Ceramic Fragments Research Articles

Unexpected legacies

Abstract William J. Woodhouse was honorary curator of the Nicholson Museum, University of Sydney, from 1904 until 1937. During his curatorship he undertook a significant acquisition of plaster casts to enhance the representation of Greek and Italian sculpture alongside the existing ceramics collection. At its height the collection included well over 250 plaster casts and reproductions. Today the majority of the cast collection has been deaccessioned and, instead, his personal collections of ceramic sherds and photography, donated after her father’s death by his daughter Liska Woodhouse, have become Woodhouse’s curatorial legacy. This paper introduces Woodhouse’s role as curator, and examines each of his unique collections to analyse how Woodhouse himself conceived of his legacy and the reality represented in the Nicholson collection today. Central to this paper is an exploration of how collecting priorities and the perception of authenticity and narrative value changed in museums of antiquities during the twentieth century.

Fourth and fifth seasons of the Nubian Archaeological and Anthropological Expedition of the Anuchin Research Institute and Museum of Anthropology, Lomonosov Moscow State University at the Sites of Deraheib and Onib (the Republic of Sudan). Part I. Survey

Introduction. The Nubian expedition of the Lomonosov MSU carried out survey in the Onib Depression in December 2022. The survey revealed several surface scatters and two stone age sites Onib-1 and Onib-Outcrop. Materials and methods. The materials for the article were artifacts (stone tools and debitage, fragments of ceramics) discovered at the surface scatters and sites as well as samples for OSL dating, loss-on-ignition and pollen analysis taken from sites. For comparison, we used stone tools discovered by the Nubian expedition of the USSR Academy of Sciences in 1961-1963. The artifacts found at the sites were documented (marked on a map, photographed and described). Several samples for OSL dating were taken at both sites. Sample preparation and gamma spectrometry, as well as OSL measurements, were conducted by standard methods. Analysis of the decoration of ceramic fragments found at the Onib-1 site was carried out. Also, based on the prepared thin sections, a technological and petroglyphic analyses of the obtained fragments were carried out. Samples were taken from different layers of the sites Onib-1 and Onib-Outcrop to determine the content of organic residues and spore-pollen analysis. Sample preparation and analysis were carried out following the standard procedures. Results and Discussion. Analysis of the finds made at the sites indicates that the entire Wadi al-Allaqi region from the Red Sea Mountains to the Nile Valley was inhabited during the Neolithic period. OSL dating for Onib-1 and Onib-Outcrop sites indicates that the sedimentary deposits were formed during the Neolithic Subpluvial. These data are also confirmed by the results of ceramic analysis. The layers in which the ceramic fragments were found can be dated back to the 3rd millennium BC. Petrographic analysis of thin sections of ceramics from Onib-1 site indicates the use of local material for the manufacturing of ceramics. The results of loss on ignition analysis did not reveal a sufficient content of organic residues for a comprehensive paleoecological study that overall indicates unfavorable conditions for the accumulation of organic matter in the studied deposits. Conclusion. The results obtained indicate high prospects of continuing field research in the Onib Depression aimed at discovering and excavating Neolithic sites. @ 2023. This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 license

Chemical and mineralogical characterization of late chalcolithic pottery (ca. 3700–3300 BCE) from southwest Anatolia (Türkiye)

This paper presents the results of chemical and petrographic investigations on the late chalcolithic (ca. 3700–3300 BCE) pottery from the Burdur Lake region in southwest Anatolia (Türkiye). Twenty-one ceramic sherds and a clay lump from four different levels of the late chalcolithic site of Kuruçay Höyük (Burdur) were examined with thin section petrography, XRF, and XRD to illuminate the element and mineral compositions of the ceramics. The chemical compositions and their statistical evaluation demonstrate the continuous use of at least two local clay sources within each different phase of the late chalcolithic. While sources stay the same, petrographic thin section analysis implies a change in the clay preparation techniques. This is visible via the homogeneity of the clay matrix and the existence of shell and lithic inclusions in the paste. About the end of the late chalcolithic period, clay preparation appears to be enhanced conceivably with the changing technological setting of the period toward the early bronze age.

