
34.20
0.34
1.41
97.00
0.90
18.00
5.37
1.15
0.85
11.00
1.35
2.00
115.00
1371.85

C.V.
7.86
47.14
0.00
6.90
2.65
12.86
6.73
8.63
1.84
12.48
1.65
2.11
22.07
4.37
31.43
7.86
3.16
6.15
24.96
12.86
5.24
7.07
6.15

646.00
3.64
90.17
28.98
233.17
13.64
1.54
5.75
6.18
3.38
45.58
0.47
0.92
149.67
2.43
21.68
7.57
1.61
1.06
16.57
2.97
3.22
114.62
1400.81

C.V.
24.13
31.48
5.27
17.17
31.73
31.17
5.29
3.05
8.40
40.04
7.65
8.26
33.10
9.32
60.72
3.47
8.06
19.17
18.59
11.38
21.90
4.79
14.62

730.50
4.15
102.00
24.60
132.00
10.35
1.92
5.93
4.09
3.46
49.80
0.42
0.65
169.50
2.21
20.70
9.29
1.39
1.31
16.80
2.49
2.74
156.00
1452.27

C.V.
23.13
5.29
0.00
9.20
0.00
4.78
6.28
0.24
23.71
5.94
3.69
8.52
4.35
7.93
7.04
1.37
1.14
21.95
9.72
1.68
6.25
2.06
5.44

937.60
2.63
110.60
29.76
134.60
11.34
1.84
5.04
6.63
3.55
59.40
0.48
0.67
188.60
1.93
19.62
8.68
2.03
1.24
23.16
4.32
3.40
107.62
1664.74

C.V.
22.06
63.97
4.59
23.41
15.90
17.33
10.99
9.11
9.15
15.24
6.43
5.37
35.37
9.73
54.55
9.36
4.52
40.19
10.00
14.78
20.59
12.08
20.94

YH300 (n 7)

YH400 (n 5)

YH500 (n 5)

YH550 (n 2)

YH600 (n 10)

YH700 (n 2)

YH800 (n 3)

YH900 (n 9)

YH1000 (n 2)

YH1100 (n 6)

Avg.

Avg.

Avg.

Avg.

Avg.

Avg.

Avg.

Avg.

C.V.

Avg.

C.V.

Avg.

22.70
31.62
10.02
17.28
24.71
18.56
15.36
6.23
9.59
16.22
10.11
10.40
39.13
25.97
27.12
6.67
9.58
22.46
20.08
4.37
19.59
6.68
11.71

286.00
4.64
72.90
22.85
182.50
11.90
1.31
6.07
5.05
3.88
39.05
0.40
0.27
177.50
0.98
20.40
5.72
1.94
0.91
15.55
3.66
2.79
121.00
987.25

15.82
3.96
4.27
1.55
3.49
0.00
10.30
4.78
11.20
1.46
1.27
1.79
2.67
4.38
17.32
2.77
3.21
37.91
4.66
4.09
23.57
3.30
7.01

748.00
3.14
98.31
24.96
137.71
17.00
1.60
5.37
5.50
4.12
54.20
0.46
0.95
180.29
2.87
20.50
8.13
1.99
1.22
21.69
3.38
3.13
124.71
1469.23

C.V.
17.99
31.83
3.25
13.96
18.66
19.64
12.41
5.62
13.18
16.41
3.53
5.95
24.71
12.84
11.54
7.67
4.13
28.11
12.94
5.76
12.05
5.10
14.75

682.00
2.08
103.80
31.80
167.20
9.04
1.78
5.26
5.98
3.36
53.94
0.42
1.05
142.00
1.14
19.36
8.28
2.26
0.96
17.00
2.12
2.88
120.00
1383.71

C.V.
30.18
83.92
3.94
35.81
16.21
7.92
9.23
3.22
9.34
5.80
2.53
14.48
30.97
7.71
65.23
5.04
1.75
42.74
13.98
7.20
87.58
12.37
8.33

616.80
3.10
83.38
24.48
167.80
8.10
1.43
5.04
5.94
3.20
42.80
0.42
0.85
146.20
1.27
19.38
6.74
0.81
0.99
15.44
2.67
2.86
106.70
1266.41

