Publisher's Synopsis
In the archaeological reconstruction of prehistoric production and exchange systems, the use of provenience techniques has assumed a high profile. The primary aim of such archaeometric work has been the "objective" identification of non-local materials, and the isolation or elimination of specific stone, metal or clay sources. However, the important step of specifying and examining critically the relationships between archaeological data, human action, analytical results, and cultural interpretation has seldom been taken.;Using Bronze Age Cyprus as a case study, this volume aims to investigate the use of statistical and graphical techniques in the assessment, interpretation, and presentation of pottery and metal characterization studies of Cypriot Bronze Age data, and to consider - in light of diachronic changes in raw material sources, intensity of production, and loss of manufacture - to what extent the analytical results of science-based archaeology may help arbitrate amongst alternative cultural hypotheses.
