Ancient Potters Research Articles

Tracing the origin of raw materials used for the production of ancient ceramics: a case study of multi-period archaeological sites in the Turopolje area (Continental Croatia)

The selection of raw materials for ancient pottery production was influenced by a variety of technological and cultural factors, underscoring the importance of characterising these materials to understand the technology of ancient societies. This research examines ancient ceramics from two multi-period archaeological sites: Staro Čiče-Gradišće (Neolithic, Copper Age, Copper/Early Bronze Age, Early Bronze Age, Late Bronze Age, Roman period, and Late Mediaeval period) and Kurilovec-Belinščica (Early Bronze Age and Middle/Late Bronze Age), alongside potential clayey raw materials collected near these settlements. Using a multi-analytical approach (optical microscopy, X-ray powder diffraction, mass and emission spectrometry, and laser granulometry), the research aims to determine the characteristics of the paste recipes (raw clay and tempers) and to examine the type and provenience of the raw materials used for ancient pottery production over different periods of the past (from the Neolithic to the Late Mediaeval period). The results showed that ancient potters preferred to use moderately plastic, sandy clay, while Bronze Age potters often used highly plastic clay. Potters utilised various non-plastic tempering materials, such as sands and gravels, grog, and mollusc shells, with their choice being influenced by the need to enhance technological properties as well as by regional and culturally determined pottery traditions. Most of the ceramics are of local origin, made from easily available raw materials that represent flood sediments of the nearby Sava River. However, non-local materials were detected in Neolithic samples, indicating the presence of exchange networks among those communities.

Ancient and historical cooking pots and food: an eternal communion. A topical review

AbstractThis contribution provides a topical view at and review of traditional clay‐based utilitarian cooking pots that were used for millennia to prepare, serve, display, and distribute foodstuff. Key mechanical and thermal properties of ceramic cooking vessels will be discussed and strategies of property optimization outlined. In addition, some important chemical changes food constituents undergo during cooking will be explained. Mass‐produced ancient ceramic cooking pots from Neolithic Mesopotamia have revolutionized the art of cooking by allowing foodstuff to be processed in water. As an example of successfully optimizing the properties of cooking vessels, emphasis is being given to Indigenous prehistoric North American ware of the Mississippian culture (c. 800 to 1600 CE) that show impressively how ancient potters overcame the technological challenges posed by essentially unsuitable smectite‐rich clays with extreme plasticity and high swell–shrink ratio by adding copious amounts of burnt mussel shells as temper material.

Preliminary results of a multi-analytical study of ceramic technology in one of the earliest agropastoral villages of Northwestern Argentina (La Ciénega valley, ca. 200 BC- AD 900)

The adoption of productive economies and settled life around the world constituted a pivotal moment in human history, one that reconfigured people’s relationships with the environment, non-humans, and material culture, including the invention of ceramic technology. This paper presents a multi-analytical study of ceramic technology among early agricultural societies of Northwestern Argentina (ca. 200 BC-AD 900) obtained through a suite of chemical, physical, and mineralogical techniques. The results from pXRF, XRD, XRF, and SEM-EDS compositional analysis indicate homogeneity in the raw materials used. The results allowed us to observe textural and intended use performance differences among ware groups that expanded our knowledge about ceramic technology in early agricultural societies. We argue that textural and performance differences reflect distinct technologies choices used by ancient potters to enhance pots’ performance in everyday food activities. We propose that a combined multiscalar consideration from the naked-eye examination of sherds to the elemental characterization of ceramics allows moving beyond isolated considerations of chemical composition or mineralogical characteristics to a single, integrated view of crafting as fulfilling important roles in everyday household tasks.

