Leave no mudstone unturned: Geochemical proxies for provenancing mudstone temper sources in South-Western Cyprus

A variety of ceramic fabrics bearing mudstone inclusions (either naturally existing in the clay or added as temper) are attested in several sites in South-Western (SW) Cyprus. Within the Mamonia terrane of SW Cyprus mudstone-bearing lithologies are divided into two main groups. Sediments of the Ayios Photios group (sandstones, siltstones, mudstones, calcarenites, occasional limestones and chert) were deposited in marine conditions and close to the continental slope. In contrast, the contemporaneous Dhiarizos group contains radiolarian mudstones and cherts deposited in deep-sea conditions. Mudstones and cherts from both formations share similar macroscopic characteristics (distinctive red colour, fine texture) and can be confused for one another, especially when examined only as small-scale ceramic inclusions. Being able to differentiate between the different inclusion types and to link them to one of the two formations leads to useful conclusions regarding the provenance of ceramic samples within the Mamonia terrane. In this case study, geological samples from relevant mudstone sources were analysed as reference materials to describe the possible types of mudstone inclusions. Sr and Pb isotopic data were the primary means for distinguishing between the two major formations, as they closely relate to the differences in depositional setting. Based on the established isotopic classification, microtextural analysis and elemental mapping data were also compared to determine if members of the two formations are distinguishable at this level. Finally, as the isotopic approach proved to be the one offering better results, a theoretical outline for utilizing this type of information to determine the provenance of mudstones in ceramic sherds is presented.