Radiocarbon dating of bones can be very useful in archaeological contexts, especially when dealing with funerary deposits lacking material culture, e.g. pottery vessels. 14 C measurements of bone samples are usually performed on the extracted collagen residue. The content and the quality of collagen can vary significantly, mainly depending on bone preservation and diagenesis. Generally speaking, environmental conditions such as low pH level of soils, high temperatures, and percolating groundwaters, typical of arid and tropical zones, can affect the preservation of collagen; at the same time, bones recovered in such environments are more likely to be contaminated with carbon from the surrounding environment. Possible contamination of samples can also occur in temperate zones. While low collagen content is a condition we cannot overcome, we can use several chemical and elemental indicators in order to assess collagen quality. Among these, the C/N atomic ratio is considered a good parameter for detecting low-quality collagen and possibly contaminated samples. In a combustion and graphitization setup like that installed at INFN-LABEC, Florence, measurement can be easily performed using an elemental analyzer when combusting the sample prior to graphitization, thus requiring no extra effort (or extra amount of sample) during the preparation procedure. Bone samples recently 14 C dated at INFN-LABEC have confirmed that the measurement of C/N atomic ratios can give some indications of the collagen quality. The bone material was collected from 3 necropoles of the Bronze Age period in Cyprus (Erimi-Laonin tou Porakou, Lophou-Kolaouzou, and Erimi-Kafkalla&Pitharka, along the Kouris Valley), an area characterized by environmental conditions that do not favor bone preservation. Samples were treated to extract collagen and measured by accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS). 14 C results have been compared with the archaeological evidence, showing some relationship between measured C/N atomic ratios and collagen quality. In particular, when grouping the measured samples according to their C/N ratio, the agreement between 14 C dates and archaeological evidence is good or inconsistent when the C/N ratio clearly falls inside or outside the "recommended" range, respectively, with a still reasonable agreement also when it is slightly above the upper limit of that range.

Radiocarbon dating of bones can be very useful in archaeological contexts, especially when dealing with funerary deposits lacking material culture, e.g. pottery vessels. 14C measurements of bone samples are usually performed on the extracted collagen residue. The content and the quality of collagen can vary significantly, mainly depending on bone preservation and diagenesis. Generally speaking, environmental conditions such as low pH level of soils, high temperatures, and percolating groundwaters, typical of arid and tropical zones, can affect the preservation of collagen; at the same time, bones recovered in such environments are more likely to be contaminated with carbon from the surrounding environment. Possible contamination of samples can also occur in temperate zones. While low collagen content is a condition we cannot overcome, we can use several chemical and elemental indicators in order to assess collagen quality. Among these, the C/N atomic ratio is considered a good parameter for detecting low-quality collagen and possibly contaminated samples. In a combustion and graphitization setup like that installed at INFN-LABEC, Florence, measurement can be easily performed using an elemental analyzer when combusting the sample prior to graphitization, thus requiring no extra effort (or extra amount of sample) during the preparation procedure. Bone samples recently 14C dated at INFN-LABEC have confirmed that the measurement of C/N atomic ratios can give some indications of the collagen quality. The bone material was collected from 3 necropoles of the Bronze Age period in Cyprus (Erimi-Laonin tou Porakou, Lophou-Kolaouzou, and Erimi-Kafkalla&Pitharka, along the Kouris Valley), an area characterized by environmental conditions that do not favor bone preservation. Samples were treated to extract collagen and measured by accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS). 14C results have been compared with the archaeological evidence, showing some relationship between measured C/N atomic ratios and collagen quality. In particular, when grouping the measured samples according to their C/N ratio, the agreement between 14C dates and archaeological evidence is good or inconsistent when the C/N ratio clearly falls inside or outside the “recommended” range, respectively, with a still reasonable agreement also when it is slightly above the upper limit of that range.

Several plasters and mortars from the Middle Bronze Age site of Erimi – Laonin tou Porakou (Cyprus) were analysed in order to perform a technological characterization. Morphological (SEM), elemental (EDX), mineralogical (XRPD), petrographic (polarized OM, SEM–EDX), thermal (TGA) and spectroscopic (FT–IR) techniques were applied. Plasters and mortars were identified as pyrotechnological lime products, obtained using local raw materials and containing a moderate amount of spathic calcite fragments. The use of organic fibres was ascertained and a seminal use of a crumbled ceramic as additive was evidenced.

Ongoing excavations at the Middle Bronze Age site of Erimi Laonin tou Porakou (Cyprus) have been revealing substantial evidence for textile production and clues of its economic impact and social implications to this prehistoric community. The analysis of the architecture and artefacts recovered in the workshop complex, in combination with archaeobotanical evidence, has allowed us to identify the presence of different textile activities, including dyeing. An additional textile data-set comes from coeval extramural funerary contexts pertaining to the Erimi settlement. As a key-site for understanding textile production during the Middle Cypriot period (MC), Erimi offers a privileged viewpoint on a large array of social dynamics connected to textile work. This paper will discuss the impact of textile production in the transmission of knowledge and expertise, and in the construction of the community mindset by applying the model of Communities of Practice (CoP) as a theoretical background.

After decades of collaborative experience between archaeologists and radiocarbon scientists, with the aim at producing radiocarbon dates capable of answering the most various research questions, it is now widely recognized that an accurate sampling strategy is the cornerstone of a solid 14C-based chronology. In this paper, we discuss the sampling criteria required to obtain good quality 14C data within a challenging archaeological context like the Bronze Age site of Erimi Laonin tou Porakou (Limassol, Cyprus). Following a dedicated sampling strategy, in the productive complex of the settlement, charcoal samples were collected from secure contexts according to stratigraphic examination of excavated strata and analysis of associated features and material culture. Micromorphology was also applied for a more accurate interpretation of individual deposits and reconstruction of depositional and post-depositional processes. In the necropolis, bone samples were selected among the fragmentary and commingled human remains through evaluation of the preservation state and the minimum number of individuals (MNI). A discrepancy between the charcoal and the bone 14C determinations was encountered, probably due to old wood issues. The 14C dates were analyzed using a Bayesian model that incorporates the archaeological information, and a preliminary 14C-based chronology was defined for this site.