Ceramic Containers Research Articles

Archaeological hunting patterns of Amazonian horticulturists: The Guarani example

AbstractWe analyse the hunting patterns based on faunal records of horticultural groups from the Atlantic Forest grouped in the Guarani archaeological unit, which are the material and behavioural expression of populations of Amazon origin who practiced slash‐and‐burn agriculture in the Atlantic Forest of Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, and Paraguay. The analysed temporal block ranges from ca. 1373 to 1698 of the Common Era. The characteristics of the faunal assemblages are the high level of the taxa richness and the equitability, where no taxa predominate over the others. The capture decision was probably guided primarily by the weight of the potential prey (preferentially terrestrial mammals) considering thresholds above 10 kg per individual, which have provided the greatest biomass. Nevertheless, small preys are numerically important and taxonomically very diverse. Fish mostly comprise small individuals, with no taxonomic selectivity. The hunted animals were transported completely to the villages. Terrestrial prey and fish were preponderantly boiled in ceramic containers. All the best ranked preys locally available were hunted, so in the long term, there were no exceptions to consumption. The hunting strategies are concordant with historical and ethnographic observations that include a broad diet with low taxonomic selectivity, small foraging range, and garden hunting.

Towards an optimal method for estimating vessel capacity in large samples

Estimating the capacity of ceramic vessels or containers made of other materials (metal, stone, glass, etc.) is of great utility for archaeology. In particular, it can improve our understanding of production, distribution and consumption in prehistoric societies, and, as a result, of their economic organisation. There are three methods to calculate the capacity of vessels: (1) direct measurements; (2) dividing manually the profile drawings of vessels into geometric figures whose volumes are calculated separately by means of mathematical formulae; and (3) computer-assisted calculations based on three-dimensional geometrical models of vessels. The aim of this paper is to assess the degree of accuracy and precision of measurements and the efficiency of the task measured by the time of execution of these methods. A test sample of 40 fully preserved pottery vessels of different periods and fabrics has been considered. Our results suggest that three-dimensional models generated from vector illustrations with AutoCAD® software offer the best solution to estimate the capacity of large samples of archaeological vessels.

Dynamics and diversity of bacteria associated with the disease vectors Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus

Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus develop in the same aquatic sites where they encounter microorganisms that influence their life history and capacity to transmit human arboviruses. Some bacteria such as Wolbachia are currently being considered for the control of Dengue, Chikungunya and Zika. Yet little is known about the dynamics and diversity of Aedes-associated bacteria, including larval habitat features that shape their tempo-spatial distribution. We applied large-scale 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing to 960 adults and larvae of both Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus mosquitoes from 59 sampling sites widely distributed across nine provinces of Panama. We find both species share a limited, yet highly variable core microbiota, reflecting high stochasticity within their oviposition habitats. Despite sharing a large proportion of microbiota, Ae. aegypti harbours higher bacterial diversity than Ae. albopictus, primarily due to rarer bacterial groups at the larval stage. We find significant differences between the bacterial communities of larvae and adult mosquitoes, and among samples from metal and ceramic containers. However, we find little support for geography, water temperature and pH as predictors of bacterial associates. We report a low incidence of natural Wolbachia infection for both Aedes and its geographical distribution. This baseline information provides a foundation for studies on the functions and interactions of Aedes-associated bacteria with consequences for bio-control within Panama.

Preparation and 1.06 μm Fluorescence Decay of Nd3+-Doped Glass Ceramics Containing NaYF4 Nanocrystallites**Supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China under Grant No 2017YFB0405302, the Scientific Research Fund of Sichuan Provincial Education Department under Grant No 15ZB0294, the Key Technical Project of Yibin City in 2015, the Scientific Research Project of Yibin University under Grant No 2015PY02,

Considered to be a candidate for large-size bulk materials used in lasers and other fields, Nd3+-doped glass ceramics containing NaYF4 nanocrystallites are prepared. Using x-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy, we show that pure cubic NaYF4 is well precipitated in the glass matrix. To obtain the optical property of this material at 1.06 μm, the fluorescence decay of 4F3/2 energy levels is measured and analyzed. It is found that the fluorescence lifetime decreases first and then increases with the increasing dopant concentration due to the existing but finally weakening energy dissipation. As a result, a long radiation lifetime of about 191–444 μs is obtained at 1.06 μm in the prepared material. It is thus revealed that Nd3+-doped glass ceramic containing NaYF4 nanocrystallites is a potential candidate as a near-infrared laser material.

