Archaeological Pottery Research Articles

FOODWAYS THROUGH CERAMICS IN SOUTHEAST ASIAN ARCHAEOLOGY: A VIEW FROM SOUTHERN VIETNAM

Food related research in Southeast Asian archaeology is heavily biased towards the assessment of subsistence strategies as well as typological and petrographic analyses of ceramics. Little is known about the range of diverse food items, how they were prepared and consumed, and the importance these foods played in the social lives of people in the past. My research seeks to extend the treatment of food in Southeast Asia archaeology from subsistence “strategies” to foodways by incorporating technofunctional and organic residue analyses of earthenware pottery vessels to address outstanding questions about their function with regard to the preparation and consumption of food. This paper presents preliminary findings on a range of prehistoric earthenware pottery excavated from Rạch Núi, An Sơn (Neolithic), and Gò Ô Chùa (Metal Age) sites in Long An Province, Southern Vietnam. Results are compared with similar data from experimental and ethnographic pottery as well as integrated with complementary data associated with the archaeological pottery samples. It is predicted that integrative analysis of technofunctional aspects of earthenware pottery with organic residue analysis will provide new perspectives on the foodways in Southern Vietnam during the Neolithic and Metal Age.

WHAT DID THEY COOK? A PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION INTO CULINARY PRACTICES AND POTTERY USE IN THE CENTRAL PART OF THE KOREAN PENINSULA DURING THE MID TO LATE HOLOCENE

This study attempts to understand prehistoric human subsistence in Korean peninsula through the preliminary initiation of organic geochemical analyses on potsherds. While traditional approaches focus on reconstructing the ancient pot function or relative chronology, organic geochemical analyses on archaeological potteries endeavors to be precise about the types of food groups that were cooked or stored in a pot by attempting to identify the specific organic compounds trapped in the clay matrix. Since organic compounds are often preserved in direct association with archaeological pots, organic geochemical analyses have become an important method of investigation which archaeologists use to better understand the function of ceramic artifacts such as pottery and local diets. The sherd samples for the analyses in this paper were collected from the two prehistoric habitation sites located in the central part of the Korean peninsula: Kimpo-Yangchon site and Eupha-ri site. The main habitation period of the former is around 2800 BP (B. Kim et al. 2013), and the latter site was occupied around 1900 BP (H. Wang et al. 2013). We show that terrestrial animals are strongly represented in the organic residues, suggesting that views of a crop-dominated diet might need revision. Our results provide a critical clue to understand ancient subsistence of the central part of the Korean peninsula.

Spectroscopic and statistical approach of archaeological artifacts recently excavated from Tamilnadu, South India

The ancient materials characterization will bring back the more evidence of the ancient people life styles. In this study, the archaeological pottery shards recently excavated from Kodumanal, Erode District in Tamilnadu, South India were investigated. The experimental results enlighten us to the elemental and the mineral composition of the pottery shards. The FT-IR technique tells that the mineralogy and the firing temperature of the samples are less than 800°C, in the oxidizing/reducing atmosphere and the XRD was used as a complementary technique for the mineralogy. A thorough scientific study of SEM–EDS with the help of statistical approach done to find the provenance of the selected pot shards has not yet been performed. EDS and XRF results revealed that the investigated samples have the elements O, Si, Al, Fe, Mn, Mg, Ca, Ti, K and Na are in different compositions. For establishing the provenance (same or different origin) of pottery samples, Al and Si concentration ratio as well as hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) was used and the results are correlated.

