Archaeological Ceramics Research Articles

A Workflow for Uncertainty Assessment in Elemental Analysis of Archaeological Ceramics: A Case Study of Neolithic Coarse Pottery from Eastern Siberia

In this study, the assessment of uncertainties introduced at different stages of the elemental analysis of archaeological ceramics has been described using the example of the Neolithic pottery sherds from Popovsky Lug (eastern Siberia). To evaluate the uncertainty introduced by sampling due to ceramic heterogeneity, three original sherds were cut into small subsamples. Powdered subsamples (250–350 mg) were analyzed using wavelength-dispersive X-ray fluorescence and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry methods, and the variations between analytical results for independent subsamples were compared with the variations introduced during the analytical process (measurement and sample preparation). It was shown that 250–350 mg of ceramic is sufficient to obtain good reproducibility (2–15%) between separate subsamples for most major and trace elements, even for the heterogeneous Neolithic ceramics included in this study. The differing behavior of concentration variations in some elements was explained by measuring the ceramic cross-sections by scanning electron microscopy and micro-X-ray fluorescence spectrometry, as well as by the theoretic modeling of the sampling error. The described workflow can be useful in finding uncertainties in elemental analysis results, which may affect the interpretation of bulk chemical composition in ceramic provenance studies.

Chelating agents for the removal of calcareous deposits from archaeological ceramic materials. Compositional evaluation after immersion and physical gel application methods

The removal of calcareous deposits from archaeological ceramics is a very normal conservation-restoration treatment. Among the products used, chelating agents are quite common, including ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid salts (EDTA) (Berducou in La Conservation en archéologie: méthodes et pratique de la conservation-restauration des vestiges archéologiques, Masson, Paris, 1990; Buys and Oakley The conservation and restoration of ceramics, Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford, 1993; Crisci et al. in Appl Phys A Mater Sci Process, 2010. https://doi.org/10.1155/2009/893528). Nevertheless, some studies have proved that they can cause damages on the ceramic pieces, regarding changes in their composition, such as dissolution of calcareous components and metallic oxides leaching (Gibson in Stud Conserv, 1971. https://doi.org/10.1155/2009/893528; Fernández and Seva Sautuola in Rev del Inst Prehist y Arqueol 9:471–982, 2003). As a consequence, their artistic values might also change. In spite of that, these products are nowadays still in use, meaning that the treatments might be changing the information that archaeological ceramics carry. However, from the 80 s onwards a more secure alternative to direct application methods based on thickening agents was developed. With the aim of analysing the degradation mechanisms that may take place after the cleaning treatments’ application, ceramic specimens with artificial calcareous deposits (Sáenz-Martínez et al. in Eur Phys J Plus 136:798, 2021) were treated with a low-concentrated solution of EDTA tetrasodium salt applied by immersion and thickened with xanthan gum powder (Vanzan® NF-C). Finally, the products from the cleaning treatments were neutralised, respectively, by immersion and by rinsing with deionized water. The composition of the ceramic samples was established before the growth of calcareous deposits and after the treatments, in order to determine their effectiveness and safety. According to the results, EDTA salt treatments, both by immersion and thickened, were effective regarding the removal of the calcareous deposits and did not modify the elemental and mineralogical original composition of the specimens (XRF, XRPD, TG-DSC). In addition, no gel residues were detected by FTIR-ATR.

SYSTEMATIZATION OF PATCH WORKING POTTERY TECHNIQUES

The article focuses on clarifying the terms for the technology of “patch making”. The ambiguity in the use of some specific terms in the Russian archaeological literature prompted the author to attempt to systematize the terms that characterize this mode of pottery making. As a result, the following clarifications are proposed: 1) a patch as a construction element can be lumpy and coiled; 2) according to the methods of application, lumpy patch can be unsystematic, fan-shaped and ring-zonal, while coil patch making is most often spiral-shaped, ring-zonal or spiral-zonal one. The article provides a detailed substantiation of the author’s proposals. A stable connection between construction elements and the ways in which they are pressed up together often enables to do more rigorous and unambiguous definitions of the the technique of archaeological ceramics making.