Antibacterial Activity and Fibroblast Cell Viability of Zirconia Coated with Glass Ceramic Containing Ag and NaF Nanoparticles.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the antibacterial activity against Streptococcus mutans and fibroblast viability of zirconia coated with glass ceramic powder containing Ag and F nanoparticles. Specimens were divided into eight groups depending on the glass ceramic powders: 5, 10, 15, 20 wt% of NaF and Ag, respectively. Adhesion of Streptococcus mutans on glass-coated zirconia surface was evaluated by antimicrobial test. Fibroblast viability was examined by WST-8 assay. In result, the bacterial activity was reduced by 11.8%, 15.4% in Ag 10 wt% and 20 wt% groups. When 5~15 wt% of NaF was added, bacterial counts decreased to 4.2~65.4%, and when 20 wt% of NaF was added, the number of bacteria increased by 29.4%. Regardless of Ag and NaF content, all zirconia specimens showed cell viability above 70%. Within the limitations of this study, zirconia coated with glass ceramics powder containing Ag and NaF was found to reduce the adhesion of Streptococcus mutans but had no influence on osteoblast activation.

Clay Raw Material of Medieval Pontic Amphorae (to the Question about Production Areas)

Introduction. Amphorae is a significant part of pottery from the early medieval sites of Pontic region. They are traditionally considered as important source for analyzing the chronology, directions and intensity of ancient trade links. The paper is devoted to comparative analysis of clay raw material used for making medieval pontic amphorae. These ceramic containers are wide spread in the sites of the 8th - 10th centuries in Crimea, Taman, the Don and the Volga river basins and in other areas. Methods and materials. Two groups of sources were investigated. The first group contains samples from 280 amphorae found on settlement sites of Saltovo-Mayaki times in the Middle and Lower Don basin. These samples have been сollected by the author in the museum funds of Southern regions of Russia. The second group is represented by samples of clay raw material from Southern part of Crimea where pontic amphorae production centers were located (the foothills and Southern coast). We used A.A. Bobrinsky’s method for determining different regions for digging of main plastic raw material by analyzing the ceramic under a stereoscopic microscope. Results. The main result of study is allocation of two kinds of raw materials which were used for pontic amphorae making (about 84 % of studied vessels). After comparing these raw material kinds with Crimean samples, their connection with different areas was clarified. These areas belong to different geological formations. The first area is in the South-Western Crimea, and the second area covers the Southern and South-Eastern Crimean coast, to the South of the ridge of the Crimean mountains. The conducted research allowed obtaining interesting data which need to be further proved by the methods of archaeometry.

Anatolian Wine in the Middle Bronze Age

The Assyrian merchant records from Kultepe near Kayseri contain the first textual references to the production and trade in wine in Central Anatolia. Predictably, those records are mainly of a commercial nature and provide information about quantity, containers, and price. Sometimes, they also mention geographical origin and give occasional hints to the consumption and production of wine. References are scarce. Only 33 texts out of ca. 12,500 mention wine (see Appendix 1). Fortunately, the limited textual evidence can be connected to a broader material record that includes an excavated corpus of ceramic and metal containers for the storage and mixing, sieving and serving of drink, as well as an extensive pictorial record of cultic libation and drink. A growing archaeobotanical record adds new data on the oenology of the period. This article examines all four sets of evidence dating to the first half of the Middle Bronze Age. It begins with an analysis of the written sources and proceeds to integrate the archaeobotanical record, physical artifacts, and pictorial representations. Ethnographic data is discussed as part of the final analysis to provide an interpretational framework for parts of the material.

Wear Resistance Mechanism of Alumina Ceramics Containing Gd₂O₃.

Excellent wear resistance of alumina ceramics is a desirable quality for many products. The purpose of this work was to improve the wear resistance of 99% alumina ceramics in an Al2O3–Gd2O3–SiO2–CaO–MgO (AGSCM) system. The content of Gd2O3 varied from 0.01% to 1%. A test of wear rate was performed in a ball milling apparatus in a water environment according to the Chinese industry standard. The compositions and microstructure of this material, as well as the effect of bulk density on wear rate, were studied. The effect of Gd2O3 on phases, grain growth mode, and grain boundary cohesion was investigated. It was found that Gd2O3 could refine grain size, form compressive stress of the grain boundary, and promote the crystallization of CaAl12O19. The wear rate of this material was as low as 0.00052‰ (the Chinese industry standard wear rate is ≤0.15‰). The mechanisms for wear resistance of AGSCM ceramics were also determined.

