Investigating the firing technologies of Part-Roman potsherds excavated from Kuriki (Turkey) using thermal and vibrational spectroscopic techniques

Abstract

This work focuses on the firing technologies for representative Part-Roman potteries excavated from Kuriki (Turkey) using thermogravimetric differential thermal analysis (TG–DTA) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). X-ray diffraction (XRD), ceramic petrography, micro-Raman spectroscopy and colorimetric analyses were also performed as complementary techniques. TG–DTA results suggested that the potsherds were produced mainly with clay minerals rich in organic and calcareous materials. Absence of any intensive endothermic or exothermic effects on the DTA curves above 1000°C indicated to a maximum firing temperature of 900–1000°C for the samples. The FTIR and XRD results show that the potsherds include quartz, feldspars and plagioclase as major phases, clay and carbonated minerals as minor phases. Iron minerals (e.g. hematite, magnetite) were also identified by FTIR, micro-Raman and XRD analyses. According to our results and the absence of any ceramic kiln in the mound so far, it can be concluded that simple firing techniques (e.g. pit firing or bonfire) ending in an oxidative atmosphere have been used in the production of the Part-Roman potteries in Kuriki.