Lipid preservation in ceramics and bones from the Iranian Plateau: Implications for dietary and chronological reconstructions

This paper presents the first investigations of lipid preserved in bones and ceramics, from sites of various ages and depositional environments in Iran with the aim of using them in palaeodietary and chronological reconstructions. We also characterized modern dairy products from the region using stable carbon isotope values to provide a local reference range for dairy lipid identification in archaeological ceramics. The dataset recorded on pottery suggests lipids are recovered in appreciable concentrations regardless of the environment or the age of settlements, but rather the vessel function may play an important role. The results showed exploitation of ruminant adipose and dairy products in pottery vessels from the Late Neolithic and Chalcolithic periods. Our dataset suggests lipids in pottery are viable materials for palaeodietary and chronological reconstructions for the Iranian region. Lipid preservation in bones, similar to collagen, is more variable. Lipid and collagen preservation in bones are not directly related and one of the bones studied showed diagnostic lipids in a context of low collagen preservation. This suggests lipids have limited potential to be used for chronological reconstructions as an alternative to collagen when the latter does not survive.

Detection of dairy products from multiple taxa in Late Neolithic pottery from Poland: an integrated biomolecular approach

The detection of dairy processing is pivotal to our understanding of ancient subsistence strategies. This culinary process is linked to key arguments surrounding the evolution of lactase persistence in prehistory. Despite extensive evidence indicating the presence of dairy products in ceramics in the European Neolithic, questions remain about the nature and extent of milk (and lactose) processing and consumption. In order to investigate past patterns of dairy processing, here we analyse ancient proteins identified from Late Neolithic Funnel Beaker ceramics, scrutinizing the principle that curd and whey proteins partition during the production of dairy foods from milk. Our results indicate the presence of casein-rich dairy products in these vessels suggesting the creation of curd-enriched products from raw milk. Moreover, this analysis reveals the use of multiple species for their dairy products in the Late Neolithic, adding to a growing body of evidence for the period. Alongside palaeoproteomic analysis, we applied well-established lipid residue analysis. Differential interpretations between these two approaches show that palaeoproteomics is especially useful where the effects from isotope mixing may underestimate the frequency of dairy products in archaeological ceramics, highlighting the potential utility of a multi-stranded approach to understand life histories of vessel use.

Nuclear and non-nuclear analytical techniques applied to pre-colonial archaeological ceramics from the upper Madeira River/Brazil (940 to 760 B.P)

This article presents the results of applying three archaeometric techniques in archaeological ceramics from the upper river Madeira region in Amazonia. The first consists of the nuclear technique, neutron activation analysis (INAA), to identify the trace elements of the clay sources used in the production of the vessels. The second, non-nuclear X-ray diffraction (XRD), was used to characterise the mineral phases of each clay source. The third technique, electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy (EPR), estimated burning temperature related to the production stage of the artefacts. This approach made it possible to understand technological choices linked to selecting specific clay sources. The results suggest that different indigenous groups that inhabited the region between 940 and 760 B.P selected three clay sources to produce their vessels.

Použití plněných adheziv pro doplňování nestabilní archeologické keramiky

USE OF FILLED ADHESIVES FOR FILLS ON UNSTABLE ARCHAEOLOGICAL CERAMICS Archaeological ceramic finds are often the only evidence of human activities in prehistoric cultures. At the time of its origin, prehistoric ceramic was made from natural raw materials coming from the immediate surroundings, and the firing conditions generally did not usually exceed 800 °C. Such ceramic shards contain a relatively low content of the glassy phase, the remains of clay minerals (so-called metaclays), and have relatively high open porosity. After use and subsequent storage in moist soil, the ceramic shards undergo an ageing process and become unstable, i. e. their flexural strength decreases, and they evolve into brittle and crumble shards. All these aspects must be taken into account during conservation-restoration interventions. Especially when choosing a fill, it is necessary to use materials that will not lead to the loss of the original ceramic body. The submitted article focuses on evaluation of different types of fill materials considered for filling unstable ceramics: gypsum, alabaster plaster, modelling plasters, adhesives (K 498, Lascaux 498 HV, Duvilax BD 20) filled with inorganic (marble dust, aluminium oxide, potassium feldspar, Korest silikat, glass flakes, raw glaze) or organic fill materials (Tylose MH 300, Tylose MH 6000, Arbocell BC 200, Arbocell BC 1000).The selected combination of fill materials was used for real conservation interventions during the formation of fills on archaeological finds of unstable ceramics: a mixture of cellulose (Arbocel BC 1000) and dispersion K 498 was applied during the restoration of the Jordanów culture container and Efkoker plaster was used to fill the losses on a large-volume container of the Bylany culture.

