Matthew Boulanger presented on efforts to digitize the archaeological ceramics compositional database from the Archaeometry Laboratory at the University of California, Berkeley (LBL). The LBL database contains over 12,000 analyses from 1968-1989 of ceramics from the Levant, Mediterranean, Africa, and Middle East. In 2006, the paper archives of the database were sent to the University of Missouri Research Reactor for digitization. So far, compositional data for over 9,000 specimens have been digitized along with descriptions and photographs. The digitized files have been made publicly available online. Further work is ongoing to complete digitization and standardize data for broader scientific use and analysis.

1. Matthew T. Boulanger1,2
1Archaeometry Laboratory, University of Missouri Research Reactor
2Department of Anthropology, University of Missouri
Second Workshop on Levantine Ceramic Production and Distribution
Danish Institute of Archaeology, Athens, Greece • February 8–10, 2013

2. Archaeometry at Berkeley
 ca. 1968 – 1989
 12,000+ analyses by
neutron activation
 Ceramic provenance
 Levant
 Mediterranean
 Africa
 Middle East
 Archives sent to MURR
in 2006

3. • Sent to MURR in 2006
• Make these data usable by the broader scientific community
• Requires
• Digitization
• Preservation and curation
• Distribution
• Archives contain < 50% of data, > 80% of data located through collaborators

4. Goals
 Digitize
 Compositional (NAA) data
 Descriptions
 Contextual information
 Photographs
 Laboratory records
 Comprehensive database of analyses
 Long-term preservation of all materials
 Public distribution
 Analysis and publication

5. Accomplishments… (as of Feb. 2013)
 LBL Database
 NAA data for 9360 specimens (ca. 80%)
 Descriptions and context transcribed
 Identified and corrected errors in extant
databases of LBL data
 Photographs, notes, records scanned
 Archives transferred to curation facility
 Digital files (v. 1.0) posted on WWW

6. Content and Scope
Country* No. Specimens No. Sites
Cyprus 1880 45
Iraq 240 20
Israel & Palestinian Terr. 2550 70
Syria 280 30
* Using modern (2008) political boundaries
 Data span Neolithic – Medieval & Modern Periods
 Large collections
 Cyprus: Enkomi (n=315), Lapithos (n = 205), Milia (n = 160)
 Iraq: Samarra (n = 60)
 Israel: Ashdod (n = 750), Tel Mor (n = 171), Akko (n = 110)
 Syria: Ras Shamra (n = 80)
 Nos. are approximate, and data entry is still ongoing

7. Sites represented in the LBL Database
& no. specimens per country

8. Inter-laboratory Comparison
 Comparison of adjusted LBL data with MURR reanalysis of the same specimen
 Anomalous values circled

9. Next Steps
 Complete digitization (est. >90% of total)
 Standardize descriptive terminologies
 Refine inter-laboratory corrections
 Analysis/use of data
 Requires collaborations
 Post and publish “Final” database

10. On the Hunt for Elusive Data…
"Data! Data! Data..
I can't make bricks
without clay!“
- Sherlock Holmes
(The Adventure of the Copper Beeches)

11. Acknowledgments
 Frank Asaro, Michal Artzy, Joe Yellin, Bernard Knapp,
Hans Mommsen and many others have provided or
helped to locate data from LBL.
 Aaron Johnson and many other MU students have
helped to transcribe data.
Questions, Comments, Concerns?
boulangerm@missouri.edu