Recent Publications on Archaeological Ceramic Analyses and their Contributions to the Study of Ancient Pottery Technology

While oxidation products of unsaturated fatty acids, for example dicarboxylic acids (hereafter diacids), must form during the use of unglazed ceramic vessels for the processing of animal and plant products, such components have never been observed during studies of absorbed lipids. Their absence from the extractable lipid fraction is presumed to be the result of their loss from potsherds through groundwater leaching. Lipid oxidation products including short-chain dicarboxylic acids, ω-hydroxy acids and longer-chain hydroxy and dihydroxy acids have now been observed as components probably covalently bound into solvent insoluble residues of potsherds recovered from waterlogged deposits. These components were only revealed following alkaline treatment of the insoluble residues. A similar mixture of diacids was observed in high abundance in the free lipid fraction of vessels recovered from an exceptionally arid deposit where groundwater leaching would never have occurred. These results confirm the formation of oxidation and probable polymerization products of unsaturated fatty acids during vessel use and burial.

In archaeological research, pottery analysis is of importance for relative dating and reconstructing daily life, as well as for understanding trade patterns and cultural contacts. Trade patterns in table ware and commodities carried in pottery containers can help illuminate the economy and administration of an ancient society. The production technology of pottery, and especially its mode of production, can also reflect social, economic, and political realities in a general manner. However, according to many ethnographic and archaeological studies, the technology of pottery production is relatively conservative, and does not change rapidly.

The article is devoted to presenting a brief history of the organization and carrying out for 25 years Samara expedition to the experimental study of ancient pottery. Organization of this expedition was due to the need to solve problems related to the study of ancient pottery techniques. The authors examined the concept of cultural tradition in the pottery and is designed structure of the experiment in the field of pottery technology. The main task of technological research in the framework of historical and cultural areas developed A.A.Bobrinskim, is the study of traces of in fractures and on the surface of archaeological vessels arising from the use of certain methods of the ancient potters work. The result of technological research is the reconstruction of the cultural traditions that have existed among the study population. Methods of studying pottery technology is based on a binocular microscope, trasologii and experiment in the form of physical modeling and assumes the reference series. The objectives of the expedition was to create a basic reference collections for all the stages of pottery production, as well as experiments on the problems arising in the analysis of particular archaeological ceramics. The article analyzes the realized expedition general and individual programs in two areas: research and education, and provides a list of reference collections of feedstock, molding compositions and methods for treating surfaces that are available for study.

Combining historical, archaeological and experimental data, traditional and archaeological ceramics, from the Santarem district, with different chronology and functions have been studied. Our aim is to understand ancient pottery technology and to evaluate whether ceramic production followed similar principles in the Middle Ages (from the Islamic to the Christian domination) and Modern times. Moreover, traditional ceramics, knowing the productive process, have been used as a tool to interpret ancient pottery technology. We considered different utilitarian ceramic groups, namely fire, table and food-liquid container wares. Through the combination of optical microscopy (OM), X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF) with physical and mechanical tests, it has been possible to collect valuable information regarding pottery manufacturing, considering the age and the object function. Moreover, it is also considered the effect of raw materials mixing and ceramic paste preparation on ceramics final characteristics. Our results indicate that both during the Middle Ages and in Modern times, technical expertise played, and still play, a fundamental role in the creation of a specific object. In this specific case, behavioural and socio-cultural factor drove ceramists’ decision when selecting between different technological solutions, and every decision or technical choice is/was taken depending on the functional and performance characteristics desired for a specific artefact. This happened during the Middle Ages, and is still happening nowadays for the production of traditional ceramics in the district of Santarem, Portugal.

Instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) is one of the most widely used analytical methods for bulk chemical characterization of ceramic pastes, owing to its relatively simple sample preparation procedures, the small sample mass required, and low detection limits for most elements of interest. At least fifty major, minor, and trace elements spanning the main geochemical element groups can be readily determined to the percent, ppm or ppb level, although sensitivity varies by element. In this chapter we provide an overview of the fundamental principles of activation analysis, and describe the steps typically followed in sample preparation, irradiation, gamma spectroscopy, and elemental analysis. In addition, we detail the strengths and weaknesses of INAA for archaeological ceramic studies, and illustrate a few of the many applications that have made INAA the mainstay for studies involving ceramic provenance, the organization of pottery production, and ceramic technology.

Technological analysis of Capacha pottery from the Colima Valley (western Mexico) by ED-XRF and thin-section petrography

Microscale distribution and concentration of preserved organic molecules with carbon–carbon double bonds in archaeological ceramics: relevance to the field of residue analysis

The study of ceramic is one of the broadest research areas in archaeological sciences. Over the last two centuries, archaeologists have developed a number of approaches and methods that have had different goals of the studies: from the study of ceramics as an object of art to the reproduction of the manufacture technologies, and the study of pottery as a «mediator» for the study of everyday life of the ancient population. From the end of the XIX century of the archaeological research scholars looking for different algorithms and strategies in the ceramic studies and attributions. To the end of the XX century, ceramics studies became more complex: from pottery as an object to the technology of the manufacture. Scholars defined methodological groups of the ceramic’s investigation as 1. the description of the technologic information; 2. Form description; 3. Patterns analyses; 4. Reconstruction of the cultural traditions of the pottery. Different methodic together with physical-chemical analyses can prove a theoretical hypothesis. Together with the development of physical methods in archaeological research should also develop the methods of form and pattern analyses and fit to the new archaeological theories’ concepts The purpose of the article is a brief review of the scientific methods developed at different times in Western and Eastern Europe, North America, and to discover new combinations of research approaches that would allow archaeological ceramic complexes to be explored at a new level. This is especially true of the difficulties encountered in the study of Neolithic utensils, given the incomplete forms of utensils, the relatively small number of finds, and natural damage. The new paradigm in ceramics investigations is the studies of the raw material of Neolithic cera-mics using natural methods of analysis, such as binocular, p-XRF, spectrographic analyses. The results may open up new knowledge regarding the mobility of the ancient population and the cultural exchange between different groups of the Neolithic population. Key words: Neolithic, ceramic studies, pottery, migration, cultural exchange.

The final stage in the life history of prehistoric pottery prior to archaeological recovery is usually the longest, and frequently the most dynamic. The remains of archaeological ceramics spend hundreds to thousands of years deposited within the upper layers of the earth’s crust where they encounter the same diagenetic environmental processes as the surrounding natural materials. Harsh conditions of subterranean environments induce physical stresses and chemical reactions, causing alterations of ceramic structure and composition. This is especially true of carbonate-rich ceramics, as carbonate phases are soluble when deposited within acidic environments. This paper examines common carbonate depletion and accretion effects of post-depositional environments on ancient ceramics from two rather different geological and archaeological contexts: Mesoamerica and the Mediterranean. Potters in both regions produce vessels with carbonate-rich materials—clays, calcite, limestone—that alter due to long exposure to low-pH sediments and continual water table fluctuations. Ceramic petrography is employed to identify traces of carbonate alterations within ceramic microstructure and to characterize fabrics. Elemental compositions of the same sherds are characterized through either scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive spectrometry (SEM-EDS), inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and optical emission spectrometry (ICP-MS/OES) or neutron activation analysis (NAA). This method enabled comparison of the differing effects of post-depositional alteration of carbonate phases on bulk composition signatures commonly used to determine provenance.