C.V.
21.66
2.50
7.56
3.89
17.48
21.30
10.56
5.04
8.54
14.91
9.46
4.98
24.53
14.93
53.25
4.12
5.74
94.10
7.10
4.73
28.04
3.95
5.28

510.00
5.70
81.50
18.50
161.00
21.00
1.35
4.55
5.85
3.25
43.25
0.45
0.47
130.00
0.80
18.75
6.54
1.75
1.05
16.50
3.15
2.80
130.00
1168.20

C.V.
11.09
17.37
6.07
3.82
7.03
6.73
5.24
2.18
3.63
10.88
5.07
1.59
19.77
10.88
17.68
3.39
1.95
28.28
20.20
12.86
20.20
0.00
10.88

572.36
3.22
84.71
30.42
219.09
7.58
1.65
5.36
6.19
3.09
44.07
0.43
1.13
137.91
0.83
20.72
6.93
1.12
1.11
15.51
1.96
3.09
109.70
1278.18

C.V.
33.02
21.07
5.95
22.39
25.66
14.26
10.03
5.79
11.99
14.91
5.15
3.64
15.86
9.53
29.00
5.96
7.58
70.52
12.33
6.83
51.93
5.63
11.54

817.50
0.70
103.40
13.25
66.55
10.70
1.62
3.77
7.68
3.88
54.40
0.61
1.02
159.50
2.32
18.30
8.89
2.11
1.40
22.30
3.51
4.06
168.50
1475.95

C.V.
9.95
1.02
13.13
18.68
11.58
9.25
6.98
7.32
10.68
11.86
7.28
3.51
16.64
8.42
17.07
1.55
4.14
26.14
0.00
3.81
23.77
2.09
15.53

616.67
2.63
81.33
19.33
152.67
11.40
1.37
4.08
6.60
3.07
41.80
0.50
0.94
130.00
2.03
14.97
7.16
1.87
1.30
17.00
2.83
3.23
100.33
1223.10

C.V.
26.76
78.23
2.56
11.95
22.50
29.98
11.18
2.14
13.64
9.96
5.52
7.62
34.17
15.38
38.20
6.82
6.74
38.01
23.08
11.76
20.07
7.14
19.44

457.89
5.87
77.19
24.22
147.97
8.37
1.43
4.51
5.15
2.81
40.37
0.36
0.87
119.70
1.12
16.86
6.40
1.47
0.82
13.50
2.55
2.54
102.94
1044.93

633.50
1.98
86.33
39.82
264.67
10.13
1.64
5.72
5.95
2.95
45.13
0.41
1.24
153.83
0.61
20.62
7.07
1.66
1.11
15.83
0.23
2.96
122.33
1425.71

C.V.
41.77
66.99
5.28
33.78
16.54
39.93
8.86
3.66
10.12
16.93
3.80
7.45
7.16
17.41
85.06
10.41
2.88
80.50
11.43
9.37
244.95
7.54
8.23

P. Grave et al. / Journal of Archaeological Science 36 (2009) 21622176

Ba
Ca%
Ce
Co
Cr
Cs
Eu
Fe%
Hf
K%
La
Lu
Na%
Rb
Sb
Sc
Sm
Ta
Tb
Th
U
Yb
Zn
P

YH3 (n 3)

2172

Table 5
Summary statistics for the non-local component of the Gordion NAA dataset giving group identication, number of samples in each group, average value and % coefcient of variation (C.V.). Below detection limit measurements
marked with .

YH1300 (n 3)

YH1400 (n 5)

YH1500 (n 4)

YH1600 (n 3)

YH1700 (n 3)

YH1800 (n 6)

YH1900 (n 5)

YH2000 (n 15)

Avg.

Avg.

Avg.

Avg.

Avg.

Avg.

Avg.

Avg.