Studying the production technology of a set of archaeological ceramic sherds through magnetic and spectrometric measurements

An interdisciplinary approach is applied to study a set of 50 archeological ceramic sherds dated to a broad period, from the Early Bronze Age to the Late Medieval in Bulgaria. The sherds originate from a single archeological site in the northwest part of the country, situated near the village of Tаrnyane, Vidin District, and can be characterized both as local and import production. Using laboratory magnetic susceptibility measurements, as well as X-ray fluorescence, the elemental composition and maximum firing temperatures of the specimens are characterized. The results obtained are taken into account to draw conclusions about the clay used as well as the high-temperature technology applied for the production of the ceramic vessels referred to different periods and purposes (mainly kitchenware and tableware). This allows for shedding light on the technological skills of the societies that produced the studied specimens, especially for the earlier ages.

Experimental Work on the Production of Ceramics of the Chirik-Rabat Culture

The article introduces the results, descriptions and analysis of the experiment on the reconstruction of the molding mass and the manufacture of ceramic vessels of the Chirik-Rabat culture (3rd–2nd centuries BC). The site adjacent to the pottery workshops of the Babish-mola 7 archaeological complex (Eastern Aral Sea region) was used as a landfill. There is the Akkyr hill nearby, abounding in reserves of clay raw materials. The experiment was conducted during the field research of the Chirik-Rabat archaeological expedition of the Margulan Institute of Archaeology in 2022. The main objective of this experiment was to determine all aspects of the production cycle for the manufacture of ceramic vessels – from collecting raw materials for the manufacture of ceramics, designing vessels, firing and ending with obtaining the result. During the experimental work, a search was carried out for clay deposits near the Babish-mola oasis along the riverbeds. The process of collecting organic matter (cattle manure) was carried out in the nearest settlement, located 60 km from the Babish-mola monument, for the admixture of chamotte, featureless fragments of ceramics from the monument were used. The vessels were formed on a single-disc turntable.

Diet and subsistence in the Alps in Late Antiquity: Organic residue analysis of pottery from an upland site in the Dolomites (Busa delle Vette, Veneto, Italy)

The Busa delle Vette site was investigated as part of the UPLanD project, focused on the archaeology of pastoralism, to shed light on the lifeways of pastoral groups during the summer months. The site is composed of a hut and some enclosures located on a glacial cirque at 1850 m asl, in the Dolomites (Veneto, Italy), dating back from the Late Antiquity to the Early Middle Ages (5th to the 11th century CE). Initial data suggested that the hut was used by groups of shepherds for transhumance, but new evidence began to point to a possible different function.Thirty ceramic sherds of cooking pots dated to the Early Middle Ages (6th to 9th century CE), were analysed through organic residues analysis to identify their use and reconstruct the dietary habits of the people living at the site. The results of the analysis were discussed in relation to unpublished archaeozoological and archaeobotanical evidence to shed some light on the activities that were carried out in the investigated hut and the function of the site. The findings suggest that the cooking pots were mainly used to prepare soups and stews. Ruminant adipose products were identified in most of the investigated pots, sometimes associated with ruminant dairy products and millet. These data are consistent with the archaeozoological and archaeobotanical records, suggesting an intense use of this structure, not limited to seasonal pastoral practices but also associated to the mobility of troops and travellers through the local mountain passes. More research is necessary to validate this fascinating hypothesis, as comparable sites have never been identified in the Alps.