Study the Negative Effects related to Inappropriate Storage Conditions on Archaeological Ceramic, Indicate Some Practical Solutions

Study the Negative Effects related to Inappropriate Storage Conditions on Archaeological Ceramic, Indicate Some Practical Solutions

Керамический комплекс из раскопок усадьбы Гилёвых, на пересечении улиц Пушкина и Первомайская в городе Екатеринбурге: технико-типологический анализ и морфология посуды XIX — начала XX вв.

The article presents the results of a technical, typological and morphological analysis of a ceramic complex (crockery) obtained during excavations of a site of the cultural layer of the modern era (19th — early 20th centuries) within Pushkin - Pervomaiskaya - Tolmacheva streets in Ekaterinburg, which is the courtyard of the Gilevs burgher estate. It provides a detailed description of the stages of formation of the site itself and a biography of the inhabitants of the house from 1810/15 to 1912, as well as some data from archaeological work, a significant part of which is the analysis of the clothing complex. Dealing with such type of archaeological source, as archaeological ceramics, is of particular interest due to the limited data in written sources about the types and places of pottery production in Ekaterinburg from the late 18th to early 19th centuries. Describing and identifying the types of ceramics obtained, firstly, allows determining the crockery types and starting creation of a typology of the 19th — early 20th centuries dishes, used in everyday life by residents of the estate, and more broadly, the city. And, secondly, it allows combination and comprehensive analysis of data from written and archaeological sources. For Ekaterinburg, such work based on archaeological sources is relevant and interesting; it is presented in an expanded format for the first time.

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.

ОСОБЕННОСТИ ОБЖИГА СОСУДОВ СУРГУТСКОГО ВАРИАНТА КУЛАЙСКОЙ КУЛЬТУРНО-ИСТОРИЧЕСКОЙ ОБЩНОСТИ (ПО ДАННЫМ ТЕРМИЧЕСКОГО АНАЛИЗА)

The Barsova Gora is a unique landscape object where a great number of archaeological sites from the Neolithic to the modern period have been discovered. One of the most studied cultural formations is the Surgut variant of the Kulai cultural-historical community. Pottery firing skills among potters of various archaeological cultures are of particular interest for studying. By the present time on a wide range of archaeological ceramics the thermogravimetric method allowing to receive the data about intensity and quality of firing has been tested. Ceramics from seven sites of Surgut variant of the Kulai cultural-historical community (50 samples in total) served as a source base. According to the results of the ceramics thermogravimetric analysis, all sites can be divided into three groups depending on intensity of firing. Group 1 (two sites) — the pottery of this group was exposed to the most intensive firing compared to the pottery from other sites. This means that the vessels of this group were fired at a higher temperature and/or for a longer time. Group 2 (three sites) — it includes vessels from the sites, which firing intensity is intermediate between the indicators of groups 1 and 3. Group 3 (two sites) — the pottery from the sites of this group has greater porosity, indicating that it was subjected to less intensive firing than the dishes of all other groups. This means that the vessels of this group were fired at a lower temperature than on the other sites and/or for a shorter period of time. The groups highlighted reflect the significant differences between the intensity of firing on different sites. This points to the presence of heterogeneity of firing traditions among the Kulai cultural-historical community potters at different settlements and differentiation of their skills.

PXRF를 통한 신석기시대 토기의 비파괴적 지질화학적 분석

As the application of non-destructible pXRF analysis has become increasingly popular in archaeology, the range of materials analyzed by researchers has become more diverse. In recent years, pXRF has been applied increasingly to archaeological ceramics as a tool to classify ceramics based on their geochemical composition in order to analyze technological choices in ceramic production which may be used to infer differences in production and disposal location as well as aspects of exchange. Experimental analyses of Neolithic pottery from the Central Region of Korea suggests that the majority of pottery excavated from settlement sites were likely produced from clay materials acquired nearby the sites. Pottery excavated from Central-west coast shell middens (Oido shell middens) show greater variation in geochemical composition than settlement sites, which may suggest that they were produced using a wider range of materials originating in different parts of the region. However, experimental analysis also highlight the limits of using pXRF, namely its inability to identify the geographical provenance of heterogeneous materials. It is proposed that pXRF can be used to approach some research questions that are strongly based in archaeological data. Furthermore, it is suggested that pXRF may be used as a method that is complementary to other archaeological science approaches, but greater effort must be made to collect a wider range of samples directly from archaeological sites.

Simultaneous TG/DTG-DSC analysis – application in ceramic artefacts

The aim of this paper is to promote thermal analysis as a method for the study of archaeological ceramics. In order to achieve this goal, the nature of the thermal methods (thermal processes, types of thermal methods and their application) is described. Specific experimental measurements by simultaneous TG/DTG-DSC analysis of ceramic archaeological artifacts are also presented.

