Archaeological Pottery Research Articles

Acoustic perceptions of vessel fitness in southern Africa

The acoustic properties of objects found in archaeological contexts have seen little attention because they are seldom found intact. Nevertheless, sound is quality of objects that is of tremendous significance during both their manufacture and use. In this article, the authors examine how the acoustic properties of ceramic vessels influence the perception of their fitness for use. Grounded in how sound cues correlate to visual, tactile and olfactory measures of vessel fitness in an ethnographic context, they focus on detecting perceptible sonic differences between damaged and undamaged vessels produced by Zulu and Swazi potters in southern Africa. The article demonstrates how sound is a key quality of vessel ‘strength’ that both potters and clientele use to gauge functional and social suitability. We show that studies of fabric characteristics, such as fissures and voids, in addition to fabric composition provide a means to infer the acoustic properties of archaeological pottery and evaluate the significance of sound in past valuations of vessel fitness. Archaeological discussions of materiality can explore how social valuations of vessel fitness are accessible through studies of the functional properties of ceramics that consider human sensory experience.

Comparative Clay Analysis and Curation for Archaeological Pottery Studies

ABSTRACTWe describe the curation and use of clay samples as part of the ceramic ecology program at the Florida Museum of Natural History's Ceramic Technology Laboratory (FLMNH-CTL). We outline the history of the comparative clay sample collection at the FLMNH-CTL and detail the standard operating procedure by which samples are processed, analyzed, and curated. We also provide examples of how the clay samples have been used in research projects as well as some of the challenges inherent to studies using such samples. Our collection of processed clays and associated thin sections, which is curated in perpetuity, represents a valuable resource for ongoing and future lab endeavors and is available to other researchers focusing on Florida and adjacent regions.

Identification of cellulose nitrate based adhesive repairs in archaeological pottery of the University of Melbourne\u2019s Middle Eastern archaeological pottery collection using portable FTIR-ATR spectroscopy and PCA

A previous study of the Cypriot pottery collection housed in the Ian Potter Museum of Art at the University of Melbourne found approximately two-thirds of adhesive repairs are primarily composed of cellulose nitrate (CN). This is of concern as CN has a limited lifespan (6–20 years), which has implications for the strategic management of the collection. To gain a greater understanding of the prevalence of CN based adhesive repairs in the archaeological context, the original FTIR-ATR spectroscopic survey was extended to incorporate the University’s Middle Eastern archaeological pottery collection. Micro-samples were removed from artefacts using acetone swabs. Analysis of adhesive FTIR spectra identified CN to be present not only as the primary polymer in approximately one-tenth of repairs, but also as a secondary polymer in poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAc) and acrylic adhesive formulations, observed as a weak peak at ~1656 cm−1. CN’s secondary presence in PVAc adhesive formulations is demonstrated using principal component analysis (PCA) and the diphenylamine spot test for CN. Re-analysis of adhesive IR spectra from the Cypriot pottery collection found CN to be present as a secondary polymer in this collection as well. It is concluded a combined methodology of collecting and identifying FTIR-ATR spectra of adhesive repairs from archaeological pottery collections followed by PCA analysis bring to light adhesive formulations which can inform the management of pottery collections.

Cauixi em cerâmica arqueológica da região de Lagoa Santa, Minas Gerais: inclusão de esponjas processadas ou exploração de depósitos sedimentares com espículas?

Resumo Este artigo apresenta a primeira identificação do cauixi em cerâmica arqueológica na região de Lagoa Santa, Minas Gerais. Trata-se de um estudo zooarqueológico que aborda as escolhas pretéritas feitas pelos ameríndios no que tange à presença de espículas de esponjas dulcícolas no processo de produção cerâmica. A partir dos elementos faunísticos detectados na coleção do sítio Vereda III, juntamente com informações obtidas de registros etnográficos e de pesquisas arqueológicas que tratam da presença do cauixi em cerâmica, é discutido se a presença desse elemento no material é fruto de coleta de esponjas dulcícolas, preparo e inclusão na pasta, ou se ele advém da exploração de depósitos sedimentares com espículas. O trabalho aponta para uma necessária revisão do material cerâmico arqueológico da tradição Aratu-Sapucaí em Minas Gerais, em que a identificação do cauixi e a sua proveniência devem ser consideradas.