Characterization of ancient ceramic shreds: Insights into firing conditions and manufacturing technology

Four ancient ceramic shreds from the archaeological site Leletepe in the Fizuli region of the Republic of Azerbaijan and two local raw ceramic pastes were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) and thermal analysis (TG-DTG) techniques. XRD analysis of ceramic sherds reveals that all investigated samples contain similar minerals: quartz, feldspar, and clay. Three samples out of four contain calcite. Based on the traditional approach, it has been assumed that the firing process in these samples stopped before 700 °C. The mass loss ratios of samples of ancient ceramics also indicate that reversible dehydroxylation took place in all four samples, thus indicating the initial mild firing conditions. The summary of all the applied methods indicates that the ceramic samples were made using a similar manufacturing technology. According to XRD analysis, samples N1 and N4 contain diopside, and samples N2 and N3 contain maghemite, indicating the different origins of the ceramic shreds. Analysis of the raw ceramic mass also did not reveal the presence of these minerals, which may indicate a discrepancy between the origin of ancient ceramic sherds and modern ones.

Comprehensive Investigation of Neolithic Ceramic Samples: Firing Technology and Age Insights

Thermogravimetric (TG/DTG), thermoluminescence (TL), and X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) techniques were applied to characterize samples collected from the archaeological site of Polutepe in Azerbaijan, dating to the Neolithic period, and gave new information on the firing technology. The thermogravimetric analysis of ceramic shards from Polutepe revealed that the firing temperature of the samples was in the range of 700°C, based on the presence of calcite in the sample. XRD analysis confirmed the presence of quartz, feldspar, and clay minerals in the ceramic samples. According to XTD analysis the mineral composition of the ceramic sample from Polutepe site was as follows: Quartz-33.8 mass%, Feldspar (albite)-21.7 mass%, Muscovite- 33.6 mass%, and Calcite- 10.9 mass%.
 TL glow-curve intensity at 325°C was measured to estimate the historical dose of the sample, which was found to be 22.19±1.36 Gy. The concentration of U, Th, and K were 2.24±0.20 ppm , 8.31±0.80 ppm, 2.39±0.23% respectively. Dose rate and age calculation were conducted using the DRAC, version 1.2 and output results are as follows: Environmental dose rate: 3.46±0.19 mGy/a; Age of the sample: 4.400±530 BC years which are in line with the stratigraphically estimated age of this area and with the radiocarbon age (4270±160 BC) reported in our previous work. The results obtained from this multidisciplinary approach provide insights into the firing technology and age of the ceramic samples.

Вещественный комплекс периода развитой бронзы из поселения ирменской культуры Милованово-3

In this article, based on the materials of the settlement of the Irmen culture of the late Bronze Age Milovanovo-3, a small material complex of the developed bronze period of the 1st half of the 2nd millennium BC, including fragments of ceramics and part of a stone product, presumably a vessel, is identified. The purpose of this work is to confirm the identification of a complex of finds from the developed Bronze Age with reference to similar material sources in the archaeological cultures of Western Siberia and Central Asia, namely the sites of the Chemurchek type of China and Mongolia, as well as local cultures — Elunininskaya Samusskaya, Krotovskaya. The article draws attention to a rare find on the territory of the Novosibirsk region — a fragment of a stone vessel, which is the second largest in the region. Based on this find, analogies of which were found in Mongolia, neighboring Altai, Tuva, and on the basis of the ornament of another similar vessel from Krokhalevka-1, even in France, an assumption is made about the existence of cultural ties between the cultures of the southern area and their northern neighbors by finding two stone vessels.All these arguments make it possible to speak of the existence of sustain cultural ties between the between the cultures of the southern area and their northern neighbors.

From local to long-distance: Neolithic and Bronze Age ceramic networks in north-western China

During the Neolithic and Bronze Age, goods and ideas moved between Central Asia and the Chinese Central Plain via north-western China. While the crops, animals and technologies exchanged are well documented, the local and social bases of these interactions are poorly known. Here, the authors use petrographic analysis of ceramic sherds from Gansu Province, China, to document the local production of pottery vessels and their circulation between sites. Individual vessel forms are associated with multiple paste recipes indicating the production of similar products by different communities of practice. It is argued the circulation of these vessels forged inter-community relationships. In aggregate, these local networks underpinned longer-distance exchange between Central and East Asia.

