Archaeometric studies of Byzantine pottery from Hârşova-Carsium, Romania

Abstract

A set of 36 ceramic shards excavated at Hârşova, Romania, dated to the 11th century A.D., was investigated using Optical Microscopy (OM) and PIXE (Particle Induced X-ray Emission). The study aimed at revealing the raw materials and the manufacturing techniques employed by the potters from the Lower Danube zone during the Byzantine period and to distinguish the local products from the supposedly imported ones. The division of the ceramic shards based on stylistic grounds was refined by the petrographic observations that identified four types of fabrics. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) of the PIXE data singled out two categories of ceramic: one made from kaolinitic clays and another produced from local sedimentary resources, with or without temper addition. Micro-PIXE scans of the interfaces between the green glaze and the underlying ceramic body indicated a high Pb content in the decorative layers. Glazing was made through the application of PbO onto a non-calcareous clay body. The petrographic and compositional data interpreted in correlation with archaeological information led to the characterization of a representative assemblage of ceramic finds from the Byzantine period, subject rarely tackled in the scientific literature.