Instrumental neutron activation analysis of archaeological ceramics: scale and interpretation

Instrumental neutron activation analysis has become a standard technique for the study of the production and distributional patterns of archaeological pottery. Questions once framed within the context of long distance exchange are now focused on issues of subregional and even intrasite levels. The increasing specificity at which these questions are poised requires a high level of analytical precision as we seek to observe statistically and archaeologically significant differences among groups of pottery produced from geographically closely spaced resources or the compositional differences that arise from production behaviors of the producers of the pottery.