New Settlement of Holercani-Hansca Cultural Horizon in Republic of Moldova

As a result of field surveys of the last years, the new site of Holercani-Hansca cultural group – Andreevca-I settlement has been found. The purpose of this research paper is the characteristics of the mentioned site and the interim results of its study.
 Results. Andreevca-I settlement is located in Orhei raion of the Republic of Moldova, at the lands of Chiperceni Community. The site is located 0.38 km northeast of the village of Andreevca and 0.28 km northwest of the pond of the village of Andreevca; on the left bank of the stream Vorotet. The settlement is located on a smooth slope. The land area of the settlement along the line North-West-South-East is 100x200 m. Fragments of ceramics, bones of animals, pieces of burnt clay, and different stones, some of them with traces of processing, were found on the plowed surface. The settlement is multilayered. The ceramics of the Late Bronze Age prevail in the materials of the settlement. It is associated with Holercani-Hansca cultural group (12th – 10th century BCE), interim between the cultures of the early Hallstatt, and the Late Bronze Age.
 According to O.G. Levitskiy, Holercani-Hansca group fills the gap between the cultural formations of Pre-Babadag and Tămăoani type and Balta group of sites of the Late Bronze Age. In addition, Hallstatt horizon with prevailing incised ceramics, which can be conventionally called Tămăoani-Holercani-Balta, is distinguished. Chronological framework of this horizon according to analogues of Balta group and Tămăoani can be the end of the 12th – 10th century BCE. The closest analogues to this cultural formation could be the cultures of the Lower Danube region – Sihleanu, Tămăoani, Pre-Babadag, Babadag-I, and early Belozerka culture sites, including Balta group of the Late Bronze Age. The role of Chisinau-Corlateni type sites, of which Holercani-Hansca group had got a number of material borrowings while forming its cultural entity, is doubtless.

ИССЛЕДОВАНИЕ АРХЕОЛОГИЧЕСКИХ ОБРАЗЦОВ ДРЕВНЕЙ КЕРАМИКИ И ГЛИНИСТОГО СЫРЬЯ МЕСТОРОЖДЕНИЙ ЦЕНТРАЛЬНОЙ ЯКУТИИ

The paper considers the results of chemical and mineralogical analysis of ceramics of different times and deposits of clay raw materials of Central Yakutia. 7 ceramic fragments were examined, and a chemical and mineralogical analysis of three deposits of clay raw materials of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) was performed. The clay raw materials of Yakutia have a different chemical and mineralogical composition, depending on the deposit of raw materials. The studied clay raw materials can be used to recreate the ancient technology of ceramics. There is also a prospect for use in the ceramic industry. For a more detailed study, Kangalas clay raw materials were studied, this raw material is characterized by a high content of kaolinite, and it can be further used to create high-temperature ceramics. As a result of the conducted studies of samples of ceramic fragments, it was possible to find out the microstructure, chemical and mineralogical composition and temperature regime of firing of ceramic fragments. The ceramic samples have a common chemical and mineralogical composition. The conducted research allowed us to obtain detailed information on the manufacture of ceramic fragments from different eras. These results can be used for a deeper understanding of the ancient technology of ceramics production and will allow a broader disclosure of general and particular issues of the historical development of pottery in different regions of Yakutia

Hybrid Material Culture in the Inca Empire (AD 1400–1532): Analyzing the Ceramic Assemblages from La Centinela and Las Huacas, Chincha Valley

Abstract The distribution and hybridization of ceramic vessels provide insights into how local elites and imperial officials navigated imperial expansion. This article presents data on ceramic sherds from the sites of La Centinela and Las Huacas in the Chincha Valley that date to the period of Inca occupation (AD 1400–1532). In Chincha, the Inca established a style of joint rule in which Inca and local authority were closely aligned. The ceramic data demonstrate that Inca imperial designs and diagnostic shapes were most numerous in contexts associated with direct Inca presence and that the types of vessels and designs that elites used to develop their authority differed among the contexts: hybrid material culture thus varied throughout the Chincha Valley. These different hybrid material cultures include state-sponsored hybrid wares (Inca vessels, on which the Inca intentionally integrated Chincha designs) and local vessel shapes on which elites used Inca symbols and vessel shapes to assert their status to a mostly local audience.