831.00
4.71
91.50
12.00
78.70
19.55
1.77
3.22
8.76
2.73
51.95
0.48
1.10
138.50
4.80
15.30
7.67
1.36
0.97
17.85
4.03
3.10
92.70
1393.71

C.V.
12.08
5.70
3.86
23.57
12.04
3.26
5.21
11.86
12.27
3.89
3.13
1.49
13.56
8.68
8.70
11.09
0.65
5.74
24.79
6.73
32.64
8.91
7.17

676.33
0.90
112.33
31.50
67.77
13.40
1.64
3.92
8.00
4.75
58.67
0.67
0.93
236.33
2.11
20.73
8.90
3.75
1.38
26.10
5.03
4.68
198.00
1487.81

C.V.
7.47
22.14
8.27
35.35
3.36
6.84
6.42
1.88
6.57
6.14
6.73
2.29
6.59
3.60
1.80
2.66
6.73
36.83
11.26
4.00
15.74
5.76
10.44

657.40
2.45
84.72
24.90
100.82
4.32
1.46
3.93
6.44
3.33
47.12
0.23
1.30
98.02
0.52
12.26
6.06
2.10
0.91
16.44
2.48
1.99
77.26
1156.48

C.V.
58.50
111.89
11.51
24.74
47.65
27.68
16.98
9.72
11.76
20.96
10.28
56.15
43.16
32.29
63.01
30.56
19.81
47.89
34.42
31.49
25.47
18.27
16.58

642.50
2.60
98.75
53.00
127.25
10.43
1.58
5.29
10.05
3.50
52.55
0.41
0.81
160.00
1.63
18.05
7.44
5.35
0.30
19.10
2.58
3.10
130.00
1356.24

C.V.
22.46
47.73
19.24
21.07
7.16
30.62
13.09
14.87
13.14
8.41
17.33
18.94
69.03
13.50
45.88
27.39
29.05
20.62
200.00
18.37
34.79
20.91
10.88

428.00
5.72
71.17
28.80
219.33
46.83
1.35
4.96
5.68
2.85
37.63
0.41
0.44
181.00
2.74
20.00
6.48
1.17
1.00
16.67
1.49
2.98
100.93
1187.64

C.V.
31.39
41.67
5.21
34.98
10.54
25.13
11.06
14.20
15.73
12.46
7.59
9.78
5.76
34.11
64.89
3.04
4.03
97.15
12.70
23.05
87.85
11.61
15.63

614.33
4.53
98.67
15.47
104.67
17.53
1.24
4.25
5.57
4.59
52.30
0.57
0.31
228.33
3.38
16.47
8.60
1.88
1.52
25.30
3.63
3.85
84.63
1301.63

C.V.
10.90
10.06
3.10
11.30
4.90
7.33
4.45
0.62
13.43
13.97
0.96
1.01
17.58
3.34
8.40
4.60
2.59
15.56
15.58
5.82
3.91
2.40
12.68

449.00
9.11
83.92
19.80
112.00
25.82
1.37
4.13
4.95
2.83
44.28
0.33
0.80
134.50
1.79
13.23
6.23
1.04
1.01
17.23
2.77
2.43
89.53
1028.11

C.V.
23.68
31.56
4.67
24.58
9.47
21.64
18.62
9.90
9.19
13.42
9.68
6.20
45.99
11.82
25.17
10.68
4.80
85.72
15.39
3.51
53.09
4.09
23.71

454.00
5.94
65.60
75.40
304.00
8.26
1.42
6.44
10.60
2.34
32.54
0.34
0.82
120.00
0.90
22.92
5.74
4.88
0.72
10.40
2.44
2.44
124.00
1262.14

C.V.
5.07
11.52
7.96
19.55
5.83
25.40
10.45
5.89
8.44
58.02
3.03
11.59
9.76
10.21
33.33
3.77
3.20
46.72
91.81
8.60
34.24
8.50
9.19

784.00
2.62
89.64
31.93
164.81
21.42
1.85
6.94
4.92
3.49
45.48
0.48
1.16
151.06
4.89
24.68
8.39
1.32
1.26
14.32
2.40
3.36
132.53
1502.95

C.V.
13.91
20.35
8.73
18.75
7.33
28.92
6.94
5.02
13.49
19.29
8.01
7.07
23.45
13.78
26.70
4.67
7.73
59.42
16.27
8.68
47.09
7.92
13.68

P. Grave et al. / Journal of Archaeological Science 36 (2009) 21622176

Ba
Ca%
Ce
Co
Cr
Cs
Eu
Fe%
Hf
K%
La
Lu
Na%
Rb
Sb
Sc
Sm
Ta
Tb
Th
U
Yb
Zn
P

YH1200 (n 2)
Avg.

