The paper examines diachronically the technological knowledge and the level of copper metallurgy at Kastro Palaia, Volos, in Magnesia, examining various objects with dates from the Early Bronze Age through to the Early Christian era. Of the 70 objects that have been examined so far using pXRF, a small sample was selected for further metallographic and chemical analyses. In this way, the manufacturing processes for the production of each object were identified, as well as the alloy used. Combining the results of these two methods with the typology of the objects provided safe conclusions concerning the technological knowledge and the specialisation of metal production at Kastro Palaia from the Bronze Age to the Early Christian era. In the end, the potential provenance of the copper was also examined. ARTICLE HISTORY

At Tsoukalia, Alonnisos, there are substantial remains of a fourth century BC transport amphora production site, consisting of dense surface scatters of ceramics and kiln debris. Typological studies have shown that Tsoukalia, together with other major coastal amphora workshop centres in the area of Sporades islands, participated in a trade network extending up to the Black Sea. The archaeological investigations in the area of the workshop, initiated in 1999, included surface survey, ethnographical studies, topographic mapping, geomorphological studies and geophysical survey. Geophysical techniques included magnetic (both fluxgate gradiometer and caesium gradiometer) and electromagnetic techniques and the application of ground-penetrating radar. Geophysical prospection was used to locate areas of specific archaeological interest and map the subsurface architectural remains of the site, enhancing the reconstruction of the diachronic land use of the site and the wider area of interest and contributing to the further understanding of the economic patterns of ancient Ikos.