The digital radiography of archaeological pottery: Program and protocols for the analysis of production

Archaeologists collaborating with material scientists at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) as part of the Making of Ancient Eurasia (MAE) Project have developed formal methodological standards for the assemblage-based digital radiographic (DR) analysis of archaeological pottery. While analog radiography of pottery (X-radiography, Xeroradiography, etc.) has functioned as a common disciplinary tool for some time, inaccessibility, obsolescence, and significantly enhanced functionality have made DR instrumentation increasingly attractive and vital. This article presents the theoretical underpinnings, technique development, and resultant protocols that allow digital radiography to analyze very large assemblages and provide quantitative data sets that act as true counterparts to geochemical and mineralogical ones. As a technique of structural pottery evaluation, DR is particularly suited to the analysis of ceramic paste preparation and vessel formation, providing lines of evidence that can flesh out neglected portions of the chaîne opératoire, augment existing geochemical or typological classifications, and help more deeply characterize various potting traditions. Such datasets are most useful to scholars interested in harnessing the ability of the pottery “life cycle” to shed light on economic life, learning frameworks, and human social differences and group identities. The technical capacities and analytical potential of DR are demonstrated through several test analyses of ancient Chinese pottery, to be followed by more extensive case studies in draft. Prospects for closely related, three-dimensional X-ray computed tomographic approaches are also discussed.

Restoration and Conservation of some of archaeological excavated Pottery from Tel Hrbit in Sharqia, (Case Study). ترمیم وصیانة بعض الآثار الفخاریة المستخرجة من تل آثار هربیط بالشرقیة (دراسة حالة )

some pottery objects in tel Hrbit, Sharqia ' one of the archaeological sites dating back to the Late Period had been studied many examinations and analysis for some pottery objects has carried out such as polarized microscope microbiological examination, scanning electron microscope SEM and X-ray diffraction XRD where the search proved that the used clay is Nile clay, the tempers are sand, grog and limestone dolomite. The forming has done by wheel, surface treatment is slip layer and the firing atmosphere for the first sample was oxidized but to the second sample was reduced. It also proved that most of the pottery suffered from physical deterioration by soil deposits, as well as the phenomenon of fracture, growth of fungi, Penicillium and Aspergillus, in addition to the presence of chlorides and sulfates, carbonates, and phosphate salts as a result of the burial in the soil. The restoration of these archaeological excavated pottery from Tel Hrbit, Sharqia has done by using the mechanical and chemical cleaning method where a mixture of acetone and ethyl alcohol ratio of 1: 2 was used to remove the clay soil sediments, and use a poultice consisting of Triton X-100 4.9% , p-xylene 0.4% , ammonium carbonate (NH4) 2CO3 2.1% and water 92.6% to remove hardened silicate and Calcareous sediment ,use of fumes thymol for treatment of fungal infections, use of Nano silica particles and Paraloid B 72 of 1% in the strengthening of the archaeological pottery by spraying method and adhesive Paraloid B 72 concentration of in bonding of the second pottery. تم دراسة بعض القطع الفخارية المکتشفة بتل آثار هربيط بالشرقية وهو من المواقع الأثرية التي تعود الي العصر المتأخر وأجريت عليها العديد من الفحوص والتحاليل المختلفة مثل الفحص بالميکروسکوب المستقطب PLM والفحص الميکروبيولوجي والفحص بالميکروسکوب الإلکتروني الماسح المزود بوحدة تشتت طاقة الأشعة السينية EDX)) والتحليل بحيود الأشعة السينية powder XRD، وتوصل البحث الي التعرف علي العملية التکنولوجية حيث أثبت أن الطفلة المستخدمة في صناعة الفخار من نوع الطفلة النيلية Nile Clay، أما الإضافات Tempers عبارة عن الرمل ومسحوق الفخار ومسحوق الحجر الجيري من نوع الدلوميت، وتقنية التشکيل المستخدمة هي تقنية التشکيل بالعجلة والمعالجة السطحيةSurface Treatment من نوع طبقة البطانة Slip Layer، أما جو الحرق داخل الفرن کان جوا مؤکسدا للقطعة الأولي ومختزلا للقطعة الثانية. کما أثبت أيضا أن معظم الآثار الفخارية تعاني من التلف الفيزيائي بفعل رواسب ورديم التربة،بالإضافة الي ظاهرة الکسر، فضلا عن وجود نموات فطرية من نوع البنسليوم والأسبرجلليس، علاوة علي وجود أملاح الکلوريدات والکبريتات والکربونات والفوسفات من جراء الدفن في التربة. وقد تم ترميم تلک القطع الفخارية المستخرجة من تل آثار هربيط بالشرقية بإستخدام طريقة التنظيف الميکانيکي أولا ثم التنظيف الکيميائي بإستخدام مزيج من الأسـيتون و الکحول الأيثيلي بنسبة 1 :2 علي التوالي لإزالة رواسب التربة الطينية، و إستخدام خليط يتکون من تراي تون أکس 100 بنسبة 4.9 % Triton X-100، الزايلين p-xylene بنسبة 0.4 % وکربونات الأمونيوم(NH4)2CO3 بنسبة2.1 % والماء بنسبة 92.6 % علي هيئة کمادة لإزالة الرواسب السليکاتية و الکلسية الصلدة ، و أبخرة الثيمول في علاج الإصابات الفطرية، و إستخدام خليط النانو السليکا والبارالويد ب72 بترکيز 1٪ في تقوية الفخار الأثري بطريقة الرشSpraying و لاصق البارالويد ب 72 بترکيز 50% في تجميع القطعة الفخارية الثانية.