Ethnoarchaeological examination of workspaces for rural producers of market-oriented wares

Communities of traditional female potters produced thousands of utilitarian market-oriented wares from local clays on the islands of Cyprus and Luzon in the 1980s. They worked inside and outside their homes, together with members of their nuclear family, or in a communal workspace. Although the physical evidence of production tends to be sparse, the two ethnoarchaeological studies of craft specialists discussed here provide clues to identify ancient potters who worked in their household courtyards. In Cyprus, a partial move to a dedicated village workspace, away from home courtyards, initiated the use of a communal kiln and a shift from reliance on help from spouses and children. At the same time, continuity prevailed for independent potters who continued to work at home. The household production of market-oriented pottery, by male and female craftspeople in Cyprus and the Philippines, supported their family and village while meeting the needs of customers in villages and towns.

Ceramic Fine Wares of Natakamani and the Problem of Identifying the “Imperial Style” in the Material Culture of Meroe (Sudan)

The article analyzes ceramic fine wares of the ancient Meroitic Kingdom, made of white kaolinite clays (“eggshell wares”). This pottery appeared not earlier than the 1st century B.C. and gained popularity in the 1st–2nd centuries A.D., during the reign of king Natakamani and his successors. The kaolinite clays required professionalism and specific skills from ancient potters, as well as the availability of improved pottery wheels and kilns. Clay deposits were located near Meroe Royal City and in several other regions. The vessels were decorated with stamped or painted decoration in Egyptian or Hellenistic style and were distributed from Sennar and Abu Geili in the south to Karanog and Shablul in the north, being a clear marker of the Meroitic civilization. These complex wares could not be produced locally and became a marketable commodity. The morphological assortment of Meroitic fine wares is quite modest, while standardization of the shape and volume is noticeable, which may indicate centralized control over pottery workshops. The stylistic uniformity of the vessels suggests the existence of a special “Imperial” style of pottery in the time of Natakamani and his successors. At the same period plans of settlements, the architecture of palaces and temples, cult objects also demonstrated uniformity, which could be associated with state control of administrative centers and craft workshops. The decline of royal power in the 3rd – mid-4th centuries A.D. was synchronous with the degradation of Meroitic fine kaolin ceramics and its gradual replacement with wadi clays of grayish-beige colour and simplified decoration.

Making Vessels for the Dead: Pottery-Making Practices, Chaîne Opératoire and the Use of Grog (Crushed Sherds) as a Technological and Cultural Choice during Late and Inca Periods in the Northwestern Argentine Region (Southern Andes)

Abstract Pottery-making practices have been approached by the use and application of the concept of chaîne opératoire in different parts of the world. This concept has allowed researchers to re-evaluate the social dimensions of technological studies as well as to explore aspects related to technical and social identity of ancient and modern artisans. In this article, we examine the use of grog (crushed sherds) to temper specific ceramic vessels (infant funerary urns) as material practice often used by ancient potters during Late (c. 950–1450 AD) and Inca (c. 1450–1532 AD) Periods in the Northwestern Argentine (NWA) region. The research shows that this practice can be understood as a ritual material practice with a long-standing tradition in the NWA region. Additionally, several alternative interpretations of this practice are explored in the light of different – animistic – understandings of how the Andean world works, and how people interact each other, with material things, and with landscape.

Manufacturing technique for Jizhou painted porcelains in the Yuan dynasty and its influence on coloring

The Jizhou kiln was an important production center of the painted porcelains in Southern China during the Song and Yuan dynasties. The manufacturing technique of the painted porcelains in the Jizhou kiln potentially facilitated the emergence of the well-known blue-and-white porcelains in Jingdezhen. Herein, the chemical compositions and microstructures of the bodies, glazes and paintings of Jizhou painted porcelains from the Yuan dynasty were investigated through X-ray fluorescence (XRF), optical microscopy (OM), Raman spectroscopy and field emission scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM‒EDS) to clarify the manufacturing characteristics of Jizhou painted porcelains and their impact on the coloring mechanism. The results showed that the bodies of Jizhou painted porcelains were made of local clay and those transparent glazes were made of local sericite-rich clay and botanic ashes. Black‒brown painted porcelains and red‒brown painted porcelains were methodically made by ancient potters by controlling pigment formulation, painting techniques and firing schedules. The colors of the black‒brown painting and the red‒brown painting were related to the α-Fe2O3 particles in the iron-rich minerals used in the pigment and the iron oxide crystals (α-Fe2O3 and ε-Fe2O3) precipitated on the glaze surface, respectively.

