QXRD, XRF and optical microscopy applied to characterization and provenance of ancient ceramics from Haft Teppeh (1500 – 1150 BC), southwest Iran

Abstract

Classifications of Archaeological discoveries are an essential feature for better interpretation of the extractive data from a case excavation. The question that will be focused on in this paper is; which of the parameters – raw materials or manufacturing processes – have changed during the time in an ancient archaeological place. The materials used in this research are ceramic pieces from archaeological excavations carried out in Haft-Tappeh, south-western Iran that chronologically belonging to the middle Elamite period (1500 B.C.). Samples classified firstly by their exterior characters. According to obtained results from quantitative X-ray diffraction and phase refining by Rietveld, it has become possible to characterize the data for clustering the samples in different groups. Observation by polarized light microscopy produced additional information about the manufacturing as well as the processing of the different admixtures used by ancient potters. Mineralogical- chemical interpretation of ceramics based on x-ray methods proved a dissimilar thermal behaviour due to different fabrication conditions during the same period. The results provided principally information on the existence of a common raw material reservoir but different manufacturing technique in pottering during middle Elamite period in Haft-Tappeh.