Study of Glass-Ceramic Coating on the SUS430 Stainless Steel Plate with High Temperature Oxidation Resistance

Currently, the ceramic inner container draws great attention in the field of induction heating pot. Based on the traditional roll-forming process for ceramic pot, a new kind process was proposed to fabricate ceramic inner container and synchronously embed stainless steel plate by one-step high temperature sintering. The key technology for this process is to avoid the oxidation of SUS430 stainless steel plate during the high temperature sintering for a longtime by coating a glass-ceramic layer. In this research, the glass-ceramic coating with excellent high temperature oxidation resistance was optimized. The influences of ZrO2 content in the coating slurry on the high temperature oxidation resistance and thermal shock resistance of SUS430 stainless steel plate with glass-ceramic coating were studied. Meanwhile, the coatings were characterized by Scanning Electron Microscopy, X-ray Diffraction and Thermal Expansion Analysis. The experimental results showed that the glass-ceramic coating was smooth and had excellent thermal shock resistance when the addition of ZrO2 reached 15wt%. The mass gain of the SUS430 stainless steel plate with glass-ceramic coating was only 0.453% after sintering at 1300°C for 10h in air atmosphere, which was less one percent than that of SUS430 stainless steel plate under the same sintering condition.

O Sambaqui Porto da Mina e a cerâmica utilizada como material construtivo

A retomada recente da pesquisa arqueológica no sambaqui Porto da Mina (PA-SA-5), litoral do Pará, foi feita a partir da abordagem metodológica proposta pela Arqueologia Estratégica, buscando compreender aspectos associados à formação do registro arqueológico. O primeiro autor analisou a coleção formada por Mário Simões nas décadas de 1960/70 e obteve novos dados com o estudo da seção de perfil de uma das áreas escavadas e com a análise de material da coluna zooarqueológica retirada do sambaqui. A análise da cerâmica proveniente das duas pesquisas destaca a inexistência de vasilhames inteiros e pequenas dimensões dos fragmentos, características que levaram a considerar a hipótese de que os vasilhames cerâmicos foram utilizados em diversas atividades rotineiras e, posteriormente, seus fragmentos reutilizados como material construtivo para consolidação do sambaqui.

Magnetometric Investigations of the Ceramic Kilns of Early Medieval Taurica: New Results

Local workshops for producing and firing ceramic building materials and containers began to arise everywhere near large centers in the Mountain Crimea in the early Middle Ages (VIII–XV centuries). A three-stage magnetometric technique and the results of its application to detection and study of the production centers of ceramic building materials and containers in medieval Taurica are considered. Only this approach makes it possible to reveal all kilns and related objects on the territories of pottery centers and analyze them in full detail. The location map of ceramic workshops in Mountain Taurica is presented, as well as detailed plans of several large pottery centers with detailed magnetic maps of each kiln, many of which were confirmed by excavations.

Application of the State-Of-The Art Engineering Methods in Nautical Archaeology

Modern interdisciplinary projects are connecting researchers from seemingly unrelated fields, like naval engineering and archaeology. However, archaeological remnants of the present days, such as ancient ships and ceramic transport containers, were created by engineers and artisans of the past. It is therefore meaningful to consider their function and construction from an engineering point of view, complementing the archaeological research. One track of the interdisciplinary project Archaeology of Adriatic Shipbuilding and Seafaring (AdriaS), founded by the Croatian Science Foundation, aims at better understanding of structural behaviour of the ancient seaborne structures, made of wood and ceramics. In addition, a reverse engineering method is considered in the analysis of underwater archaeological sites, by the simulation of capsizing of ancient ship. This paper presents the possibilities and limitation of the application of the state-of-the-art engineering methods in nautical archaeology. It focuses on the analysis of wooden and ceramics structures, particularly through the identification of open questions, and exploitation of proper material models. Moreover, it presents the complex fluid-structure interaction analysis of a ship capsizing event as a possible engineering tool for testing hypothesis.

Evaluation of Fracture Strength of Ceramics Containing Small Surface Defects Introduced by Focused Ion Beam.

The aim of this study was to clarify the effects of micro surface defects introduced by the focused ion beam (FIB) technique on the fracture strength of ceramics. Three-point bending tests on alumina-silicon carbide (Al2O3/SiC) ceramic composites containing crack-like surface defects introduced by FIB were carried out. A surface defect with in the range 19 to 35 µm was introduced at the center of each specimen. Test results showed that the fracture strengths of the FIB-defect specimens depended on . The test results were evaluated using the evaluation equation of fracture strength based on the process zone size failure criterion and the parameter model. The experimental results indicate that FIB-induced defects can be used as small initial cracks for the fracture strength evaluation of ceramics. Moreover, the proposed equation was useful for the fracture strength evaluation of ceramics containing micro surface defects introduced by FIB.