Petro-archaeometric characterization of potteries from a kiln in Adrano, Sicily

AbstractBackgroundThis work is part of a wide scientific project finalized to characterize the Sicilian pottery productions from Greek to Roman Age. In this prospective, local reference groups have been analysed in order to create a database of the circulation and production centres in Sicily during this period. In this framework, a set of 28 waste pottery fragments (III-II century B.C.) from a pit found during excavations at the fortification of Adrano (Sicily) have been studied.Characterization of the samples has been obtained by macroscopic, petrographic (OM), mineralogical (XRD) and chemical (XRF) analyses.ResultsMacroscopic analysis of the studied potteries has allowed to distinguish four groups on the basis of grain size, porosity and clay paste color. Petrographic and mineralogical analysis, carried out on a selection of representative samples have allowed us to obtain useful information on the production technology of the studied samples. Moreover, information about raw materials and provenance of clay sediments has been obtained by comparing chemical data of the analysed samples with locally outcropping clay sediments reference data. Finally, chemical results on Adrano potteries have been compared with kiln wastes from Siracusa and Gela.ConclusionsThe aim of the present work is to obtain fabric characterizations and technological information on a local reference group of ceramic specimens manufactured in Adrano (Sicily). Petrographic and mineralogical results allow us to esteem high firing temperature suggesting a good technological level of local production; in addition, chemical data suggest a local provenance of raw materials used in the production of the studied samples. The comparison with local production from Siracusa and Gela highlights several differences in the use of raw material and in the technological levels achieved in the different sites, over time. Therefore, this work provides a valuable contribution in defining the local scenario of ceramic production in South-Eastern Sicily during the Hellenistic Age and in producing local reference groups in the petro-archaeometric studies of archaeological potteries.

First compositional evidences on the local production of Dressel 2–4 amphorae in Calabria (Southern Italy): characterization and mixing simulations

Dressel 2–4 amphorae are a type of pottery, which was used to transport wine and produced in the Mediterranean area between the first century BC and the second century AD. This study shows, for the first time, that their production also occurred in Ionian Calabria. These results were achieved by studying 11 samples of archaeological pottery (five samples of Dressel 2–4 and six samples of other ceramic types) taken from Cariati (Calabria—Southern Italy). The composition of the pottery was compared with that of the local raw materials (clays and sands) potentially usable for their production. Samples were studied by polarized optical microscopy and analysed by XRF, XRPD and Raman spectroscopy. An innovative approach, based on Microsoft Excel optimizer “Solver” add-in on geochemical data, was used to define the provenance of archaeological pottery and to calculate the mixtures of local clay and sand needed for the production of the pottery itself.

Organic inclusions in Middle and Late Iron Age (5th–12th century) hand-built pottery in present-day Latvia

The fabric of Iron Age pottery from Latvia has generally been analysed as a body consisting of clay and mineral inclusions. Sometimes, organic inclusions are also found in pottery, either naturally occurring or artificially incorporated. This study discusses Iron Age pottery fabric, specifically focussing on organic inclusions, which have previously not been adequately investigated in Latvia. We experimentally tested firing temperatures to establish the temperature limit for preservation of organic matter in pottery and tested a variety of organic materials in different proportions for the purpose of comparison with archaeological pottery, in order to ascertain the possible content of the fabric used in the hand-built pottery of the Middle and Late Iron Age (5th–12th centuries) in present-day Latvia. Pollen and non-pollen palynomorph analysis was applied with the aim of assessing the possible origin and composition of the organic matter in the archaeological pottery fabrics.The results of this study demonstrate that the dark colouration produced by organic matter in the core of the experimental ceramic fabric is preserved up to a temperature 700 °C. Pottery firing experiments show that chaff and flax shives left medium-to coarse-grained inclusions in the structure, resembling the archaeological pottery. On the other hand, experimental samples with seeds did not correspond exactly to any of the known ancient wares. The presence of spores of coprophilous fungi Sporormiella and Apiosordaria suggests that the fabric of a small number of Iron Age pottery samples analysed in the present study could possibly contain animal dung.