2173

2174

P. Grave et al. / Journal of Archaeological Science 36 (2009) 21622176

Table 6
Counts of YH local and non-local groups by chronological phase.
YH local
YH A

YH B

EP

MP

MP & LP

LP

LP/Hell.

Hell.

2
1

10
4
1

2
1

3
4
2

3
2

2
3

1
1.1
1.2
1.3
1.4
1.5

1
3
1

2
2.05
2.1
2.3
Outlier

1
1

P
YH non-local
3
3.1
3.2
10
11
11.5
12
100
150
200
300
400
500
550
600
700
800
900
1000
1100
1200
1300
1400
1500
1600
1700
1800
1900
2000
Outlier
P

4
1
5
1
3

6
EP

33
MP

1
12
1
3
1
1

10
MP & LP

2
1

1
1

2
1
2
1

1
1

1
2
1
1

1
2
1
2
5
1
2
2
1
1
1
2

2
1

3
13
LP/Hell.

1
1

28
LP

2
8
Hell.

Roman

UNID

UNID
1

Roman

25
4
2
1
1

1
1
1

1
2
1
1

1
1
1

1
1
3

1
3

1
1
3
2

1
3

4
1

18

18

6
3

2
1
3

3
3

18

38

12

46

12

11

P
20
17
4
3
3
3
30
3
8
3
12
106
P
3
3
2
29
5
2
2
6
2
5
7
5
5
2
10
2
3
9
2
6
2
3
5
4
3
3
6
5
15
17
173

did not provide a systematic sample of the overall range of

ceramics during the Early Phrygian period. While the strength of
their sampling was both the contextual and chronological
control of the archaeological contexts, this also limited the
sample assemblage to a highly specic and specialized Early
Phrygian sample. The diversity of proveniences and styles in the
Early Phrygian assemblage, suggests that Henrickson and
Blackmans arguments for standardization and local mass
production in both the LBA and Early Phrygian periods at Gordion may need to be reevaluated.

7. Conclusion
In this paper we specically aimed at characterizing local
production and distinguishing imports during the Iron Age at
Gordion. In conjunction with a comparison with earlier NAA work
of Henrickson and Blackman we could address two issues, one
methodological and one substantive. Methodologically, incorporation of legacy NAA datasets into recent NAA analyses allows us,

Fig. 4. Chronological comparison of YH local and non-local samples by chronological phase (EP Early Phrygian:- 10th9th c. BCE; MP Middle Phrygian:- 8thmid
6th c. BCE; LP Late Phrygian:- mid 6thmid 4th c. BCE; Hellenistic:- mid 4thearly
2nd c. BCE; Roman:- 1st BCE3rd c. CE). Note for comparison both local and nonlocal components recalculated to sum to 100. Inset shows the % of non-local groups
by % sample size as a measure of import diversity for each chronological phase. The
Late Phrygian sample has an unusually high number of non-local groups and the
Hellenistic sample a comparatively low number of non-local groups relative to their
sample size.

and others, to integrate a wide eld of data, leading not only to

reinterpretations, as suggested here, but also to much more
comprehensive understandings of individual sites and their
regional contexts. Care must be taken, however, to consider
differences in sampling framework and analytic regime when
evaluating differences in interpretation. Cross comparison of the
numerous legacy datasets for Turkey and the wider Aegean offers
the opportunity for a more appropriate large scale understanding of
production and exchange dynamics across the region.
Substantively, the combined datasets from the Henrickson and
Blackman study and the current AIA work demonstrate the
remarkable transition in political economic relationships that
occurred during the formation of the Phrygian state at Gordion.
This is revealed in the apparent shift from locally made, yet highly
standardized ceramics of the LBA identied by Hendrickson and
Blackman, to the import (at least into the elite Palace Area) of
(relatively?) standardized ceramics from a geographically wide
range of non-local sources during the Phrygian periods. Despite the
loss of political hegemony during the later Middle and Late Phrygian period (Lydian, Persian incursions), the ceramic assemblages
suggest a strong continuity in the use of sources/technologies.
Preferences shift among local sources (from YH 1 to YH 2), but both
remain in use. The strength of external inuences at Gordion in the
LP is seen both in the abundance of non-local groups and the
diversity of groups represented. This economic and exchange
orescence, in the midst of political change, suggests that while the
control of Phrygia may have been wrested from Gordion, the city
remained an important center. Subsequent increases in the
frequency of imports, alongside a decline in the number of import
sources, suggest a substantial change in both the political and
economic composition of the site during the Hellenistic period. The
two Hellenistic phases at the site (YHSS 3a and 3b), however, need
to be more carefully evaluated. While ceramic stylistic evidence
suggests a similar trajectory, documenting the changing pattern

P. Grave et al. / Journal of Archaeological Science 36 (2009) 21622176

2175

Table 7
Henrickson and Blackman (1996, appendix 2, p 83) NAA data, giving group identication, number of samples in each group, average value and % coefcient of variation (C.V.).
Below detection limit measurements marked with .

