Characterization of Islamic Ceramic Production Techniques in Northeast Iberian Peninsula: The Case of Medieval Albarracin (Spain)

Josefina Pérez-Arantegui,Paz Marzo

doi:10.3390/app11167212

Abstract

Ceramic objects found in the Islamic Taifa of Albarracin (Spain), 12th century CE, were studied to ascertain the main characteristics and influences of its manufacture. Production centers even from small kingdoms can add new insights in medieval ceramic technology. Several types of decorated ceramics, such as tin-opacified glazed, monochrome glazed and cuerda seca, were investigated. Ceramic bodies were analyzed by ICP-Optical Emission Spectrometry, and glazes were studied by Scanning Electron Microscopy with Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectrometry. All the ceramic bodies showed the use of Ca-rich pastes, although three groups could be distinguished and related to their decoration. Lead and silicon were the main components of the glazes, as well as scattered tin oxide in the case of white or green opacified glazes. Some features, such as calcareous bodies, double firing for tin-opacified glazes, glaze components, and coloring oxides, were common in Albarracin samples and other Islamic production centers in the Iberian Peninsula. However, some differences were also highlighted in lead/silica proportions and cuerda seca decoration, and several influences from northern or southern pottery centers. Lead isotope ratios, measured by ICP-Quadrupole Mass Spectrometry, revealed two different sources or suppliers of lead raw materials according to the type of glaze to be prepared.

Highlights

Published: 5 August 2021Islamic ceramic manufacture in northern al-Andalus is less known; the study of production centers from some small, but splendorous, kingdoms in the Peninsula can improve general knowledge and add new insights into medieval ceramic technology
The Iberian Peninsula was part of the Islamic culture since the 8th century CE, but it was in the 10th century CE when it reached its political independence from the Damascus caliphate
Chemical compositional data of ceramic bodies obtained by ICP-OES were treated statistically by hierarchical clustering analysis using eight variables (Na, Mg, Al, K, Ca, Ti, Mn, and Fe) and Euclidean distances between samples (Ward method) to group them. This multivariate statistical treatment (Figure 3) revealed several differentiated groups whose compositions are summarized in Table 1

Summary

Introduction

Published: 5 August 2021Islamic ceramic manufacture in northern al-Andalus (the Muslim part of the IberianPeninsula) is less known; the study of production centers from some small, but splendorous, kingdoms in the Peninsula can improve general knowledge and add new insights into medieval ceramic technology. The Iberian Peninsula was part of the Islamic culture since the 8th century CE, but it was in the 10th century CE when it reached its political independence from the Damascus caliphate. At the beginning of the 11th century CE, al-Andalus was divided in small kingdoms (called Taifas), such as Toledo, Cordoba, Granada, or Zaragoza (Figure 1). This was the case of Albarracin Taifa. Albarracin is a town located in the NE of the Iberian Peninsula, in a mountain range in the current Aragon. Its good situation in an environment with lots of natural resources (water, vegetation and animals) has favored human habitation since ancient periods, as is shown by the rock art found in the surroundings that dates from the 6th millennium

Methods

Results

Conclusion