Raman Microspectroscopic study of Iberian pottery from the La Vispesa archaeological site, Spain

Abstract

AbstractRaman microspectroscopy has been employed for the characterization of 16 samples of ancient Iberian pottery. These sherds of vessels were found in the archaeological site of La Vispesa in Tamarite de Litera (Huesca, Spain) and correspond to the Iberian time. The composition of certain mineral phases such as non‐plastic inclusions has been particularly considered with a view to obtaining information on the source materials and their provenance, as well as the technological conditions of ceramic production. Typical minerals such as calcite and quartz were found in most of the samples. The presence of anatase in a group of the samples suggested the use of different clays in the production of the vessels. Furthermore, the absence of rutile in these samples, together with the identification of calcite, is indicative of a mild firing temperature. Hematite was identified in all samples, both in the ceramic body and in the decoration. Differences in the position of the bands and relative intensities characterized hematite in terms of crystallinity and origin. An attempt to assign the samples to different production centers was made according to their chemical composition and morphology. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.