Inferring the age and sex of ancient potters from fingerprint ridge densities: A data-driven, Bayesian mixture modelling approach

The density of epidermal ridges in a fingerprint varies predictably by age and sex. Archaeologists are therefore interested in using recovered fingerprints to learn about the ancient people who produced them. Recent studies focus on estimating the age and sex of individuals by measuring their fingerprints with one of two similar metrics: mean ridge breadth (MRB) or ridge density (RD). Yet these attempts face several critical problems: expected values for adult females and adolescent males are inherently indistinguishable, and inter-assemblage variation caused by biological and technological differences cannot be easily estimated. Each of these factors greatly decreases the accuracy of predictions based on individual prints, and together they condemn this strategy to relative uselessness. However, information in fingerprints from across an assemblage can be pooled to generate a more accurate depiction of potter demographics. We present a new approach to epidermal ridge density analysis using Bayesian mixture models with the following key benefits:•Age and sex are estimated more accurately than existing methods by incorporating a data-driven understanding of how demographics and ridge density covary.•Uncertainty in demographic estimates is automatically quantified and included in output.•The Bayesian framework can be easily adapted to fit the unique needs of different researchers.

The experimental modeling of asbestos-tempered vessels

The tradition of mixing asbestos into pottery clay originated near the deposits of this mineral on the lake Saimaa (Finland) in the 5th millennium BC. By the second half of the 4th millennium BC its area reached the Arkhangelsk and Vologda Regions of Russia in the east. The aim of the work is to review the functional hypothesis, according to which the widespread use of asbestos as an admixture is due to its advantages over other additives facilitating the process of molding and drying, preventing flaws during firing, making the vessel durable and easy to use. According to the results of our experiments on the making of vessels and model samples with asbestos it turned out that the used asbestos of the Chevzhavara deposit (tremolite-ferroactinolite) does not have such advantages. The most important problem was the dissociation of asbestos at temperatures above +700C. After such firing, the vessels were destroyed, and the asbestos itself became brittle. It can be assumed that in order to minimize losses during the firing, the ancient potters could beforehand hold the asbestos at a high temperature so that it would lose the main amount of water but keep its stability. It can be preliminarily concluded that asbestos admixture at an early stage of use did not have clear advantages over other additives. The reasons for the initial interest in asbestos as an additive could be other, e.g. socio-cultural. A special developed technology for processing asbestos, which made it possible to use its advantages, spread around the beginning of the Bronze Age and may be associated with the beginning of metalworking.

POTTERY TECHNOLOGY THROUGH TIME: ARCHAEOMETRY OF POTTERY AND CLAYEY RAW MATERIAL FROM THE MULTI-PERIOD SITE IN EASTERN CROATIA

Consideration of multiperiod archaeological sites to understand the mechanisms of large-scale cultural changes is still a very rare research topic in Croatia. Technological traditions are of great importance, especially in the context of considering continuity, innovation, and change. In this paper, we used an archaeometric approach to investigate pottery technology. Therefore, this article presents an analysis of petrography and mineralogy of archaeological ceramics and potential raw materials collected in the vicinity of the multi-period archaeological site (the Neolithic through the Medieval period) Jagodnjak-Krčevine located in eastern Croatia, i.e. the south-western part of the Pannonian Basin. The primary goal is to determine what kind of clay recipe (clay and temper) potters used to make vessels in order to better understand their variability in the context of techno-functional features. The additional objective is to examine the availability and quality of clays for pottery production and to study their distribution in the local landscape. The analytical methods applied in the research are optical microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and grain size analysis. The comparison of archaeological ceramics with clayey materials established that ancient potters used locally available clays, and the selection of temper material added to the clay represents a strong element of techno-tradition, which is more pronounced for prehistoric communities. Furthermore, these results represent the first research in Croatia focused on a discussion about distances that potters travelled to obtain their resources in the different periods of the past, which can contribute to the study of a regional system of production and landscape use.

