Pottery Fabrics Research Articles

Technology of Dvaravati Pottery: A View from Petrographic Analysis.

This study focuses on the examination of aspects of the carinated pottery of the Dvaravati period. This type of pottery is one of the most prominent types found in a large number of Dvaravati sites in Thailand. Samples used for this study were collected from excavations at archaeological sites located in several regions of Thailand including Northern, Northeastern and Central Thailand. The carinated potteries were analyzed using petrographic analysis. The objective of this work was to examine the pottery fabric. This method is used to establish sources of raw materials, and whether production techniques, decorations, and firing temperature show patterns associated with the raw material source distributions. It is also possible to reconstruct the production technology of the vessels. Knowing the source of raw materials (source of clay and temper) and understanding the patterns of manufacturing and decorative processes help better understand material distribution patterns of the Dvaravati period. Analysis shows that Dvaravati earthenware pottery raw materials include both primary and secondary clays, and that temper used was both organic matter (rice chaff) and grogs (fired clay mixed with iron oxide). Evidence for wheel-thrown production was associated with all decoration styles, and finishing techniques included plain, polishing, incising, cord marking, red slip and black burnishing. The firing temperatures were as low as 400-550° C. These samples indicate there was general homogeneity over a wide area, but also the presence of regional groups of pottery. This suggests the widespread circulation of pottery styles among various production centers during the Dvaravati period.

A comparison of chemical and petrographic analyses of Neolithic pottery from South-eastern Europe

This paper deals with the importance of chemical analyses in characterising prehistoric pottery fabrics. Two three-year projects focussed on the minero-petrographic and SEM/EDS analyses of the oldest pottery from south-east Europe (ca. 6000 cal BC). Whereas in the Impressed Ware culture of the Adriatic region, optical microscopy was sufficient to identify provenance, the more uniform geological background of the central Balkans required chemical analyses to be able to differentiate between different raw materials. Multiple bulk analyses of each sherd were obtained to gauge the variability in composition within each vessel. The limiting factor in determining provenance in this area appears to be the similarity of clay sources, not the inhomogeneity of the coarse pottery. This is shown here using results from four of the sites, including three where petrographic analyses could not establish provenance.

Finding the Fifth Century: A Late Fourth- and Early Fifth-Century Pottery Fabric from South-East Dorset

ABSTRACTThis paper describes a type of pottery made in the same region as Dorset Black Burnished Ware that can be shown to be current during the late fourth and early fifth centuries. This pottery — here named South-East Dorset Orange Wiped Ware — can be used as a diagnostic artefact to identify sites and features of the very late Roman period in Dorset. It also appears to be associated with a new architectural tradition typified by the ‘sunken featured buildings’ present at the late and post-Roman site of Poundbury.

Preliminary Findings at a Late Old Kingdom Fort in South Sinai, Including the Pottery, from the 2008 Season

The 2008 excavations at Ras Budran continued exposing the late Old Kingdom fort’s courtyard, finding baking installations, deep hollows filled by ash and sand, and parts of an underlying occupation layer that may reflect earlier activity at the fort (which needs further clarification). The exploration of a suggestive “chamber” in the eastern enclosure wall revealed it to be a modern disturbance. The project also concentrated on the western “bastion,” tracing it for 20 meters and finding evidence for salt encrustations and potential storm activity along the fort’s western side; one preliminary conclusion is that the sealing of the fort’s original entryway, and the subsequent abandonment and dismantling of the fort, may have been encouraged by a poor placement of the fort too close to the Red Sea and/or possibly increasingly harsher (winter) weather ca. 2300–2200 B.C. The study also contains Rexine Hummel’s analysis of the fort’s pottery fabrics, forms, and functions.

