»The origins of the lapis lazuli from the Mycenaean tombs of Kakovatos«
OEAI Lecture Series
»The origins of the lapis lazuli from the Mycenaean tombs of Kakovatos: Geochemical Analyses«
Michael Brandl, Birgitta Eder | ÖAI
In order to explore the network of resources and long-distance relations that led to the import of the prestigious blue stone into the Aegean, Mycenaean lapis lazuli jewelry was scientifically analysed for the first time. For the pilot project that takes place in cooperation with the National Archaeological Museum in Athens, twelve fragments of beads and inlays from the early Mycenaean tholos tombs of Kakovatos were chosen as starting point. The results of the archaeometric analysis show the possibility to trace the origin of archaeological lapis lazuli objects to distinct source regions. Future investigations will explore the potential to assign lapis artefacts to individual deposits within these larger areas.