FT-IR and Micro-Raman spectroscopic studies of archaeological potteries recently excavated in Poompuhar, Tamilnadu, India

Ancient ceramics are the abundant artifacts that give the knowledge of the past societies. Therefore it is of great importance to acquire knowledge about the chemical composition of the clay in archaeological artifacts. The spectroscopic techniques represent one of the most powerful tools to investigate the structure of all the materials and chemical composition of the cultural object like potteries. An attempt has been made in the present work to estimate the firing temperature of the archaeological pottery shreds excavated from the archaeological site Poompuhar in the state of Tamilnadu in India. The firing temperature of the archaeological pottery shreds were estimated by recording the corresponding FT-IR spectra in the range 4000–450cm−1 and Micro Raman spectra in the range 1800–400cm−1. The clay mineral present in the pottery samples are identified through FT-IR method and was confirmed with Micro Raman spectroscopy as both are complement to each other. The major primary mineral present in the samples is Kaolinite and the secondary mineral present is quartz and the accessory minerals present in the samples are hematite, magnetite and feldspar. The results of Raman spectra showed that the potters of this site used a mixture of clays as raw materials. The firing temperature for some of the samples did not exceed 800°C which suggests the use of open fire.

Automatic Extraction of Petrographic Features from Pottery of Archaeological Interest

The microscopic description of ancient pottery is widely used for the fabric definition, classification and provenance assessment. In most cases, however, the description is qualitative. An improvement of the study of archaeological pottery needs a more objective approach with quantitative analysis. In classical scientific literature, the structural features and mineralogical composition of pottery are carried out on thin sections by means of transmitted polarized light microscope. The determination were obtained through observations with and without cross polarizator (nicols). The quantitative measurements are normally achieved with tedious and time consuming table with point counter. In this article the attention has been focused on the automatic identification of structural and textural components of the potteries through optical microscopy. Image analysis techniques have been then used to automatically classify the image components. Results confirm the effectiveness of the proposed approach: petrographic data collection becomes faster with respect to the traditional method providing also quantitative information useful for fabric recognition.

PIXE multivariate statistics and OSL investigation for the classification and dating of archaeological pottery excavated at Tell Al-Rawda site, Syria

Particle Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE) technique has been utilised to study 48 Syrian ancient pottery fragments taken from excavations at Tell Al-Rawda site. Eighteen elements (Mg, Al, Si, P, S, K, Ca, Ti, Mn, Fe, Ni, Zn, As, Br, Rb, Sr, Y, and Pb) were determined. The elements concentrations have been processed using two multivariate statistical methods, to classify the pottery where one main group and other two small groups were defined. In addition, four samples from different places on the site were subjected to optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating. The average age obtained using a single aliquot regeneration (SAR) protocol was found to be 4350±240year.

Maize consumption in pre-Hispanic south-central Andes: chemical and microscopic evidence from organic residues in archaeological pottery from western Tinogasta (Catamarca, Argentina)

Pre-Hispanic Andean societies depended economically on the cultivation of maize (Zea mays), the main staple food crop in the region after its introduction from highland Mexico. Here we report new data from residue analysis of potsherds recovered in archaeological sites in western Tinogasta, Catamarca province, Argentina, ca. 3rd to 16th centuries AD. Molecular and isotopic (δ13C values) compositions of fatty acids and microscopically identified maize starch granules from organic residues absorbed in archaeological potsherds were compared with Andean ingredients and food residues obtained from experimental replica pots, where traditional recipes were cooked. Complex mixtures of lipids and starch remains observed in archaeological cooking pots indicated combinations of Andean ingredients such as llama, beans, algarroba, and maize, and suggest continuity in the domestic foodways through time. The distribution and δ13C values of lipids preserved in vessels used for alcoholic beverage preparation, storage and transport in Inka sites suggested the possible consumption of two drinks with distinct patterns: traditional Andean maize beer (chicha) and a local fermented drink made from algarroba flour (aloja). This is potential evidence for consumption practices in festive contexts sponsored by the Inka state.

