Abstract
The present work is aimed at the investigation of the ceramic bulk and pigmented glazed surfaces of ancient potteries dating back to XIX century A.D. and coming from the charming archeological site located in the Medieval Agsu town (Azerbaijan), a geographic area of special interest due to the ancient commercial routes between China, Asia Minor, and Europe. For the purpose of the study, complementary investigation tools have been exploited: non-destructive or micro-destructive investigation at elemental level by ion beam analysis (IBA) techniques, by using Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry (RBS), Proton-Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE) spectroscopy and ion-microbeam analysis, and chemical characterization at microscopic level, by means of synchrotron radiation (SR) Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) microspectroscopy. The acquired information reveals useful for the identification of the provenance, the reconstruction of the firing technology, and finally, the identification of the pigment was used as a colorant of the glaze.
Highlights
Pottery represents the most abundant finds in the archaeological excavations and its appearance is highly influenced by the cultural-social changes
The ceramic body and the decorated surface of the samples have been preliminary characterized at elemental scale by particle Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry (RBS) and Proton Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE) spectroscopy
synchrotron radiation (SR)-Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis was performed on the same samples, in order to define, at the μm scale, raw materials, pigments, and binders used for the potteries production, so achieving crucial information in order to clarify technological features and preparation processes typical of the local population
Summary
Pottery represents the most abundant finds in the archaeological excavations and its appearance (vessel shape, style) is highly influenced by the cultural-social changes. Chemical reactions of individual components take place, change the chemical composition, and if the firing process is long enough lead to the formation of interlayers on interfaces In such cases, the use of multi-analytical techniques, preserving the integrity of the object as much as possible, has revealed successful in order to define raw materials and pigments used for the production of some representative pottery samples [7,8,9]. The ceramic body and the decorated surface of the samples have been preliminary characterized at elemental scale by particle Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry (RBS) and Proton Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE) spectroscopy. SR-FTIR analysis was performed on the same samples, in order to define, at the μm scale, raw materials, pigments, and binders used for the potteries production, so achieving crucial information in order to clarify technological features and preparation processes typical of the local population. Starting from them, the reproduction of similar materials in accordance with the ancient recipes, to be used in the restoration works, can be attempted
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