@article{2932167,
    title = "New constraints on geomagnetic field intensity variations in the Balkans during the Early Byzantine period from ceramics unearthed at Thasos and Delphi, Greece",
    author = "Agnès Genevey and Despoina Kondopoulou and Platon Petridis and Elina Aidona and Arthur Muller and Francine Blondé and Jean-Sebastien Gros",
    journal = "Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports",
    year = "2018",
    volume = "21",
    number = "1",
    pages = "952-961",
    publisher = "Elsevier",
    issn = "2352-409X",
    keywords = "Archeomagnetism, Archeointensity, Secular Variation, Greece, Early Byzantine Period, Pottery, Αρχαιομαγνητισμός, Κεραμική, Πρωτοβυζαντινή περίοδος",
    abstract = "We report on five new archeomagnetic field intensity data obtained in Greece from groups of pottery fragments
precisely dated to between the middle of the fourth century and the beginning of the seventh century CE. These
potsherds were unearthed on the island of Thasos (Northern Greece) and at Delphi (Central Greece). Their dating
is primarily ensured by typo-morphological arguments, combined with archeological and historical constraints.
Archeointensity measurements were performed using the Triaxe protocol, which involves continuous magnetization
measurements at high temperatures and which allows us to overcome the thermoremanent magnetization
anisotropy and cooling rate effects. Magnetic mineralogy measurements such as low-field magnetic
susceptibility versus temperature and thermal demagnetization of three orthogonal IRM components have identified magnetite with possible impurities as the main carrier of the magnetization. The new data range from
52.0μT to 61.5μT after reduction to Thessaloniki and show an increase in geomagnetic field intensity in Greece
during the Early Byzantine period. They appear in good agreement with previous intensity results satisfying a
set of quality criteria and obtained in a region of 700 km around Thessaloniki, therefore incorporating data
from Bulgaria, Greece and South Italy. This study is part of an ongoing effort to better constrain the evolution
in geomagnetic field intensity in the Balkans over the past few millennia, with potential use for dating in archeology.
The rapid intensity variations documented here during the Early Byzantine period are clearly of interest in
this respect."
}