FTIR, XRD and SEM-EDS Studies of Archaeological Pottery Samples from Recently Excavated Site in Tamil Nadu, India

These studies focus on the elemental concentration and firing temperature of the ancient pottery samples collected from the recently excavated site Pilaiyarpalaiyam in Tamil Nadu, India. Clay was prepared which consisted of quartz, kaolinite, illite, chlorite, feldspars and iron oxides. The samples were subjected to analysis as in the received state. The characterization studies for the analysis of the composition of the pottery using FT-IR, XRD, SEM and EDS reveals the skill and style of the artisan lived in the ancient civilization. The firing temperature and the firing conditions adopted at the time of manufacturing of the pottery also determined. The Pilaiyarpalaiyam samples were fired in the range of 800°C. The elemental concentration through the EDS analysis gave the provenance of the pottery samples well evidence that the sample were two different origin and different sources of materials used.

Infrared spectroscopic characterization of residues on archaeological pottery through different spectra acquisition modes

Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) is a versatile analytical method, very useful in many fields. Although a crucial step in producing good spectra is the use of the appropriate technique, the acquisition mode is sometimes not accurately selected and the results are partial or lacking.In recent years, FT-IR analysis has been proposed as a screening method for characterization of archaeological potteries and identification of the residues on these artifacts before turning to destructive, more expensive, and time-consuming techniques.In this study, a set of pottery shards, classified as fragments of amphorae, was subjected to FT-IR analyses. The results obtained from different sampling procedures and different spectra acquisition modes, were examined and compared.The as-received ceramic fragments were subjected to micro attenuated total reflectance (μ-ATR) analyses. Investigations in diffuse reflectance (DRIFT) mode were performed on samples collected by abrading the surfaces of the shards with abrasive paper. Samples scraped from either the surfaces of the pottery fragments or the interior of the ceramic body, were analyzed in transmission mode as a powder in KBr pellets or after extraction with acetone.The sampling by abrasion of the surface with an abrasive disk, and consequently the analyses in DRIFT mode, were successful only in identifying the inorganic compounds coming from the pottery and/or the environment, while materials related to the content of the jar were not detected. Also the analyses in transmission mode provided information mainly about inorganic materials, which, even where in a limited amount, masked the signals of organic compounds. Just an extraction with a solvent made it possible a more detailed, but still partial, characterization of these organic substances. On the contrary, the content of the jar was easily detected using the μ-ATR mode, even in areas where no residue was observed.

Application of various spectroscopic techniques to characterize the archaeological pottery excavated from Manaveli, Puducherry, India

This paper is focused on a spectroscopic study of some ancient pottery shreds from an archaeological site Manaveli village, Puducherry, India. Analytical characterization using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and differential scanning colorimetric coupled with thermo gravimetric analysis were carried out on red and black ware and red ware recently excavated from the above site. The experimental results of FT-IR and XRD are similar and allowed us to identify the mineralogical composition of pottery samples. In addition, TGA was applied in order to study the dehydration of hydroscopic water and decomposition of carboxyl group in the powdered pottery samples during heating. Moreover, this paper proves that all the above spectroscopic techniques are very useful analytical tool for the examination of ancient pottery, which is also suitable for the identification of its firing temperature and firing atmosphere.

La alfarería del Tardío Prehispánico del Valle del Bolsón (Catamarca, Argentina): ¿producción local o alóctona?

En este trabajo se presentan los resultados obtenidos en los estudios de procedencia de conjuntos cerámicos recuperados en dos asentamientos conglomerados del valle del Bolsón (Belén, Catamarca, Argentina) vinculados a ocupaciones del tardío prehispánico (ca. 900-1600 DC). Las muestras estudiadas corresponden principalmente a cerámica pintada en negro sobre rojo reconocida como de estilo Belén, en menor medida ordinaria y excepcionalmente negro sobre crema y ante. Se complementaron análisis petrológicos y análisis por activación neutrónica instrumental realizados a la alfarería y a materias primas adecuadas para la producción alfarera muestreadas en la región. Se concluye que un grupo mayoritario de piezas fueron elaboradas con arcillas y arenas procedentes de la región bajo estudio. Asimismo, se destacan similitudes composicionales entre la vajilla recuperada en ambos asentamientos a pesar de las diferencias logísticas y estratégicas de emplazamiento. Los resultados generados son un importante aporte al tema de la producción alfarera a escala suprarregional dado que evidencian la coexistencia de distintos locus de producción cerámica en el oeste catamarqueño durante el lapso temporal estudiado.