Ba
Ca%
Ce
Co
Cr
Cs
Eu
Fe%
Hf
K%
La
Lu
Na%
Nd
Rb
Sc
Sm
Ta
Tb
Th
Yb
Zn
P

Ba
Ca%
Ce
Co
Cr
Cs
Eu
Fe%
Hf
K%
La
Lu
Na%
Nd
Rb
Sc
Sm
Ta
Tb
Th
Yb
Zn
P

HB A-1 (n 27)

HB A-2 (n 11)

HB A-3 (n 9)

HB A-4 (n 22)

HB B-1 (n 7)

HB B-2 (n 8)

HB B-3 (n 78)

HB B-4 (n 49)

Avg.

C.V.

Avg.

C.V.

Avg.

Avg.

C.V.

Avg.

C.V.

Avg.

C.V.

Avg.

C.V.

Avg.

C.V.

477

95.4
26
266
9.91
1.43
5.24
6.17
2.5
51.1
0.46
1.11
36.3
156
18.5
7.22
1.36
0.95
14.9
3.4
101
1282

24.5

8.2
9
15.7
22
8.6
5.5
7.4
9.5
6.6
12.2
19.3
8.9
11.5
6.7
6.8
10.7
10.5
11.2
10.4
10.2

490

90.2
22.1
148
6.69
1.42
5.16
6.7
2.16
49.8
0.51
0.69
36.8
122
17.6
7.21
1.46
0.99
16.7
3.49
90.9
1121

21.5

13.9
18.3
11.6
17
11.5
8.7
12.7
9
13.5
24.3
47.4
17.2
22
9.3
13.1
10.3
22.9
11.8
26.5
16.7

600
6.16
79.9
20.5
128
9.71
1.31
4.34
5.28
2.6
45.4
0.41
0.83
34.3
145
16.6
6.39
1.13
0.91
14.6
2.82
103
1229

458
6.05
70.6
15.2
146
7.33
1.23
4.4
5.07
2.51
39.3
0.32
0.93
29.6
125
14.8
5.66
1.29
0.75
10.4
2.3
78.9
1026

27.3
23
10.7
11.8
10.4
14.1
8.1
7.8
8.6
12.4
9
13.2
33.9
14.6
10.4
11.9
10
8.9
14.3
9.4
14
19.7

536
6.12
55.5
19.4
155
7.12
1.07
4.17
4.32
2.57
31.5
0.26
1.33
24
107
12.8
4.35
0.86
0.64
9.41
1.76
91.3
1076

21.3
25
7.9
12.1
17.8
9.5
7.1
5.7
16.2
12.4
5.8
24.1
15.9
10.5
12.7
7.9
8.9
12.3
12
9
14.6
7.5

595
7.7
64.2
20.6
200
5.57
1.13
4.19
4.05
2.21
38.4
0.26
1.52
26.1
91.7
13.7
4.79
1.03
0.6
11.7
1.92
94.5
1191

15.9
22.7
7.2
5.5
8.2
6.3
6
4.8
19.3
12.6
9.3
16.6
14.6
7.5
4.1
5.2
5.2
14
15.5
4.9
15
12

367
13.9
49.9
22.3
272
11.6
0.97
4.03
3.67
2.2
28.5
0.28
0.84
20.8
98
14.2
4.19
0.94
0.61
8.27
1.95
83.7
1010

21.8
24.2
7.7
16.3
17.5
21.8
10.3
16.3
12.2
17.7
7.2
15
28.4
17.1
13.4
18
8.7
10.4
14.5
11.9
10.1
19.2

371
7.46
58.5
27.9
429
7.38
1.11
4.89
3.99
2.36
33.8
0.3
0.97
24.3
114
17.3
4.73
1.07
0.69
11.3
2.13
101
1225