Fired shards from selected ancient Anatolian ceramics: a brief review of their mineralogical nature and pedological?microstructural evolution

This review is concerned with some key features observed within grouped samples of ancient ceramics that provide important evidence concerning the selection of appropriate raw materials and the evolution of the firing technologies employed in their production. It also demonstrates the importance of distinguishing and accounting for the mineralogical and microstructural attributes and identifying the processes responsible for the microstructural evolution of these ancient ceramics. The mineralogy largely reflects both the nature of the raw materials used and the maximum temperatures achieved during firing, deduced from the presence of specific high temperature minerals (HTMs). The microstructural evolution processes, deduced by the micromorphology of these ancient ceramics and displayed in specific features, observed in both the matrix and the slip of these ceramics, are largely controlled by the firing methods used in manufacturing. Thus, we conclude that the application of micromorphological principles, methods, and observations derived from the broad sphere of ?pedology? to the study of ancient ceramics, provides valuable insights into the independent evolution of ceramic production methods in ancient societies. Thus, most of the observations recorded here concern identification of the raw materials used to make ancient ceramics and the firing processes used in their manufacture. Our data demonstrate that these ancient potters made use of a variety of temper materials (quartz and chaff, together with fragments of locally available rocks and minerals) that are now preserved in the matrix. Furthermore, analyses of the micromorphological attributes displayed by these ancient ceramics are helpful in determining and explaining the shrinkage features (stress coatings or poro-striated b-fabrics) and the preferred orientation of the elongated pores that have developed after firing in poorly controlled and slow-fired furnaces. In this regard, we finally seek to develop a useful data library ultimately targeting the enhancement of simulated ancient ceramic/pottery production, with an overall objective to apply the mineralogical and pedological properties of Anatolian ceramics researched in this work to globally selected shard specimens. Postburial processes, such as the illuviation-deposition of clay minerals to form the observed clay coatings, probably operated during the wet-dry cycles associated with mid-late Holocene climatic fluctuations. Accompanying calcification-decalcification processes, which may result from an intra cramic leaching-deposition of carbonate present in the source material of the pottery, are also consistent with the known wet-dry cycles of the mid to late Holocene pedogenesis (soil formation) episode and is reflected in the clay coatings and further attested by coeval changes in the soil-faunal activity.

Tracing the origin of Chinese early white porcelain in the late sixth century—evidence from Xing kiln

AbstractAs the criterion used by archaeologists for determining early white porcelain is quite ambiguous, the origin of Chinese white porcelain remains a point of disagreement. In this study, we systematically investigate 61 typical Xing porcelains of the late Northern dynasties to the early Sui dynasty (550–600 CE) using spectrophotometer, X‐ray fluorescence (XRF), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X‐ray powder diffraction (XRD), and analyze the differences between early white porcelain and celadon of Xing kiln in terms of their whiteness and raw materials characteristic. The results show that early white porcelain is a new type of ware that differs from celadon, which can be distinguished by whiteness, with a whiteness greater than 8% being early white porcelain and a whiteness less than 8% being celadon. It is assumed that the ancient potters created the whiter wares based on celadon by improving the glaze and selecting new raw materials for the body, but the production of this type of ware was short lived and subsequently refined in the Sui dynasty (581–618 CE) owing to the limited improvement in whiteness.