The Formative Caddo Period (A.D. 850-1100) of eastern Oklahoma was marked by dramatic material and ritual changes, culminating in the construction of aggregated villages and ceremonial centers. Formative Caddo groups are notable for their highly complex and ritually-charged ceramic vessels that were unlike anything archeologists have seen in the American Southeast. Tracing the rapid development and spread of this early fine ware assemblage across a variety of social, ritual, and mortuary contexts is key to understanding the shared religious and ritual traditions of the pre-Columbian Arkansas River valley and surrounding Coastal Plain drainages. Yet despite nearly 60 years of archeological research, insight is still lacking into the organization of Formative Caddo ceramic production and the mechanics of exchange between the northern and southern Caddo areas. While archeologists have shown Formative Caddo fine wares were locally produced in the Red River valley and surrounding Coastal Plain drainages, they have assumed that Caddo people in Arkansas River valley and Ozark Plateau locally produced them. However, they are not recovered from the same contexts across both Caddo areas. Formative Caddo pottery is commonly found in both domestic and ritual contexts at Coastal Plain sites but are restricted to ritual contexts at ceremonial centers on the Ozark Plateau. The ritual contexts in which Formative Caddo ceramics are recovered are also quite different. At Coastal Plain ceremonial centers, such as George C. Davis in Texas and Crenshaw in Arkansas, Formative Caddo ceramics were deposited in off-mound, on-mound, and mortuary contexts. Yet, at ceremonial centers of the Ozark Plateau, such as Spiro, Harlan, and Brackett in Oklahoma, Formative Caddo ceramics were deposited exclusively in mortuary contexts. The marked contrast between Formative Caddo pottery use and deposition between the northern and southern ceremonial centers provides insight into the development of Formative Caddo ritual practices and traditions. It suggests there may be fundamental differences in the ritual programs of the northern and southern Caddo areas. To examine the emergence and spread of these traditions, I am conducting a regional-scale study of the production and distribution of Formative Caddo pottery in the northern and southern Caddo areas. This project has two major components. First, it involves the analysis of clay chemical composition of 264 fine ware sherds from five ceremonial sites in the Arkansas River Basin. I applied for and was granted a National Science Foundation Dissertation Improvement Grant to pay for Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA) on these sherds. Once the INAA is completed, I will compare the Arkansas Basin results with previously generated elemental sourcing data from the Coastal Plain region. Secondly, this project involves a stylistic analysis of the forms and designs on 199 fine ware vessels to understand their overall design grammar and structure. The sites to be studied include Spiro, Harlan, Norman, Reed, and Brackett in the Arkansas River drainage and Crenshaw, Boxed Springs, George C. Davis, and Mounds Plantation in the Gulf Coastal Plain region. I hypothesize that either (1) Formative Caddo fine wares found in the Arkansas River basin were imported from the Red River valley and surrounding Coastal Plain drainages, where they were fabricated, or (2) Formative Caddo vessels were manufactured in the Arkansas River Basin, but intended use was restricted for mortuary purposes. Whether the first or second hypothesis is supported by this research, it will determine whether this is a single or separate communities of practice, and will have major implications for how we view the integration of these communities and the origins of Caddo ritual traditions.

In 2021, seven test trenches were excavated by the base of the Central Tower using random sampling techniques. The purpose of the excavation was to assess the potential for conservation and landscaping projects planned for the area north of the Phaselis city center. Although the trenches are independent from each other, they were determined systematically. The finds indicate the production of ceramics and amphorae. In relation to this production organization, numerous fragments of broken or incomplete amphorae were also found in the area. Their discovery sheds light on the production organization of Phaselis. Among them are locally produced Phaselis amphorae, which have recently been introduced to the literature, as well as imported and imitation amphorae. New types of Phaselis amphorae were also identified based on their morphological characteristics. This study focuses on the forms belonging to Type 3 Phaselis amphorae, as faulty examples of this type were identified. The studies conducted in these test trenches revealed a new ceramic dumpster (bothros) and amphora production area in addition to the Hellenistic Temple Area. The production of ceramics and amphorae was carried out in different areas in a process-dependent manner, as shown chronologically. The aim is to reveal the production and consumption organization in the area from the fifth century BC to the third century BC. A new ceramic dumpsite and amphora production area are introduced to the literature.

