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Archaeomagnetic study of the Late Minoan Kiln 2, stratigraphical museum extension, Knossos

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 September 2013

D.H. Tarling  and
W.S. Downey
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Abstract

Analysis of 26 oriented samples shows a clear, distinct, stable magnetic remanence in 25 of them. The magnetic carrier is probably 1 mm diameter magnetite and the remanence has thermal characteristics. On this basis, the direction of the geomagnetic field was 355.2°, 60.9° α95 = 1.7° and its intensity was 67 + 8 μT at the time when the kiln was last fired in Late Minoan IB (LMIB) times. The directional parameters are identical to those of LMIB destruction levels in central Crete and with the Minoan Plinian ash layer on Thera, but the mean direction differs from those of LMIB destruction sites in eastern Crete and those of the base surge and higher Minoan volcanic ash deposits on Thera. It is considered that the kiln was last fired at an almost identical time to the LMIB destruction levels of central Crete which appears to have occurred several years before the LMIB destruction levels in eastern Crete.

Type
Articles
Information
Annual of the British School at Athens , Volume 84 , November 1989 , pp. 345 - 352
Copyright
Copyright © The Council, British School at Athens 1989

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References

Acknowledgements. We would like to thank the Greek authorities for their permission and for their willing assistance in our work in Greece. We would particularly thank Professor Christos Doumas, Professor Peter Warren and Dr Sandy McGillivray for their help and suggestions. Partial financial support was provided by the Science & Engineering Research Council and the study was carried out at the Nuffield Palaeomagnetic Laboratory of the University of Newcastle upon Tyne. We thank all colleagues for their assistance.

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2 Similar channelled kilns are known at other Minoan sites on Crete, e.g. Hagia Triada, Knossos (SE of the palace), Phaestos, Vathypetro and Kato Zakros.

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7 Showing a repeatability of ±1°.

8 Mean direction 354.4°, 59.3° − N = 26, k = 84, α95 = 3.1°.

9 The field required to reduce the initial intensity of remanence by half.

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