Cooking Ware Research Articles

The ceramic vessels of the late antique and early medieval domus in the religious complex of San Pietro (Canusium, Italy): Clayey geosources, local production and imports in northern Apulia

AbstractThis study broadens our knowledge of the relationship between the clayey georesources available in northern Apulia and the artisanal production of ceramics. The focus is placed on a collection of 6th and 7th century A.D. pottery found in the domus excavated within the archaeological complex of Canosa San Pietro (ancient Canusium) in Italy. The integration of the results obtained from this study with those already available made it possible to outline conscious technological choices in terms of raw materials' exploitation, based on which the alluvial deposits were selected for the production of coarse cooking ware and the marine Subapennine clays for the production of fine common ware. This selective choice undoubtedly had a practical implication since it supplied raw materials that required little processing, being already suitable for the type of ceramic to be produced. Moreover, the compositional comparison of investigated pottery with products distributed along the Carapelle valley, rather than those from Canusium previously studied, provides new perspectives for reconstructing the microcirculation of ceramics in northern Apulia. Lastly, the imports of Classe‐type pottery, probably from the northern Adriatic area, are worth mentioning since they represent the most consistent distribution of this type of ceramic in southern Italy and may reflect the assiduous pilgrimage of the monastery after the death of Bishop Savinus.

STUDYING THE FORMATION AND STABILIZATION OF CUR-AL+3 COMPLEXES BY USING CITRIC ACID AS CATALYST

Cooking ware that is made of aluminum is used in different nations, particularly developing nations, and are a free source of aluminum. Due to its possible harmful effects on human health, aluminum is acknowledged as a public health problem. The goal of the current investigation is to evaluate curcumin's (CUR) capacity to decrease aluminium’s toxicity by forming stable complexes. Rhizomes that are sold in the local marketplaces have an 8.5% crude pigment content of CUR. At various pH levels, CUR's maximum absorbance was identified. Citric acid was used as a catalyst to create the CUR-Al+3 combination at various pH levels, which correspond to the rates at which Al+3 was eliminated from the solution. At pH 2.5, 3.0, 3.5, and 4.0, the highly complexation was seen. At such pH levels, the Al+3 elimination was 79.22, 78.28, 79.26, and 79.41%, respectively. The CUR-Al+3 complexes’ stability represent, respectively, 96.94, 96.29, 95.55, and 95.52% of the initial concentration at 25o, 50o, 75o, and 100o C for 60 min at pH value of 2.50. Using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), it has been possible to identify CUR and its complex with Al+3. At varied pH levels, 1.5, 2.5, 3.5, 4.5, 5.5, and 6.5 at boiling point, the leached aluminium from 3 regions of the aluminium cooking ware (Syrian, Iranian and local) was specified. Comparatively to Syrian and local cooking wares, Iranian cooking ware generally leached more aluminum. In comparison to other pH values, the percentages of the elimination of the aluminum that is leached by utilizing the most leaching cookware (Iranian) have been 79.23 and 79.26% at pH values of 2.50 and 3.50, respectively.

Four centuries of cooking wares at Priene: Tracing transformation in supply and trade patterns in western Asia minor (Turkey)

This paper presents the results of a diachronic and multidisciplinary investigation into the production and consumption of cooking ware in the ancient city of Priene (Turkey). Three major chronological horizons are considered, covering the fourth to the first century BCE: the late Classical/early Hellenistic period, the middle Hellenistic period, and the late Hellenistic/early Roman Imperial period. Following a thorough typological and macroscopic study of fabrics, an integrated analytical approach combining petrography and elemental analysis (wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence) was applied to investigate the main macroscopic types and fabrics that characterised cooking wares. Integration of the results from the typological study with the subsequent analyses of 90 representative samples has provided high-resolution insights into cooking ware production and consumption at Priene over the study period. In addition to tracing transformations in local and regional manufacture over time, the results show that cooking wares were imported to the city from several places and, moreover, at a scale at least equivalent to that for other categories of ceramic vessels at that time. Changes in the manufacturing technology of local and regional products and the origin of imports are discussed in the context of significant historical developments that took place in this region over the period covered by the study.