Pottery Analysis: A Sourcebook, second edition. Prudence M. Rice. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2015, 592 pp. $55.00, paper. ISBN 978-0-226-92321-5.

Previous articleNext article No AccessBook ReviewsPottery Analysis: A Sourcebook, second edition. Prudence M. Rice. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2015, 592 pp. $55.00, paper. ISBN 978-0-226-92321-5.Judith A. Habicht-MaucheJudith A. Habicht-MaucheUniversity of California, Santa Cruz Search for more articles by this author University of California, Santa CruzPDFPDF PLUSFull Text Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by Journal of Anthropological Research Volume 72, Number 4Winter 2016 Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1086/689328 Views: 377Total views on this site © 2016 by The University of New Mexico. All rights reserved.PDF download Crossref reports no articles citing this article.

Classification of archaeological pottery profiles using modal analysis

We propose a new vessel profile characterization and comparison technique, based on Modal Analysis. Each profile is represented as a node chain that approximates its contour, and characterized by calculating its deformation spectrum, i.e. the amount of deformation needed to transform it into a reference shape. Two profiles can be compared by computing the Euclidean Distance between their corresponding deformation spectrum vectors. We have done our supervised classification experiments with a profile database labeled by experts. Success rates, which exceed 89 %, are better than the ones obtained by other techniques, while maintaining a low computational cost. Our results suggest that the proposed descriptor captures the morphological features of a given profile.

Box-Cox transformation on dataset from compositional studies of archaeological potteries

In archaeometric data set it was verified by statistical tests that some variables almost never follow a multivariate normal distribution using logarithmic transformation or other. This work presents a multivariate Box-Cox transformation for Mardia´s and Royton´s tests for a data set of fifty ceramic fragments from archaeological site Justino, Xingo, Brazil, and one clay sample collected near of the site. The samples were analyzed by instrumental neutron activation analysis, INAA. The study was made using companion to applied regression package from R software and was tested by Hotelling’s T 2 statistics.

Immunological detection of denatured proteins as a method for rapid identification of food residues on archaeological pottery

Our understanding of human diet in different periods of history can be enhanced by investigating direct evidence represented by accidentally preserved food remains found on pottery. So far, this task has been accomplished by the application of gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, often in combination with stable isotope analysis. These methods require specialised laboratories and their cost prevents wider penetration into the daily practice of archaeology and related disciplines. We have tested commercially available immunochromatographic kits for this task, which are designed to detect contaminants and allergens in the modern food industry. Unlike the previously published studies on archaeological material, we focus specifically on the identification of damaged and denatured proteins, which correspond better to the state of preservation of proteins in desiccated and carbonised organic residues that have survived from antiquity. We report the first successful qualitative detection of bird eggs, animal meat, milk (and species of origin), and to some extent also the presence of plant food, especially cereals and hazelnuts. The immunoassay is a methodology that is well suited for use in the field and resource-poor environments, so it is ideal for most archaeological excavations and museums. With necessary caution, the results can be used as a proxy for human diet in the past and reconstructions of anthropogenically modified environments.