An archaeomagnetic intensity-based search for order in the chaos of the destruction of Hama (Syria) dated to 720 BCE

Destruction layers of ancient settlements are extremely valuable for archaeomagnetic studies as they provide a particular archaeological context allowing for the analysis of ceramic fragments strongly linked to the date of destruction. However, when examining pottery for archaeomagnetic intensity, instead of considering a snapshot in time in the geomagnetic field record, we must also consider the various dates of their initial production, which can span several decades. This introduces an unknown time interval, which is typically shorter than the temporal resolution offered by pottery typology. In this study, we obtained new archaeomagnetic intensity data using the Triaxe protocol from 16 fragments (77 specimens) of different ceramics recovered from the destruction layer of Hama (Syria) dated to 720 BCE, caused by the troops of the Assyrian King Sargon II. The selected pottery consists of serving vessels, which are generally thought to have a short lifespan, all of which were found in royal or other important buildings. Our results reveal a significant scatter, ranging from ∼65 µT to ∼81 µT (average 74.2 ± 4.2 µT). We attribute this dispersion mainly to the time interval for the production of the pottery during the 8th century BCE, a period marked by rapid intensity fluctuations according to the currently available reference geomagnetic field intensity variation curve for the Near East. Using this curve, we show that the ceramics studied had been in use for at least 30 years at the time of the city’s destruction, a surprisingly long use-life for ceramics intended for everyday use. While we acknowledge a 30-years use-life as possible, we suggest that this minimum time interval could be a result of inaccuracies in the reference intensity variation curve during the 8th century BCE. Nevertheless, our study illustrates and confirms the ability of pottery from a destruction layer to trace rapid variations in geomagnetic field intensity. Furthermore, it establishes a chronological order of production date in ceramic assemblages found in an otherwise chaotic context.

Rescue Excavation at the Islamic Site of Umm Zweitineh in Central Jordan, 2012

This paper draws on the preliminary results of the rescue excavation conducted by the Department of Antiquities at Umm Zweitineh in central Jordan in 2012. The goal of the excavation was to take urgent action regarding protecting the site as far as possible. Due to budget constraints, the excavation work lasted for only twenty days. The aim of the article is that of providing a clear regional picture of the Islamic settlement through the seventh/eighth and fourteenth centuries AD through retrieving information from the architectural remains and material culture. The architectural relics and material culture were unearthed under a dense layer of wreckage and accumulated debris because of previous construction work at the site. The accumulation deposits yielded a ceramic assembly of daily life vessels dating primarily to the Umayyad and Mamluk periods. Earlier pottery sherds belonging to the Roman and Byzantine periods have been also uncovered. Ceramic sherds from the Iron Age II sporadically appeared on topsoil. Besides the ceramic, other metal artifacts, including bronze vessels from different periods, have been unearthed. The Umayyad and Early Mamluk settlements were distinguishable because of the distinct corpus typical of both periods. Possible evidence of a religion building belonging to the Umayyad-period Christianity have been unearthed in Area B.

VIVARIA IN DOLIIS. CERAMIC JARS FOR DORMOUSE FATTENING FOUND IN ARUCCI

SummaryThe excavation of the north house at the archaeological site of Arucci (Aroche, Huelva) has provided interesting data for understanding city planning in general, and domestic architecture in particular. Investigation of their environments has allowed the identification of the distinct functions for which they were intended, including two significant tabernae that were connected to one of the main thoroughfares of the city. In one of them, an interesting set of ceramic fragments has been recovered, whose features allow us to recognize them as ceramic containers for fattening the much‐appreciated dormouse. This find signifies an interesting novelty in the archaeological record of the city from which various aspects of the diet of its inhabitants can be inferred, as well as the breeding and production of the rodents.