Early Neolithic Ceramic Complex of the Settlement of Mergen 6 in the Lower Ishim: technological aspect

The article presents the results of a study on the technologies making of Early Neolithic ceramics from the settlement of Mergen 6 – a reference site in the development of issues of the Early Neolithic in the forest-steppe zone of the Tobol-Ishim interfluve. Based on morphological characteristics, the researchers divided the ceramic complex of the settlement into four groups – the frst and second groups correspond to the traditions of the Boborykino and Koshkino cultures, the third group includes vessels with sculptural ornamentation as relief bands – the «relief-band» group, the fourth is represented by vessels with mixed ornamental features – «syncretic» group. The study of the ceramic collection was carried out by the author according to the method of A.A. Bobrinsky. The features of ancient potters' skills at the stages of selection of initial plastic raw materials were revealed, as well as composition of molding masses, the surface treatment of products and fring them. Based on the data obtained, the issue of the emergence of pottery technology in the region under consideration is discussed.

Technological insights on the Early-Middle Bronze Age pottery of Monte Meana cave (Sardinia, Italy)

An important Bronze Age settlement was discovered during an archaeological excavation in the Monte Meana karst cave in south-western Sardinia (Italy) between 2007 and 2012. In this region, the caves were used since the Neolithic for different purposes, such as burials or other rituals. The dig highlighted a rare example of domestic use of a cave and showed a case study of household space of the Early -Middle Bronze Age, at the beginning of the Nuragic civilization. This provided the opportunity to investigate through a multidisciplinary approach, the empirical knowledge of ancient potters and technological characters of local pottery production especially in relation to domestic use, in a context at that time devoid of external cultural interferences. For this purpose, a selection of 24 pottery sherds related to vessel forms for cooking, storage, and eating were studied through macroscopic surveys and archaeometric analysis by petrography, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray powder diffraction, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The results revealed some discriminant variables (shape, wall thickness, features of the paste, surface smoothing, presence of diagnostic mineralogical phases, and tempers), within the ceramic products of this Sardinian Bronze Age site, showing skillful management of firing temperatures.

Generalised Typesets in Experimental Ceramics: Widening Applicability and Maximizing Cross-cultural Assessments

Investigations tackling the production techniques used by ancient potters often rely upon experimental archaeology to clarify the relationship between surface morphology, surface topography, and the techniques, methods, and gestures used in the potting process. These experimental archaeology programmes focus on creating collections of experimental vessels to compare against archaeologicallyrecovered vessels, thus allowing production techniques to be identified. Often times, however, the typesets generated are designed to address a specific intersection of qualities; replica vessels adhere to a tight range of shapes, dimensions, paste recipes, and/or forming techniques. As such, the applicability of those typesets remains narrow and context-specific. How, then, can researchers tackle assemblages with diverse vessel types? Or contexts composed of competing potting traditions? Or contexts with significant proportions of vessels from many different origins? This paper presents a new approach to the way that experimental typesets are designed, developed specifically to address the problem of reliably identifying forming techniques across multiple assemblages. By focusing on accommodating common geometric possibilities of vessel shapes, a generalised typeset can allow individuals to make use of well-documented experimental data. The typeset for the Tracing the Potter’s Wheel project was designed for broad applicability, and has been made freely accessible as a reference collection. Through the creation of and comparison against a generalised typeset, heterogeneous assemblages can be better understood and resources can be directed toward answering specific questions. This paper presents the theoretical foundations supporting the concept of a generalised typeset, as well as the practice of using a generalised typeset for analysis.

The Ancient Greek Potter’s Wheel: Experimental Archaeology and Web Applications for Velocity Analysis

The potter’s wheel is central to the understanding of ancient technology, knowledge transfer, and social complexity. With scant evidence of potter’s wheels from antiquity, experimental projects with replica potter’s wheels can help researchers address larger questions on ceramic production. One such set of experiments, performed using the Ancient Greek wheel replica in Tucson modelled on Athenian and Corinthian iconographic evidence, provided useful insight into the qualitative experience of ancient potters. In past experiments, the quantitative analysis of the throwing sessions included data on wheel velocity which had been collected collected over large intervals, comprising entire stages of the throwing process. While this method provides an overview of rotational speed, a continuous velocity graph provides a clearer picture collected data on wheel velocity. To address this, we developed a web application (WheelVis; brandonneth.github.io/wheelvis) to aid in the velocity analysis of experimental potter’s wheels. Users provide a recording of the throwing session and while advancing through the recording, they mark points where the wheel has completed rotations. Using the time intervals between these points, the tool reconstructs a graph of the velocity of the wheel throughout the throwing session. This innovative application provides fast, fine-grained velocity information, and helps archaeologists answer questions about the physical properties of their experimental replicas or wheels used in traditional workshops. Future development of the application will include contextual partitions to allow users to split the throw into different stages, enabling further analysis into the throwing process. Moreover, intelligent error detection would notify users when a mark is likely to be made in error and allow them to correct their mistake.