Insights into the Residue Trapped in Glaze Cracks of Archaeological Ceramics Using Microchemical Analysis.

Searching for residue in the glaze of porcelain or stoneware is a difficult task because these glazes are high-fired, well vitrified, and nonporous. This paper analyzes the chemical composition of residue observed in glaze cracks of porcelain via SEM-EDS to determine how the crackle effect was produced, in particular, if it was intentionally created during production or the result of post-depositional processes. This study offers insights to a specific type of ancient Chinese porcelain called “Ge-type ware”, which has two different types of cracks, and whose origin has been debated for nearly 60 years because it has never been found at any kiln site. This paper analyzes the chemical composition of the two crack types, first using elemental mapping to ascertain the different mechanisms that produced these two crack types of the Heirloom Ge ware, and second using residue analysis and chemical fingerprinting to determine the provenance of this puzzling type of porcelain. In doing so, this paper demonstrates how the residue in the glaze of porcelain can be observed and analyzed via microchemical approaches and hopes to inspire more research using this technique in future.

Maya molded-carved ceramics as boundary objects: Terminal classic ceramic production and the forging of political relations in the mopan valley of Guatemala

• Terminal Classic period Mopan Valley potters produced a range of decorated serving vessels including ‘Ahk’ utu’ Molded-carved, Portia Molded-carved, and Local Fine Orange ceramics. • In addition to producing their own ceramics, inhabitants of the middle Mopan Valley sites of Ucanal, La Blanca, and Calzada Mopan had access to ceramics produced in or close to the Upper Belize Valley, the Holmul River, and the Usumacinta River region, underscoring their diverse social and political relationships throughout the Southern Maya Lowlands. • Microphotography and portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) analyses of ceramic pastes complement visual typology studies to provide a more holistic perspective of archaeological ceramics that can address both different and overlapping pottery communities of practice. • We find that Terminal Classic polities often shared in an overlapping network of ceramic production and gift exchange that bridged different political communities, a pattern that contrasted with the most elaborate polychrome ceramic traditions of the earlier Late Classic period, which were more highly controlled and circumscribed in nature. Fine Orange ceramics, speciality serving wares of the Terminal Classic (ca. A.D. 810–950/1000) in the Maya area, have long been implicated in the identification of changing political and social relationships. Some previously subordinate political centers thrived during this time as many of the dominant Classic polities were embroiled in crises and reductions in their populations. This paper examines molded-carved Fine Orange and “imitation” Fine Orange ceramics from a trio of closely-located sites that prospered during the Terminal Classic period: Ucanal, La Blanca, and Calzada Mopan in the middle Mopan Valley in Petén, Guatemala. Chemical paste analyses using a portable X-ray fluorescence instrument, microphotography, and traditional Ware-Type-Variety analyses reveal that potters in this region did not blindly imitate Fine Orange ceramics, but picked and chose techniques and designs that drew from multiple communities of practice. Furthermore, these sites had access to decorative serving vessels that were produced in multiple regions throughout the Southern Maya Lowlands, placing them at an important nexus of political, economic, and social interaction. We argue that molded-carved and other decorated ceramics served as boundary objects, which articulated different pottery producing communities and forged marriage and political ties between different polities in a new decentralized political landscape.

Micro-Computed Tomography with 3D Image Analysis to Reveal Firing Temperature Effects on Pore Systems in Archaeological and Ethnographic Ceramics

Understanding the firing regimes of archaeological ceramics reveals clues about the history of technological developments, but current methods for determining firing history have limitations. We experimented with non-destructive micro-CT combined with 3D image analysis to collect data on 42 pore variables, hypothesizing that pore systems are affected by ceramic firing temperatures. Analysis of variance showed that 26 of the variables are significantly related to firing temperature. Total volume porosity (open and closed pores) goes down with increased firing temperature, as does the fraction of pores accessible to a surface. Maximum pore volume, maximum and standard deviation of pore surface area, and pore elongation measures all decrease with higher firing temperatures while shape factors indicating greater sphericity increase. Pore connectivity measures decrease with higher firing temperatures, and variation in pore and connection lengths increases. The highest fired ceramics have low connection tortuosity. Three-dimensional image analysis of micro-CT data can augment existing methods of archaeothermometry, and since many pore characteristics impact the functional properties of ceramics (density, durability, mechanical strength, thermal conductivity, permeability, and diffusion), firing temperature studies of pore systems can inform wider archaeological ceramics research.