New Dating Evidence for North Sea Trade Between England, Scotland, and Norway in the 11th Century AD

This study follows on from previous research at Perth, Scotland, in which we dated carbonized food residues removed from the external surface of rim sherds of cooking pots of London Sandy Shellyware pottery (Museum of London Pottery Fabric Code SSW). The 15 residues that were dated produced 14C ages between 910 ± 35 and 1085 ± 40 BP. We have now carried out radiocarbon measurements on similar residues from the same fabric obtained from the Billingsgate excavations in London and the Bryggen excavations in Bergen, Norway. The London and Bergen measurements gave age ranges of 905 ± 35 to 1115 ± 35 BP and 920 ± 35 to 1055 ± 35 BP, respectively, both very similar to the Perth age range. The measurements at each site are in agreement with our Bayesian model assumption that they belong to a single phase of activity. The model estimates the introduction of London Sandy Shellyware in London to cal AD 820–1020, in Perth to cal AD 930–1020, and in Bergen to cal AD 980–1030 (95% probability). Further modeling predicts that it fell out of use in the reverse order.

Radiocarbon Dating of Neolithic Pottery

The direct measurement of organic matter included in archaeological pottery may yield a reliable assessment of age. The main problem consists in the identification of possible origins and assessment of distortion for the age of organic inclusions. Our experiments show that shells included in pottery fabrics are strongly influenced by the reservoir effect, which may reach 500 yr or more. Other organic inclusions, such as lake ooze, do not visibly distort the age. The obtained series of radiocarbon dates have been used for the assessing the age of the early stages of pottery manufacture in southern Russia.

Archaeometric analyses of Early and Middle Neolithic pottery from the Pian del Ciliegio rock shelter (Finale Ligure, NW Italy)

The Neolithic site of Pian del Ciliegio is a rock shelter located in the Ponci Valley, at 220 m asl, in the Finalese (Liguria, NW Italy), a well-known karstic area characterised by the existence of several caves with prehistoric occupation. Archaeometric investigations (by optical microscopy and XRPD) were carried out on pottery samples mostly belonging to the Square-Mouthed Pottery Culture and the Impressed Ware Culture found out in the recent excavations of this site. Several fabrics were distinguished among the Square-Mouthed Pottery Culture pottery, suggesting different raw materials sources and production techniques. However, the nature of the mineral inclusions indicates in all cases local or circum-local production (e.g. within a range of a maximum of a few ten kilometres). All Square-Mouthed Pottery fabrics, in fact, contain elements that can be referred to the Palaeozoic metamorphic rocks outcropping in the area. In most cases they are associated with angular sparry calcite inclusions, possibly added as temper, which is a typical feature of other Neolithic pottery production from cave contexts studied in the area. On the contrary the Impressed Ware, although represented by a few sherds, shows a great variability both in fabrics and raw material provenance. Together with different local fabrics (with metamorphites ± calcite), fabrics with ophiolitic inclusions (possibly from Tuscany) and volcanic temper (from Central Italy) were found too. These data confirm and integrate those resulting from the investigation of the neighbouring Arene Candide cave site: a long-distance movement by sea of people and goods, pottery included, during the Early Neolithic is now clearly demonstrated.

Pottery, cultures, people? The European Baden material re-examined

The Baden culture, like others in central Europe, has long been assumed to be the material indication of a people. In a searing analytical deconstruction, the author shows that ‘Baden’ pottery has no equivalence with other cultural practices, and is itself an amalgam of a number of different pottery fabrics and styles, many of them regionally diverse. Singled out among them is the early Boreláz fine ware which is actively spread in central Europe, perhaps accompanied by a knowledge of the first wheeled vehicles.

Échanges et consommation

Abstract. With the expansion of research on Late Antiquity in the early 80’, the question of the datation of finds was a task that could not be escaped, for the advancement of these studies. In Provence and Languedoc, on the credit of the CATHMA programme (Céramique de l’Antiquité tardive et du haut Moyen Âge) which had this ambition, about fifteen reports have been devoted to the finalization of a typochronological reference pattern. In connection with the development of urban excavations, and as well in the countryside, this activity could use new discoveries and in turn help to work out a fine dating pattern. The stratigraphical data given by these excavations constituted a decisive step. A preliminary Dictionnaire des Céramiques antiques gave a large place to these Late southern productions and to Mediterranean imports. The book is not complete and now out-of-print; it should be published again and reactualized with important new evidence. A collective project has been working also in Rhône-Alpes on a chronological typopological reference system and more recently several surveys, on a larger area, were carried out on adornments. This research had effects in several Mediterranean areas. From Tunisia to the Near East amphorae and pottery fabrics and glass workshops have been located or re-examined with the help of new methods of study. Consequently, from now on, it is possible to propose fine datations up to 50 years, even within a quarter of a century, at least until the 6th century. Markers get poor afterwards and there is still much to do, especially to confirm and determine a number of points, due to systematic radiocarbone datation. This improvement of chronological criteras allow to escape approximative interpretations. Outside pottery studies bringing precise datation, more basically one had to examine the distribution of distant imports as of regional products and to follow their ebb and flow. Thus a history of trade is gradually emerging, avoiding presuppositions and stereotypes of a weakened economy in Late Antiquity.