Earliest salt working in the world: From excavation to microscopy at the prehistoric sites of Ţolici and Lunca (Romania)

Since the Early Neolithic, salt has played an important role in the social and economic development of populations. Consequently, the study and comprehension of salt management strategies have become a significant component of current archaeological research. This study is part of an interdisciplinary research program consisting of excavations and detailed analyses on two Early Neolithic salt working sites situated in the sub-Carpathian region of Romania, Lunca and Ţolici (county Neamţ). These remarkably well-preserved sites are characterised by stratified deposits several meters thick. Detailed stratigraphic descriptions were followed by optical microscopy analysis (soil micromorphology) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with geochemical analysis (EDS). The aim of these analyses was to identify specific sedimentary, petrographic and chemical characteristics that could be linked to salt working process. The results enable us to describe the main site formation process over time and to detect chemical components of edible salt (Na and Cl) in Early Neolithic ashes. These new data consolidate previous interpretations of the operating procedures implemented from the Early Neolithic to the Bronze Age. Two techniques appear to have been preferentially adopted: pouring natural brine onto combustion structures during the Early Neolithic and evaporation in specific ceramic containers from the Chalcolithic onwards.

Chromatographic analysis of honey ceramic artefacts

Honey was the main sweetening agent in the ancient world; it is mentioned in literary sources and archaeologically documented all over the Mediterranean basin. Its production extended throughout different parts of the Roman Empire, with important economic impacts on family economies, both as a foodstuff and as a commercial product. This paper focuses on the chromatographic analysis of Roman Iberian honeypots and ceramic beehives, identifying tracer characteristics from ancient honey in sherds from seven honeypots and three beehives. The obtained results present an important contribution to the knowledge of the local Roman Iberian economy, particularly relating to the production, transport and trade of honey in locally manufactured ceramic containers.

Exploring the emergence of an ‘Aquatic’ Neolithic in the Russian Far East: organic residue analysis of early hunter-gatherer pottery from Sakhalin Island

Abstract

Trade in Commodities in Ceramic Containers in 4th Century BC (Procedure of Comparison Import Statistical Indicators)

Trade in Commodities in Ceramic Containers in 4th Century BC (Procedure of Comparison Import Statistical Indicators)

Plant storage in Neolithic southeast Europe: synthesis of the archaeological and archaeobotanical evidence from Serbia

This paper presents and evaluates the archaeobotanical and archaeological evidence of plant product storage from Early and Late Neolithic sites in Serbia, southeast Europe. The commonly stated and widely accepted archaeological evidence of storage in the region includes ceramic pots, clay bins and pits. However, as shown in our study, the archaeobotanical evidence does not always support the interpretation of these structures and objects as plant storage containers, as it is often of secondary origin and composed of discarded plant material such as by-products of plant use. On the other hand, the available botanical record points to some other possible ways of storing plant products, such as in perishable containers that do not normally survive archaeologically in this part of the world. Although limited, the combined evidence indicates variability in plant storage practices and solutions within the cultural phenomena associated with the Neolithic Starcevo and Vinca cultures of the region. For instance, plant storage in large clay pots was noted at some of the sites, and in clay bins at others. Also, different structures and features may have been used for storing crop products, whilst wild plants seem to have been kept in perishable and/or small ceramic containers. A further impression is that finds of the same plant (type) in different containers may reflect different stages in processing.

Experimental methods for the Palaeolithic dry distillation of birch bark: implications for the origin and development of Neandertal adhesive technology

The destructive distillation of birch bark to produce tar has recently featured in debates about the technological and cognitive abilities of Neandertals and modern humans. The abilities to precisely control fire temperatures and to manipulate adhesive properties are believed to require advanced mental traits. However, the significance given to adhesive technology in these debates has quickly outgrown our understanding of birch bark tar and its manufacture using aceramic techniques. In this paper, we detail three experimental methods of Palaeolithic tar production ranging from simple to complex. We recorded the fuel, time, materials, temperatures, and tar yield for each method and compared them with the tar known from the Palaeolithic. Our results indicate that it is possible to obtain useful amounts of tar by combining materials and technology already in use by Neandertals. A ceramic container is not required, and temperature control need not be as precise as previously thought. However, Neandertals must have been able to recognize certain material properties, such as adhesive tack and viscosity. In this way, they could develop the technology from producing small traces of tar on partially burned bark to techniques capable of manufacturing quantities of tar equal to those found in the Middle Palaeolithic archaeological record.

Ceramic Heat Pipes for High Temperature Application

High temperature heat pipes with a ceramic container consisting out of sintered silicon carbide (SSiC) and with zinc as working fluid are investigated. To summarize the results, the performance of a singular bench-scale ceramic heat pipe (length 1,070 mm, outer diameter 22 mm) can achieve up to more than 1,000 W under test conditions. The best performance is reached with a filling amount of 100 g zinc as working fluid, which comes up to a filling height of about 11% of the total heat pipe length under liquid conditions. The present operating temperature of the heat pipes on the heating gas side could be tested up to 980 °C, so that the temperature inside the heat pipe, which is equal to the boiling temperature of the working fluid, has to be a little bit lower than that point. The pressure inside the heat pipe is beneath the ambient pressure at up to 907 °C working fluid temperature.