Detecting Iron-based Pigments on Ruthenium-coated Archaeological Pottery by SEM-EDS and by Micro-XRF-SEM

Detecting Iron-based Pigments on Ruthenium-coated Archaeological Pottery by SEM-EDS and by Micro-XRF-SEM

Decision support system for classifying archaeological pottery profiles based on Mathematical Morphology

We present a decision support system to help archaeologists in classifying wheel-made pottery pieces by its profile. A novel shape characterization method, using Mathematical Morphology, is introduced for this purpose. Each profile is represented as a vector, obtained by sampling the so called morphological curves (erosion, dilation, opening and closing), and Euclidean Distance is used as a similarity measure. We show results of our method applied to a profile database of Iberian Pottery from the upper valley of Guadalquivir River (Spain).

The k 0 and relative INAA methods to determine elements in entire archaeological pottery objects

The advantages of instrumental neutron activation analysis applied to archaeological ceramics have been enhanced through the analysis of entire objects, using both the k 0 method and the relative method, respectively, to determine the concentrations of chemical elements in aliquots of replicate objects used as comparators and in the sample object. Twenty-two chemical elements of archaeological importance were measured in mud figurines from Caral civilization (5000 year BC), irradiated inside a well-characterized radial channel facility of the nuclear research reactor at IPEN, Peru. The results showed less than 10 % of bias for most of the elements.

Experimental and traceological approach for a technical interpretation of ceramic polished surfaces

Ceramic surface treatments resulting in polished surfaces are frequent during all the Neolithic period and show a significant variability. Although many studies contribute towards a better understanding of some aspects of these treatments, none of them provide a genuine technical and traceological reconstitution method in archaeology. This paper outlines a set of specific experiments designed to test the influence of five main factors on the traces formation process (tool, movement and active part of the tool, paste water content, hydration process and superimposition of the various treatments).The results of the traceological analysis show that: (a) four main techniques can be highlighted through this approach; (b) the variability of the traces occurring during the applied treatments was linked to several processes and methods; (c) archaeological pottery examinations show the potential role of surface treatments in defining “technological styles” and differentiating groups and settlements from one another. As a result, these experiments entail a methodological innovation to archaeology, yielding a broader perspective into prehistoric technologies.

Mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) study of archaeological pottery from Hualfin Valley, Catamarca, Argentina

Mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) on archaeological potteries classified as Belen fine and ordinary types from Catamarca, Argentina, was analysed. The MIP technique allowed identifying high percentage of uniform pore size in fine pottery, and inhomogeneous pore size in ordinary pottery. Fragments of neck and body sections of the same ordinary vessel were also studied. The porosity of the body section was smaller than the one of the neck, and the cumulative pore volume curve analysis of the body sectors (of the same vessel) evidenced that some pore sizes were sealed partially with respect to the one of the neck. Such behaviour may provide evidence of physical or chemical transformations from their manufactured process, during their use, and post-depositional effects.

Elemental analysis of ancient potteries of Vellore Dist, Tamil Nadu, India by ED-XRF technique with statistical approach

In the analysis of archaeological pottery, Energy Dispersive X-ray florescence analysis has been utilized to establish the elemental concentrations up to fourteen chemical elements for each of 14 archaeological pottery samples from Vellore Dist, Tamil Nadu, India. The EDXRF results have been processed using two multivariate statistical cluster and principal component analysis (PCA) methods in order to determine the similarities and correlation between the selected samples based on their elemental composition. The methodology successfully separates the samples where two distinct chemical groups were discerned.