Archaeometric study of Roman tesserae from Salamanca (Spain). Archaeology and geochemical analysis

In this study an analysis was made of 37 samples of tesserae of different shades and colours from Roman archaeological sites in the province of Salamanca (Spain), where pavements of opus tessellatum have been located. The tesserae were characterized by Mass Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and Spectrometry, in order to determine their origin, composition and technique of manufacture. Results could reveal to us the local production of certain tesserae and the existence of a commercial network through the Via de la Plata and its main roads in the Iberian Peninsula.We would like to thank to the Junta de Castilla y León for the economic support for the archaeological excavation in Los Villares (Salamanca).Peer reviewe