Application of spectroscopic, microscopic and thermal techniques in archaeometric investigation of painted pottery from Kuriki (Turkey)

Abstract

The results of an archaeometric investigation on painted pottery obtained from the archaeological excavations carried out in Kuriki (southeastern Anatolia) are presented. It was intended to reveal the production features of the painted pottery which were occasionally unearthed from the sites dated to the Late Iron Age and Hellenistic period. The samples were subjected to spectroscopic (X-ray diffraction), microscopic (optical microscopy, scanning electron microscope/energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy) and thermal (thermogravimetric-differential thermal analysis) analysis techniques. It was deduced from the results that most of the ceramics were produced with calcareous clay batches. This assumption was supported by high amounts of CaO (detected through EDX), presence of calcite and occasionally the neo-formations (i.e. gehlenite, pyroxene) identified by XRD. The abundance of calcareous raw materials in the vicinity of the region therefore suggested a local production for the majority of the samples. Considering the mineral/phase contents of the potsherds and insufficient vitrification behavior in micro structure, the firing temperature of the samples was found to change between 700 °C and 900 °C, but mostly in the range of 800–900 °C. TG-DTA, used as a complementary technique, brought a convenient data in terms of elucidating the mineralogical content and the production properties. The same rock type (schist) determined through the petrographic analysis (OM) suggested that the raw materials used in production originated from the same or close sources. Finally, the results are compared with the outcome of the former archaeometric studies regarding the production features of various pottery types of Kuriki belonging to different time periods.