Potteries, ceramics and their production methods in the ancient world are one of the most important items for researching about the cultural heritage materials (Riederer, 1994). The processing of material being used for making ceramics and mineralogical investigations for understanding the production process, mainly firing, are among the most important goals of the present investigations. Scientific studies on archaeological ceramics, based on laboratory methods carried out over decades and are known as ceramography (All-Saad, 2002). Studying the old objects give not only substantial information about the manufacturing in the past but also provides information about the processing of structures in such primitive materials (Letsch & Noll, 1983). Recognition of the evolution of ceramics is among the most important questions that has attracted the focus of archaeological researches. Apart from them, these ceramics being one of the oldest industries and arts, has become nowadays as one of the most modern research sciences for human being. In archaeological researches is also important to know about the procedure of manufacturing (in this case ceramics) in the daily life of nations (Fazeli et al, 2001). Beside archaeological investigations, cramography methods are useful and suitable ways for classification ancient ceramics and could help archaeologists to classify them with high accuracy. This investigation resulted in more accurate classification of some ceramics found in Persepolis World Heritage Site and showed high quality manufacturing process which used to make these ceramics (Maggetti, 1982). The great consideration on these kinds of ceramics is due to their variation of raw materials which have been used for manufacturing, and additionally ceramics from Achaemenian period are recognized as transfer materials between two considerable dynasties in Iran, namely Elamite to Achaemenian. This transfer is marked as transfer through out of evidences and prominently also technical evidences. To characterization ceramic matrices, some samples of ancient ceramic pieces from Persepolis (Takht-e Djamshid) world heritage site were selected. These samples were examined with Atomic Force microscopy (AFM-PFM) (Emami et al, 2008 & Maggetti, 1982).

List of illustrations List of tables Acknowledgments 1. Introduction Part I. Ceramic Production and Consumption in Los Tuxtlas: 2. The ceramic production environment 3. Ceramic production in Los Tuxtlas 4. Ceramic consumption in Los Tuxtlas Part II. Ceramic Production and Spatial Organization: 5. Archaeological approaches to ceramic production 6. Spatial organization and ceramic production 7. Disposal patterns within production houselots Part III. Application and Implication: 8. Ceramic production organization in archaeological perspective 9. Conclusions Bibliography.

New archaeological research in Borno by the Johann-Wolfgang-Goethe-Universität, Frankfurt am Main, Germany, has included the analysis of pottery excavated from several sites during the 1990s. This important investigation made us search through our old files for a statistical analysis of pottery from the same region, which although completed in 1981 was never published. The material came from approximately one hundred surface collections and seven excavated sites, spread over a wide area, and resulted from fieldwork in the 1960s and 1970s. Although old, the analysis remains relevant because it provides a broad geographical context for the more recent work, as well as a large body of independent data with which the new findings can be compared. It also indicates variations in both time and space that have implications for the human history of the area, hinting at the ongoing potential of broadscale pottery analysis in this part of West Africa and having wider implications of relevance to the study of archaeological pottery elsewhere.

Ceramics is the first artificial material ever created by a human and it allows to expand the variety of methods that applied to ancient pottery research. The article concerns data on physical, petrographic, chemical and geochemical analyses of Neolithic and medieval ceramics. Complex analysis of ancient pottery using natural sciences techniques aimed at solution of clearly defined research questions is essential in tackling actual problems of archaeological study. Considering the data acquired by the conduction of physical and chemical analysis of Neolithic ceramics of Karelia and petrographic analysis of comb-pit and rhomb-pit ceramics of White Sea, Ladoga and Onega basins we managed to identify and characterize main components of ceramic pastes, its quantitative relation and to define conditions of firing procedure. The latest techniques of geochemical analyses were applied to study of medieval pottery of ancient Karelian hillforts. New data on chemical and mineralogical composition of ceramic paste was obtained; moreover there were identified imported vessels in Karelian ware and also the place of production for some of them.