The results of researching of Algay site in the Lower Volga region in 2022

Excavations of the Algay multi-layered site in 2022 confirmed the presence of a stratigraphic sequence of occurrence of the Neolithic and Eneolithic layers. The finds are represented by fragments of ceramics, quartzite and flint tools and production waste, animal bones and bone tools. The upper cultural layer is identified as the Khvalynskaya, middle as the Cis-Caspian layer, lower as the Orlovsky Neolithic layer. Stone inventory differs in raw materials, flint and quartzite tools were found. Scrapers of different types, points and geometric microliths were found. As for the ceramic inventory, a fragment of a wall ornamented with a jagged stamp was found in the Khvalynskaya cultural layer. However, this specimen can be attributed to both the Khvalynskaya and Altatinskaya cultures. The results of the technical and technological analysis of ceramics showed the presence of only two technological subgroups of vessels made from silty and natural clays. Vessels made of silt have not been recorded, but the results of previous years of excavations revealed the use of three types of raw materials at the Algay site. The Neolithic layer is represented by pottery with prickly incised ornaments made using the technique of pricking, retreating, and less often incising. The revealed features of the making of the dishes are close to the pottery technology of the Orlovskaya culture of the Lower Volga region, the population of the Varfolomeevskaya site (Saratov Region). The specificity of this sample is the absence of ceramics made in accordance with more archaic methods (the use of silt as the initial plastic raw material), which is known for the Algay site from previous excavations.

About the functionality of the animal lower jaw in the economy of the Late Bronze Age (from finds of Bay-Kiyat I settlement, Tarkhankut peninsula)

Investigations of functional features of the lower jaws of animals were carried out at the Late Bronze Age site Bai-Kiyat I. The Bai-Kiyat I settlement is one of the most significant settlements in North-Western Crimea, which was excavated by V.I. Kolotukhin in the 1990s. About 14 living structures, numerous household structures, as well as finds of ceramic fragments; clay artifacts, bones and horns, and stone, and bronze tools were found. Archival materials on archaeozoological collection from this settlement showed that domestic animals (96%) are represented by agricultural species, among which sheep have a large proportion. The lower jaws of sheep were processed and used by the population of this settlement as tools in economic activities. Similar tools are widely known in the Late Bronze Age at many sites, as well in the south of the European part and in Central Asia, and on the Altai sites. According to their functional specifics, they were defined as sickles, tools for working leather, anvils in blacksmithing, etc. Determination of traces of human activity on the bone surfaces and microtomographic scanning showed that the lower jaws of sheep from the Bai-Kiyat I settlement were used for processing animal skin. Thus, complex scientific and historical archival research for the first time established the role of sheep breeding in the economic system of settled pastoral settlements of the Late Bronze Age and the presence of leather production on the territory of the North-Western Crimea.

Early Medieval Memorial Enclosures in Semirechye: new data

This article for the first time reproduces and comprehensively interprets the data of excavated memorial enclosures of the early Middle Ages on the territory of Semirechye – southeastern part of Kazakhstan. Two memorial complexes of Karakystak 18 and Ulken Kakpak essentially complement the corpus of similar excavated monuments of Semirechye. The analysis of both constructive features of the memorial monuments and accompanying inventory is undertaken. Finds of ceramic fragments from three different vessels near the enclosure No. 2 of Ulken Kakpak may indicate intentional damage of vessels after the memorial ritual in honor of the deceased. Using the comparative study with similar archaeological objects from the territory of Sayan-Altai and Mongolia we assume the dating of these memorial enclosures in Semirechye in 8th–10th centuries. The authors concluded that the memorial enclosures on the territory of Semirechye have a much smaller variety of constructive features than similar objects in South Siberia and Central Asia. The memorial complexes in Karakystak and Ulken Kakpak could have been created both by the Turks of the "ten arrow’s" Western Turkic Qaghanate and more probably by the Turgesh or Karluks.

Non-destructive structural studies of ceramic fragments of ancient tribes of Kazakhstan

Non-destructive structural studies of ceramic fragments of ancient tribes of Kazakhstan