Studying the Formation and Stabilization of Cur-Al+3 Complexes by Using Tartaric Acid as Catalyst

The aluminum cooking wares that were using in many countries, especially the developing countries be a source of free aluminum. Aluminum is recognized as a public health concern because of its potential toxic effects on human health. The present study was undertaken to determine the effectiveness of curcumin (CUR) in reducing the toxicity of leached aluminum through formation stable complexes. The available rhizomes in local markets contain 8.5% of curcumin as crude pigment. The maximum absorbance of curcumin at different pH values was determined. The curcumin-Al+3 complex was prepared by using tartaric acid as catalyst, at different pH values which in turn reflect the elimination percentages of Al+3 from the solution. The highly complexation was observed at pH 2.5, 3.0, 3.5 and 4.0. The Al+3 elimination at these pH values were 61.30,61.95,58.71 and 56.40% respectively. The stability of cur-Al+3 complexes at 25, 50, 75 and 100oC for 60 min at pH 2.5 represent 96.94, 96.29, 95.55 and 95.52 % of the initial concentration respectively. The identification of curcumin and its complex with Al+3 by using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) was achieved. The leached aluminum from three regions of aluminum cooking wares (local, Syrian and Iranian) were determined at different pH values, 1.5, 2.5, 3.5, 4.5, 5.5 and 6.5 at boiling point. In general, Iranian cooking ware leached more aluminum comparing with Syrian and local cooking wares. The elimination percentages of leached aluminum by using the most leaching cooking ware (Iranian) were 61.30 and 58.71% at 2.5 and 3.5 pH respectively, which is high comparing with other pH values.

Zoomorphic Images of the BII Stage Trypillia Settlements in the Middle Buh River Region

Widely known in Trypillia archaeological culture various zoomorphic images clearly represent multisided spiritual world of farmers of Eneolithic period, in particular the spread of domestic animals cult. While retaining common features of zoomorphism throughout the whole range of Trypillia, from the early to later stages, there are certain distinctive features for each region and time of existence. Their study allows us to understand the peculiarities of formation and development of the animal image, manners and styles of its performance. It is important to study the embodiments of the animal image in various types of archaeological materials of Trypillia settlements of the Middle Buh River region at BII stage (plastics, pottery, dwelling models) and determine the territorial and temporal features in comparison with other areas of the Trypillia spread. At the settlements of Voroshylivka, Sosny, Selyshche, Nemyriv and Karolina, the most found plastic items are statuettes of domestic animals, which were made in realistic or stylistic manners. Small and medium-sized figurines, which are classified as bovidae/ovis, dominate here. They had paired legs, small horns and a tail. Sometimes an udder or a penis was imitated, indicating the sex of the animal (cow, bull). Of particular interest are the statuettes and zoomorphic bowls, which had cross holes in their coupled legs. It is possible that they were supplemented with wheels and used in rituals as movable figurines. Common are zoomorphic bowls on four legs with a horned head and a tail on rims, as well as peculiar oval or rectangular bowls on four legs, reminiscent of cattle feeding troughs. They were painted in a zoomorphic ornament, resembling the spine or fur of an animal. It is important to note that no “dog”, “deer” or “bird” ornaments, known in other regions of the Trypillia culture, have been found on the tableware of the Middle Buh local group. There are also zoomorphic features on the cooking ware. The pots had four legs on the bottoms, and small horned heads were stuck on the rims. The zoomorphism can be traced on a well-known dwelling model from Voroshylivka, where the roof timbers above the front and back walls are designed like the horns of a domestic animal. Considering that the model had four high legs, it is reasonable to assume that it could have been used in rituals honoring the dwelling and livestock. The comprehensive analysis of zoomorphic images from the settlements of the Trypillia BII stage of the Middle Buh local group showed some regional differences as well as general trends in the development of ideological views of the ancient agricultural population of the Right-Bank Ukraine. The image of animals, especially cattle, deeply penetrated into consciousness of the holders of Trypillia culture, and the cult of the horned bull became one of the leading in their ideology.