Coulometry for the detection of water content in archaeological findings

Summary In the present work, we performed coulometric measurements to detect the water content in archaeological pottery in order to get information on the manufacture technique. The samples under study were the so-called Ionian Cups coming from various archaeological sites in eastern Sicily (South-Italy). In particular, we tentatively achieved the estimation of firing temperatures of the archaeological samples by comparing the coulometric results with those obtained in the case of raw materials fired under controlled conditions. The results were in good agreement with those previously obtained on the same samples by Small Angle Neutron Scattering (SANS). It is worth underlying that for the first time, the detection of water content as revealed by this analytical technique was related to archaeometric issues.

Fe3 + in pottery: Distinction of the use for cooking and production parameters

The estimated firing temperature and atmosphere in which a piece of pottery was produced can be identified by comparing the concentration of Fe3+ between the piece of pottery and clay with a similar chemical composition that were subjected to identical thermal treatments. This procedure was applied to modern pottery donated by indigenous people and to a set of archaeological pottery. The modern pottery that was used for cooking for two years exhibited higher Fe3+ concentrations than the clay that was fired at any temperature; thus, the parameters of production were not identified in this pottery. The same procedure can be used to identify the use of a piece of pottery as a pan. Of the set of 14 pieces of archaeological pottery examined in this study, 12 were able to have their production parameters identified, and 2 fragments were identified with Fe3+ concentrations that were higher than that of the fired clay, suggesting that these pieces were used as pans. The results of this study indicate that the concentration of Fe3+ can be used to determine if a piece of pottery was used for cooking; additionally, if a piece of pottery was not used for cooking, then the proposed method can identify the parameters of the piece of pottery's production.

From the inside out: Upscaling organic residue analyses of archaeological ceramics

The investigation of organic residues associated with archaeological pottery using modern analytical chemical methods began in the 1970s. It was recognised early on that the analysis of lipids (i.e. fats, waxes and resins) preserved in surface residues or the fabric of single potsherds, representative of single vessels, was a powerful method for ascertaining pottery use, with a high degree of specificity. Subsequent developments saw a significant change in scale, with studies often involving lipid analyses of tens to hundreds of potsherds per archaeological assemblage, providing information that extended beyond pottery use. The identification of animal and plant foodstuffs processed in pots provides insights into herding and farming, and can also detect trade in exotic organic goods. Information about the environment and climate can be extrapolated from the isotopic composition of compounds detected in potsherds, potentially providing novel avenues of investigation. The direct dating of lipids in potsherds is opening up new opportunities for building archaeological chronologies, while the integration of lipid residue analyses with other environmental and cultural proxies within interdisciplinary projects is already providing unprecedented insights into past lifestyles, from site to regional scales.

Thermal and spectroscopic characterization of archeological pottery from Ambari, Assam

A selection of potsherds coming from the Ambari Kamrup, Assam dated from 7th–12th century AD was studied by applying scientific techniques. The primary focus of this work is to identify the clay and its chemical properties, to determine the firing temperature and to understand the technical skills of the ancient potters of Ambari. Three scientific techniques have been used for the analysis. They are Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) which reveals the information of clay composition and firing temperature of ancient pottery. X-ray Powder Diffraction (XRD) is a suitable analytical tool for determining the mineralogical characterization and composition of the crystallographic phases of ceramics. The TG–DSC analytic method focuses on the thermal behavior of the pottery, and it is used for the characterizing the clay minerals. The results indicate that the three ceramics were made of two different sources of clay and fired under the oxidizing condition in between 650 800°C. Importantly, this result demonstrated the ancient potters' skills and pottery traditions at Ambari and the region.