Manufacturing techniques of sacrificial pottery from Jiaojia site, China, during the Dawenkou Culture

This paper presents the first study results on sacrificial pottery samples originating from the Dawenkou Culture (BCE 4100 ∼ 2600) site of Jiaojia, located in the northern part of the Taiyi mountain chain (Shandong Province, China). Twenty-seven representative pottery shards have been selected and analyzed in detail using X-ray fluorescence (XRF), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy to shed light on the manufacturing techniques of the pottery. The investigated pottery samples belonged to the same archaeological context and dated back to the third millennium BC. The results provided new insights on Dawenkou Culture pottery manufacturing processes and revealed some differences in the selection and preparation of raw materials between cookwares and drink wares, as indicated by the samples’ mineral characteristics and chemical composition. The sacrificial pottery is considered to be produced locally, and the raw materials may come from the sedimentation and transportation of Xiaoqing River around the site. The cookwares were mainly composed of Ca-poor clay, whereas drinking vessels were made of Ca-rich clay. The range of firing temperature of almost all vessels is between 800 and 950 °C, which indicates that the ancient potters had advanced skills in pottery making.

Pottery production in Chhim (Sidon hinterland) in the Roman and early Byzantine periods: Petrographic and elemental analyses

The current paper presents new evidence on pottery production in Chhim, Lebanon/Phoenicia, during the Roman and early Byzantine periods (end of 1st c. BCE - 5th c. CE), based on the results of scientific analysis integrated with macroscopic studies. Thirty-three samples of amphorae, common ware and kitchen ovens were selected and analysed through a combination of thin section petrography and elemental analyses. The results suggested that the majority of the analysed pottery, despite some compositional and technological variability, was produced with the use of raw materials similar to those used for the kitchen ovens excavated in the same site and was compatible with the local geology. The observed variation in the assemblage probably indicates that the ancient potters did not make standardised choices concerning raw materials and clay paste preparation techniques. The potentially local pottery production seems to have been related to the olive oil industry, which was operating at the site during the Roman and early Byzantine periods.

Multi-method (XRF, FTIR, TGA) analysis of ancient bricks from Karabalgasun : A preliminary study

Ancient ceramic artefacts attracted the attention of scientists as being a chronological indicator within the archaeological context; however, they can also provide information about the tech-nology and provenance. A series of brick samples from an ancient nomadic town at Karabal-gasun (Mongolia) have been analyzed using X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and thermogravimetric (TG) analysis in order to obtain information on the performance of the kilns used and on the technological skills of ancient pot-ters.

LA CHIMICA E I BENI CULTURALI, UN CONNUBIO VINCENTE: STUDIO TECNOLOGICO DI CERAMICHE E VETRI ATTRAVERSO I SECOLI

In the field of the researches concerning the characterization, conservation and restoration of cultural heritage, as well as the objects manufacturing techniques, it is essential to use diagnostic methods that are referred to as archaeometric techniques. Archaeometry (which measures what is ancient) deals with the scientific study, carried out by laboratory analyses, of ancient materials and objects with the aim to deep the knowledge of historical, archaeological, artistic and technological aspects. In the field of the study of ceramic artefacts, the case of Italian Renaissance ceramics decorated with the luster technique is particularly interesting; luster is an iridescent metallic film of gold or ruby red color obtained from silver and copper in the form nanoparticles using a very sophisticated technique that testifies to the extremely advanced knowledge possessed by the ancient potters.