31
22.7
7.7
8.6
26.1
11.3
7.5
7.3
9.1
10.1
8.2
16.4
12.5
12.4
11.6
8.6
8.5
13
13.8
10.8
10.6
10.7

C.V.
22
38.4
8.8
18.3
15.6
12.8
12.9
10.8
9.8
14
8.7
11.4
27.3
9.4
10.5
14.9
11.4
6.5
13.8
6.7
8.1
10.2

HB B-5 (n 11)

HB B-6 (n 6)

HB C-1 (n 7)

HB D-1 (n 13)

HB E-1 (n 3)

HB Clay 1 (n 25)

HB Clay 2 (n 13)

Avg.

C.V.

Avg.

C.V.

Avg.

C.V.

Avg.

C.V.

Avg.

C.V.

Avg.

C.V.

Avg.

C.V.

371
9.34
46.7
24.6
357
5.88
0.95
4.36
3.3
2.32
26.5
0.24
0.89
20
97.1
15
3.94
0.96
0.62
8.13
1.75
88.3
1089

26.4
13.4
5.2
11.6
27.4
17.8
5.8
10.9
5
8.4
5.3
10.4
18.1
7.7
11.2
9.9
4.7
8.9
21.6
6.1
3.7
6.8

454
9.67
58.4
26.6
322
3.36
1.03
4.14
3.52
1.54
31.8
0.23
1.28
23.1
64.6
13.1
4.31
0.88
0.62
7.69
1.83
73.4
1107

25.2
18.5
5.6
6.3
12
7.7
7.5
5.7
4.5
6.7
8.2
9.1
11.6
17.3
19.4
6.9
6.1
8.1
11.9
6
7.1
17.4

380
15.8
39.1
19.3
281
8.91
0.74
3.3
2.67
1.93
22.3
0.24
0.64
15.9
81.2
11.6
3.27
0.74
0.49
7.25
1.71
75.5
973.6

17.6
16.7
8
11.9
25.5
12.2
7.6
11
11.4
16.9
7.6
28.7
20.7
15.9
121
11.2
5
11.3
15.9
7.9
20.5
10.3

698
5.75
83.5
9.6
62
6.64
1.26
2.89
6.04
2.38
49.4
0.29
2.01
33.3
118
8.5
5.89
0.89
0.7
15.8
2.23
91
1206

24.7
34.4
5.7
8.4
8.9
7.4
7.3
4.2
7.2
9.2
6
13.8
10.1
7.6
9.1
3.3
5.1
7.4
8.1
6.4
13.8
39.7

42
4.1
6.2
10.7
5.8
3.2
3.3
2.6
4.7
1.5
11.4
8.2
8.5
5.5
4.7
4.9
4.4
7.1
4.8
10.8
17.1

411
8.59
59.2
27
192
8.36
1.26
5.12
3.89
2.45
33.5
0.32
1.14
24.8
93.5
16.5
5.05
1.1
0.72
9.1
2.25
85.1
992

16.2
20.6
5.1
6
9.3
15.7
5.2
6.2
6.3
21.4
4.7
13.7
33
16.1
15
6.8
5.1
7.9
13
8.3
5
10.2

370
21.2
43.6
17.5
230
18.3
0.81
3.11
3.24
1.81
25.1
0.27
0.74
18.5
99.3
11.1
3.71
0.87
0.52
8.8
1.74
67.1
947.3

15.2
34.5
9
13.7
22.8
13.3
9.5
11.5
16.7
22.5
9.4
10.6
30.3
17.3
13.6
10.8
11.4
12.7
20.3
12
13.2
15.9

of non-local sources with the future potential of identifying

sources will be essential for better understanding the dynamics of
the political economy of Phrygia and Gordion.
Acknowledgments
This research was funded by the Australian Research Council
(DP0558992) and National Science Foundation (0410220). We
thank anonymous reviewers for their comments and suggestions.
Sadly, co-author Keith DeVries passed away before the completion of this manuscript. His insights and acumen will be sorely
missed.
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47.9
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3.25
1.89
8.8
5.58
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33.1
0.27
2.01
27.8
66.8
28.5
6.46
2.39
0.85
5.55
2.06
135
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