In situ simultaneous quantitative analysis multi-elements of archaeological ceramics via laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy combined with machine learning strategy

With the characteristics of precious, rare and non-renewable, archaeological ceramics cannot be used for destructive analysis and testing. Valuable physical and chemical information can be obtained through scientific micro damage analysis of precious pottery, which plays a positive role in the protection of ceramics and archaeological research. In this study, LIBS spectroscopy combined with sequential backward selection-random forest regression (SBS-RFR) algorithm was proposed for simultaneous quantitative analysis of multi-elements in ceramic samples. Firstly, the experimental conditions for LIBS spectrum acquisition of ceramic samples were optimized, including delay time, laser pulse energy and cumulative times, and the characteristic emission lines of typical elements in LIBS spectra of ceramic samples were identified based on national institute of standards and technology (NIST) database. Four different spectral preprocessing methods are used to preprocess LIBS spectral data to find a better preprocessing method. And then, SBS algorithm is applied to eliminate irrelevant or redundant feature variables of LIBS spectrum. SBS-RFR calibration model is constructed based on the screened input variables to realize the rapid determination of multi-element content of ceramic samples. To further verify the prediction performance of the SBS-RFR calibration model, its prediction performance is compared with several other models. The results show that SBS-RFR model has better prediction performance than partial least squares regression (PLSR), support vector machine (SVM), and random forest regression (RFR), of which the R2 values of prediction set are all over or close 0.98, and the RMSE values for Mg, Al, Ca and Fe are 0.3954%, 0.4627%, 0.2532% and 0.3791% respectively. This study shows that LIBS technology combined with SBS-RFR algorithm is a feasible method for the quantitative analysis of elements in ceramic samples.

Potential of organic residues on Chinese export porcelain from Angkor Wat, Cambodia

Organic residue analysis offers an alternative perspective and further understanding of archaeological artefacts. Chinese tradeware studies have provided evidence on previous trade of ceramic goods and helped to map past trade routes. What, if anything, was contained in the vessels is a matter of conjuncture and textual claims. Despite substantial archaeological ceramics research little organic residue analysis has been undertaken on porcelain. This is curious as residues have been detected and characterised on similar silicate surfaces such as glass vessels. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy has emerged as a useful non-destructive tool for archaeological investigation. Results from this study indicate the successful application of this technique for the detection of extant organic residues on high-fired glazed Chinese tradeware porcelains.

A deep variational convolutional Autoencoder for unsupervised features extraction of ceramic profiles. A case study from central Italy

The need for a quantitative approach to the morphologic study of ceramics is becoming increasingly evident. Ceramics are the most common material in many archaeological sites and a huge amount of data has accumulated over time. This data can be handled by Machine Learning algorithms which are rapidly gaining popularity in archaeology. Although most approaches can be referred to classification tasks, in this contribution a particular type of Neural Network is proposed for feature extraction from archaeological ceramics. Through this proposed method it is possible to gain a numerical weighted representation of the pottery profile that can be used for multivariate analyses. The case study will focus on regionalisation processes in pottery production between the end of the 2nd millennium BC and the first half of the 1st millennium BC in central Tyrrhenian Italy, a period that saw major transformations in the cultural and socio-political structure of Ancient Italy. The results seem to confirm the regionalisation hypothesis and offer interesting insights into the quantitative study of archaeological ceramics.

Safe Storage? An Assessment of Polyethylene for the Storage of Heritage Objects

ABSTRACT Sealable polyethylene bags are widely used to protect and store heritage items. While polyethylene is regarded as a stable material, consideration should be given to potential chemical interactions between the polymer and stored objects. The presence of additives used in manufactured polyethylene storage materials should also be considered when they are used in contact with objects. For this study, infrared spectroscopy has been successfully used to identify storage materials and associated additives, as well as to characterise the chemical changes that they undergo. Three case studies are presented that demonstrate that polyethylene bags can undergo chemical changes when exposed to the typical storage conditions used for heritage objects. The storage of degrading cellulose nitrate items shows that polyethylene undergoes oxidation when exposed to the cellulose nitrate degradation products and is identified as detrimental to long term storage viability of the polyethylene. An investigation of the yellow discolouration of polyethylene bags suggests that the oxidation of antioxidant additives, rather than the polyethylene, is responsible for the colour change. It is also demonstrated that polyethylene bags used in a procedure for the consolidation of archaeological ceramics show an interaction between the adhesive solvent employed and the bag additives.