GEOCHEMISTRY OF PRE-ROMAN MILLSTONES COLLECTED FROM CENTRAL ALBANIA

Vesicular volcanic millstones have been collected as part of a surface survey from the Greek colony of Apollonia, central Albania, founded in the 6th and 7th centuries B.C. The survey is part of MRAP, a multi-disciplinary and diachronic archaeological expedition to investigate the history of prehistoric and historic settlement and land use in central Albania (http://river.blg.uc.edu/mrap/MRAP_en.html), and to explore the interaction between native Illyrians and Greek colonists. No volcanic rocks occur in the region surrounding Apollonia. The millstones, archaeologically and historically, are thought to originate from Italy via trade through Albania’s links to the Adriatic during the pre-Roman period. Eleven millstone samples were analyzed by XRF for major elements and Rb, Sr, Ni, Cr, Co, V, Zn, Cu, U, Th, Pb, Mo, Nb, Zr, and Y. The samples can be classified as calc-alkaline basaltic andesite and high-K basaltic trachy-andesite. Although our set of trace elements is incomplete, on the MORB-normalized spider diagram of Pearce (1983), the basaltic andesites have a within-plate pattern and the basaltic trachy-andesites have an arc-like pattern. Thus far, we have compared our Albanian millstones with lavas of Vesuvius, Etna, and Milos (Greece) and on the basis of major elements they must have a different provenance. Further comparative geochemistry, in addition to analysis of the petrography, mineralogy, and mineral chemistry of this set of millstones will be used to identify their source(s). Further sampling at the Apollonia site, as well as sampling of sites further inland and extended along the Albanian coastline will establish a larger sample set and will allow for intra-Albanian comparisons.