Majolica pottery sites, Gran Canaria

To assess the provenance of majolica pottery found in the Canary Islands, a sample of 55 sherds was obtained from two sites on Gran Canaria Island La Cueva Pintada (G ldar) and El Antiguo Convento de San Francisco (Las Palmas de Gran Canaria). The pottery was studied by X-ray fluorescence, instrumental neutron activation analysis, and X-ray diffraction. The results show one group that matches a reference group from Seville, an assessment that supports the historical record. However, the data also reveal samples whose provenance corresponds to other production centers on the Iberian Peninsula, such as Manises, Barcelona, and, possibly, an unknown Portuguese center. Moreover, it is possible that Italian and Dutch pottery have been identified thereby providing a complexity factor to the historical accounts. 

The purpose of this paper is to present a preliminary chemical and mineralogical assessment of majolica pottery found on Gran Canaria sites dating from the 15th—16th centuries as evidence of the important trade that occurred... 

The main objective of the present work is to study the provenance of majolica pottery found on important Gran Canaria Island archaeological sites that have been subject of archaeological research. Furthermore, by means of archaeometric characterization, the role played by the majolica produced in Seville that was documented historically as an import into the Canary Islands, is also assessed. Majolica from different production centers also is considered, thereby adding a complexity factor to the Canary trade relationships panorama in a historical period when, in theory, a very tight control existed over trade with the Americas. 

La Cueva Pintada, Gran Canaria Island, majolica pottery archaeological site, 378,379/ LA-ICP-MS (Laser ablation-... 

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