Provenance Studies of the Earliest Chinese Protoporcelain Using Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis

Abstract

The earliest protoporcelain was produced during the Shang Dynasty (17th–11th centuriesbc ) in China. By using instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA), minor and trace element concentrations were measured on 87 protoporcelain and other earthenware artefacts from five archaeological sites of Shang Dynasty. In order to characterize and classify these protoporcelain and earthenware samples, minor and trace element concentrations were studied with both principal components and discriminant analyses. The earthenware specimens from each site have distinctive chemical profiles. In contrast, protoporcelain wares from the five studied sites have similar compositional patterns, strongly suggesting the centralized production of protoporcelain. Earthenware and protoporcelain wares from the Wucheng site in southern China have similar chemical compositions, which may be attributed to the use of the same raw materials. It is most likely that Wucheng was one of the protoporcelain production centres during the Shang Dynasty. Deliberate selection of suitable raw material and application of high firing technique made Wucheng an appropriate site to produce the earliest protoporcelain in China.