ANALYTICAL STUDY OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL POTTERY SARCOPHAGUS,GRECO ROMAN PERIOD, FROM SAQQARA, EGYPT

The current study describes the Archaeological pottery shreds which were found in theexcavation made by the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA) in Saqqara regions in thewestern side of the pyramid of Djoser. To perform this study, several analyticalinstruments were used; including X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy–energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS)., Physical and mineralogical analyses weremade by using the thermal behavior (thermo gravimetric analysis (TG) and differential thermalanalysis (DTG). The results of these analyses allow the establishment of conclusions aboutseveral aspects of their manufacture, It was found out that the discovered shreds comprise agroup of the pottery sarcophagus that belong to the Greco Roman period (570-525B.C). Itwas, also, found that the texture of the pottery was made using a large quantity of medium tocoarse plant residues which is one of the most characteristic features of Nile fabrics. Thecolor of the pottery fracture is reddish on the outer part of the wall of the Serco but is black inthe middle. The firing temperature was uneven and the hardness of the pottery was medium.The sarcophagus was handmade shaping. All these characteristics belong to the Nile C group.The sarcophagus was fully restored, including cleaning, constructing, completing and coloring.

Rare earth elements analysis in archaeological pottery by laser induced breakdown spectroscopy

ABSTRACTIn the present work, laser induced breakdown spectroscopy has been employed to detect rare earth elements in archaeological potteries and brick sample collected from different locations. Laser Induced breakdown spectroscopy data has been analyzed to investigate the provenance of ancient clay artifacts which is based on the geochemistry of rare earth elements in the artifacts. The qualitative study of spectra shows the presence of a set of rare earth elements such as La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Gd, Dy, and Er in archaeological potteries which specifies that these potteries were manufactured from the same clay sources.

EXPERIMENTAL STUDIES ON ERTEBØLLE POTTERY: FOOD PREPARATION AND RADIOCARBON DATING

This article summarizes my experimental and archaeological research about the earliest pottery in Northern Germany and Denmark, belonging to the Erteblle culture, a Late Mesolithic hunter-gatherer-fisher culture. I will present firing and cooking experiments with copies of Erteblle pottery and how a reference collection of experimental food crusts can be used to understand issues of radiocarbon reservoir effects and stable isotope measurements in food crusts. It will be shown that cooking food resources with a reservoir age, such as marine or freshwater fish, leads to the same reservoir age in the pottery. The results from the experiments will be compared to the archaeological record. I will discuss the implications of the experimental studies for radiocarbon dating of archaeological pottery, and for studies of style and function of ceramics.

Una mirada hacia el proceso de identidad en el valle de Toluca precortesiano, México

This paper explores identity as a long-term cultural process in which multiple factors intervene at different levels. It argues that both the hegemony and the decline of Teotihuacan influenced the development of collective identities in the Toluca valley, where the study of identity is of particular importance. An analysis of material culture in general, and archeological pottery in particular, enable us to examine the complex web that shaped identity.

Integración de información geológica en un Sistema de Información Geográfico con objetivos arqueométricos

El trabajo realizado se plantea en el marco de un proyecto de investigación financiado por la Xunta de Galicia titulado ‘Isótopos de Pb y Sr en cerámicas arqueológicas de Galicia: estudio de la procedencia y el acceso a las materias primas’. El objetivo de este trabajo es arqueométrico: determinar de una forma más rápida, directa y fiable las fuentes de materias primas potenciales de las cerámicas antiguas recuperadas en contextos arqueológicos gallegos, a través del establecimiento de una metodología y protocolos de trabajo para la gestión de información arqueológica, arqueométrica y geológica (MAGNA50) dentro de un Sistema de Información Geográfico. Debido a la ausencia de investigación de la arqueología en este ámbito en la región, el proceso de trabajo fue complejo. Sus resultados aportan un gran beneficio y utilidad a la arqueometría y poseen un gran potencial de cara a futuras investigaciones.

Wari influence in southern Peru: provenance study of middle horizon pottery from the archaeological site of La Real using k 0-INAA

Fragments of archaeological pottery from a rescue excavation at the site of La Real in Arequipa, Peru, were studied by instrumental neutron activation analysis, k 0 method. Analytical data were processed by multivariate statistical techniques, comparing the chemical composition of the studied samples versus the information available in our database on the chemical composition of archaeological pottery from Conchopata (Ayacucho), Cotahuasi (Arequipa), Huaro (Cusco) and Tiwanaku (Bolivia). The results obtained revealed that most of the samples were likely made locally at La Real, while others correspond to the chemical composition of the different groups considered, showing evidence of the presence of foreign pottery in the site and a small group which were not classified.