Footnote 5 – When Canaanites and Philistines Ruled Ashkelon

Neutron activation analysis can detect some of the rarest elements present in pottery. By comparing the chemical “fingerprint” of the potsherd to that of various clay sources, it is often possible to determine the provenance of pottery. See Maureen F. Kaplan,“Using Neutron Activation Analysis to Establish the Provenance of Pottery,” BAR 02:01.