Migration of lead and cadmium from ceramic kitchenware and estimation of sampling uncertainty

The aims of this study were (i) to evaluate the existing analysis capacity for lead and cadmium leached from ceramic articles, (ii) to determine the migration of lead and cadmium from glazed ceramic kitchenware sold on the Turkish market, (iii) to estimate the sampling uncertainty. Traditional ceramic cooking ware and Chinese breakfast hollowware were sampled randomly from different sales points located in Bursa in 2018 (n = 96). Ceramic articles were subjected to the migration conditions specified in the legislation, and the amount of lead and cadmium was determined with the inductively coupled plasma and mass spectrometry. It was found that the current analytical method can quantify lower levels of the metals with acceptable method performance parameters. The amount of the metals migrated were far below the current permissible limits set in the legislation. Relative sampling uncertainty was estimated as 66.1% and this result was related to the heterogeneity within a lot. Practical applications Lead and cadmium are used to coat the ceramic kitchenwares during the glazing process. If ceramic kitchenware are produced under good manufacturing conditions and the glaze is undamaged, the migration of lead and cadmium may be lower than the permissible limits set in the legislation. Migration analysis based on inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) provides high selectivity, sensitivity, and low analytical limits. Considering inevitable sampling uncertainty, at least four articles should be taken from a lot for migration analysis.

Were These Jugs and Colanders Made of Cooking Ware Fabric Intended for Cooking? Finds from the Polish Excavations of Warsaw University at Nea Paphos

The aim of the paper is to extend the standard set of ceramic vessels used for thermal processing of food with two forms: jugs and colanders. The paper presents the functional analysis of ceramic jugs and colanders made of cooking ware found in early Roman layers of the residential quarter of ancient Nea Paphos, excavated by the Polish Archaeological Mission of Warsaw University at Kato Paphos. The examination is based on the shape of the vessels, the fabric, as well as on specific traces of use visible on the pots, such as mineral deposit on the inside or soot on the outside surface.

A cerâmica de cozinha africana de Monte Molião (Lagos, Portugal) e o seu enquadramento regional

O conjunto de cerâmica de cozinha africana de Monte Moliao e composto por 2005 fragmentos classificaveis, apesar de apenas 1767 serem passiveis de tipificacao (de acordo com as propostas de Tortorella, Hayes e Bonifay). As pecas foram analisadas de acordo com a sua posicao estratigrafica, o que permitiu retirar informacao sobre a sua cronologia absoluta e integracao nas diferentes fases de ocupacao romana do sitio. O circuito da cerâmica de cozinha africana no sul de Portugal foi proposto com base nos dados do sitio de Lagos, mas tambem em outros provenientes de distintos locais algarvios, tendo-se concluido que aqueles em que esta cerâmica se tinha registado eram litorais ou facilmente acessiveis por rio.

P-XRF analysis of multi-period Impasto and Cooking Pot wares from the excavations at Stromboli-San Vincenzo, Aeolian Islands, Italy

ABSTRACTThis exploratory study focuses on the elemental analysis by p-XRF (portable X-Ray Fluorescence Analyser) of 62 samples of coarse wares, consisting of Bronze Age handmade burnished ware, so-called Impasto, and of Cooking ware (dated from the Roman period to Modern times). All wares originate from the site of San Vincenzo, Stromboli, and Aeolian Islands. The question addressed here is whether it is possible to differentiate between local (Aeolian) and imported (non-Aeolian) fabrics with the use of the p-XRF; 42 of the 62 samples were also subjected to petrographic analysis as a way of testing our hypothesis. Our results show that p-XRF analysis can clearly assist in distinguishing between Aeolian vs. non-Aeolian wares. Analyses can take place in the field and large quantities of sherds can be processed as a result. We suggest that no further demands should be made of the technique in providing answers to more detailed provenance questions. This is because finer separation in subgroups (as achieved recently by combined petrographic and EPMA analysis on select samples) is not possible given the nature of coarse pottery and the limitations of the technique in measuring key light elements (Na, Mg). Furthermore, for some elements (e.g Cr) accuracy is below acceptable levels in which case results for these particular elements are considered semi-quantitative.

