SEM-EDS and XRF characterization of obsidian bladelets from Portonovo (AN) to identify raw material provenance.

The two unique Early Neolithic obsidian bladelets found among the numerous ovens identified at the site of Portonovo (AN) were analysed. Non-destructive chemical analyses of the glass, by SEM-EDS and XRF, allowed the source rock region to be identified as the island of Lipari. As the bladelets are very fragile and thin, and present a pumice texture, the surfaces of the samples were protected with very thin aluminium foil before they were prepared and analysed with SEM-EDS. A sample holder closed at the bottom with a Mylar © film was used to allow the tiny specimens to be analysed by XRF. The provenance is then discussed in the context of the literature on obsidian provenance in Early to Late Neolithic sites in the middle Adriatic regions of the Marche and Abruzzo