From the kilns to the fair: producing building materials at Faragola and Canusium (northern Apulia, Italy)

Faragola and Canusium potters used Ca-rich clays—widely available nearby—for the production of building materials. The clayey materials were used as received, before being fired in the local kilns at temperatures between 600 and ~1000 ° C. No technological distinctions were made in relation to the type of object to be produced (tile, brick, etc). The investigated productions are compositionally distinguishable from both coarse wares for cooking and fine table ware produced in the same archaeological sites. A fine clayey material, very similar to that used for table ware, was supplied for the production of these building materials, which are chemically, mineralogically and petrographically very similar among themselves. Hence, the Faragola and Canusium bricks and tiles cannot be easily discriminated but the presence/absence of volcanites and volcanic glass represents an effective discriminating factor, able to indicate areas of different supplies within two main deposits: the Pleistocene marine and alluvial terraced deposits, typical of northern Apulia.

Ceramic Ethnoarchaeometry in Western Sardinia: Production of Cooking Ware at Pabillonis

Ceramic ethnoarchaeology has been used to explore fully the chaîne opératoire and to understand all of the stages and factors involved in pottery production, such as raw material selection or paste recipes used by the potters. This work presents the results of the application of compositional analysis undertaken in the village of Pabillonis (western Sardinia, Italy), the main cooking ware production centre of the island. Pottery and local clays have been characterized using a combination of analytical techniques. By integrating the ethnographic information and the archaeometric approach, it was possible to reconstruct the operational sequence, exploring the relationship between the processing of raw materials and the functionality of the final products, and the intra‐production compositional variability.

Bronze Age cooking pots: Thermal properties and cooking methods

This paper examines the interplay between manufacturing parameters and material properties in archaeological ceramic cooking ware. While previous studies on material properties have focused on the response of ceramic vessels to mechanical and thermal loads, emphasis is placed here on thermal properties and their influence on the suitability of a vessel to be used for different cooking methods. We illustrate how the material properties of a ceramic cooking vessel are influenced by its manufacture and how these material properties in turn may influence the performance and ultimately selection of certain vessels to be used for specific cooking practices for the example of late Bronze Age (LCIA) cooking vessels from Akrotiri, Greece.

Different methods for soluble salt removal tested on late-Roman cooking ware from a submarine excavation at the island of Pantelleria (Sicily, Italy)

Abstract This paper deals with the comparative evaluation of different procedures of salt extraction designed for archaeological ceramics from submarine burial environments. The experimental work was carried out on a particular type of late-Roman cooking ware finds (Pantellerian ware) found in a shipwreck near the shoreline of the Island of Pantelleria (Sicily). The studied ceramic test-pieces were first recognised in terms of bulk characteristics (mineralogy, petrography and chemistry). SEM-EDS observation allowed verification of the presence of various secondary minerals at the surface and in the pore spaces formed after the prolonged permanence in seawater under oxidising or reducing conditions. Pore-size distribution was also determined in the same fragments that had been subjected to the salt extraction routines. Three salt extraction methods were tested: two methods based on diffusion processes (water immersion under stationary conditions and under mechanical stirring conditions) and one method based on both diffusive and advective processes (multiple packages of sepiolite). The obtained experimental data allowed us to identify strengths and weaknesses of the tested procedures with practical spin-off for archaeologists and restorers (efficiency, kinetics, compatibility with the ceramic substrate, costs and simplicity of use). Salt extraction under mechanical stirring was the most effective method and, for this reason, is suitable for laboratory fieldwork during or immediately after submarine archaeological excavations. Similar advantages are also intended for the preliminary treatments of the most precious findings prior to museum storage.

COOKING WARES IN ANCIENT SYRIA (FIRST TO 10TH CENTURIES ad): RECONSTRUCTING THE PRODUCTION CONTEXTS FROM THE CONSUMPTION SITES

This paper deals with Brittle Ware, a cooking ware product that appears to have been highly standardized and widely distributed in Syria during the Roman and the Byzantine periods. The study intends to determine the distribution of Brittle Ware through time and space, by combining typology and a thorough examination of the fabrics in the field, using binocular microscopy (n = 2807 diagnostic fragments). Based on the fabric groupings, petrological and chemical analyses were then undertaken. Resting on an archaeological background and several analytical methods, this paper aims at going beyond a limited provenance study, by characterizing the Brittle Ware production system and thus providing some insights into the economy of ancient Syria.

Insights into the production technology of north-Mesopotamian Bronze Age pottery

With the aim of contributing to the knowledge of north-Mesopotamian Bronze Age pottery production (3rd millennium BC, early Dynastic and early Akkadian period), the mineralogy of pottery excavated from the site of Tell Beydar (Syria) has been studied in order to make inferences concerning the clay preparation and firing techniques of that period. The fired pottery finds have been classified by archaeologists into three distinct groups on the basis of their aesthetic and visual appearance and their mechanical strength: standard, cooking and “metallic” ware.SR X-ray powder diffraction data have been collected from 100 individual shards as well as from local clays and one unbaked object, an inscribed tablet. The XRD data is supplemented by SEM-EDS, XRF and polarising microscopy studies of 200 polished thin sections. The synthesis of the results from this extensive study quantifies the basic physical characteristics of the ensemble: the standard ware required no specific clay preparation and firing procedures. The body of the cooking ware contains large inclusions which result in a body texture intended to make them resistant to repeated thermal cycles. Both standard and cooking ware are made of a calcareous clay, typical of pottery from the Middle East. The metallic ware, however, are of a much finer quality with a distinctly different mineralogy than the other two groups.

PANTELLERIAN WARE: A COMPREHENSIVE ARCHAEOMETRIC REVIEW*

Pantellerian ware is a Late Roman cooking ware whose production centre was established on the island of Pantelleria by the pioneering research of Fulford and Peacock almost 20 years ago (Peacock 1982; Fulford and Peacock 1984). Archaeological and archaeometric studies carried out by the authors of the present contribution during the past four years have aimed to fully characterize this ceramic class. Recurrent ceramic forms, their distribution over time and space, their petrographic characteristics and their chemical identity, as well as possible raw materials and their technological properties, were considered. The present paper is a comprehensive review of this archaeometric work and aims to establish a ‘reference group’. Using a representative number of samples of Pantellerian ware that were recently discovered in the island through archaeological field surveys or surface and submarine excavations, it was possible to characterize in detail the compositional variability of this ware in terms of chemistry and petrography. Furthermore, the physical properties of this ceramic type have been defined in order to better understand its performance characteristics, mainly in response to induced thermal stress. In the meantime, the experimental mixing and tempering of locally sampled raw materials have shed light on the ancient manufacturing process and have led to an approximation of the original paste.

Characterization of Maltese pottery of the Late Neolithic, Bronze Age and Punic Period by neutron activation analysis

Abstract A set of 41 samples from Tas-Silg, Malta, has been analysed by neutron activation. It contained nine ware groups formed by visual examination covering the Late Neolithic, Bronze Age and Punic Periods ( c. 3000-218 bc ). Despite this diversity and long time range, seven of these ware groups, including the ‘Thermi Ware’, all have a similar chemical composition and, therefore, have been made from the same clay. This points most probably to a local origin. One group from the Punic Period, containing only Bricky Red cooking ware, is chemically separate and represents a second distinct pattern probably assignable to a local production. Five amphora sherds also from the Punic Period, and consisting of a micaceous fabric, all have different chemical characteristics and are probably imports from overseas production sites of unknown location.

Crystallization behavior of Li2O-Al2O3-6SiO2glasses containing Ta2O5

TiO2and ZrO2have been successful nucleating agents in lithium aluminosilicate glass-ceramics, which have applications including cooking ware, heat exchangers, telescope mirrors, and the matrices of fiber reinforced composites. The major crystalline phases, stuffedβquartz ss (solid solution) andβspodumene ss, have very small volume coefficients of thermal expansion, and thus these glass-ceramics have excellent thermal shock resistance. Ta2O5has recently been established as an effective (phase separation inducing) nucleation catalyst in glasses of this system. The effect of varying (re-heating) thermal treatment on microstructure formation in these glasses with Ta2O5additives is discussed herein.Glass samples were prepared in 100 gram batches using SiO2, Li2CO3, Al2O3, and Ta2O5powders as raw materials. The mixture, 1:1:6 in molar ratio of Li2O:Al2O3:SiO2with 4 mol% Ta2O5, was calcined in a Pt - 3.5% Rh crucible at 1350°C for 2 hours, held for another 12 hours at 1650°C, and then quenched onto a copper plate. The glass and devitrified samples were then mechanically thinned and ion-milled using a liquid nitrogen cold stage.