Les poteries néolithiques à décor peint « noir sur rouge » en Grèce du Nord : matières premières et production

This article presents the aims and main results of an interdisciplinary research programme devoted to the black-on-red painted pottery characteristic of the end of the Late Neolithic (4800/4700-3900/3800 BC) in north Greece. The macroscopic study makes it possible to distinguish four pottery groups covering east Macedonia and Thrace, the middle and upper valley of the Strymon, central Macedonia and west Macedonia. The more thoroughgoing study of the first group, the best documented of the four, involved a comparison of the chemical compositions of the pottery fabrics with those of the local deposits, and suggests the existence of at least four production sites in west Macedonia. In one case, it is virtually certain that one and the same source of clay was exploited, the precise location of which remains to be determined.

CARACTERIZACIÓN PETROGRÁFICA DE UNA MUESTRA DE PASTAS AGUADA: VARIACIONES DE MANUFACTURA Y TIPOLÓGICAS

Results concerning petrographic analyses of 27 pottery fabrics corresponding to Aguada Culture sherds from northwestern Argentina are presented. The studied sample belongs to Choya 68 site (Dept. Capayan, Catamarca) and six Ambato types fabrics from La Rinconada site (Dept. Ambato, Catamarca). Different compositional groups were identified by cluster analysis and their relation to Aguada types defined for Hualfin valley (W. Catamarca), Ambato types and the broadly spread Portezuelo style in Choya 68 are discussed. Likewise with regard to the regional geology some considerations about the local or non local pottery manufacture are stated.

Book Review: New Kingdom Pottery Fabrics. Nile Clay and Mixed Nile/Marl Clay Fabrics from Memphis and Amarna

Book Review: New Kingdom Pottery Fabrics. Nile Clay and Mixed Nile/Marl Clay Fabrics from Memphis and Amarna

New Kingdom Pottery Fabrics: Nile Clay and Mixed Nile/Marl Clay Fabrics from Memphis and Amarna. By Janine D. Bourriau, Laurence M. V. Smith, and Paul T. Nicholson.

Previous articleNext article No AccessBook ReviewsNew Kingdom Pottery Fabrics: Nile Clay and Mixed Nile/Marl Clay Fabrics from Memphis and Amarna. By Janine D. Bourriau, Laurence M. V. Smith, and Paul T. Nicholson.Ian ShawIan Shaw Search for more articles by this author PDFPDF PLUS Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by American Journal of Archaeology Volume 106, Number 4October 2002 The journal of the Archaeological Institute of America Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.2307/4126224 Copyright © 2002 by the Archaeological Institute of America. All rights reserved.PDF download Crossref reports no articles citing this article.

Late La Tène Figurative Painted Pottery: Diffusion of a Product or a Concept?

More and more figurative painted potteries are found in Late La Tene sites (Il-le B.C.). Even if the technology and the stylistic elements of these potteries seem similar, regional distinctions can be determined. The aim of this study is to confirm, with two main regions in France (Forez and Morvan), that these wares were produced in different workshops. The pottery's fabrics were studied chemically and mineralogically respectively using X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) and polarising microscopy. The decorative coatings were analyzed using petrographic microscopy, X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) with Energy Dispersive Spectrometry (EDS). The results show few exchanges of manufactured ceramics on long distances. The large repartition of painted ceramic is mainly due to a sharing of informations and cultural standard, a fashion, adopted by the potters of different areas.

Marl Clay Pottery Fabrics of the New Kingdom from Memphis, Saqqara and Amarna

This paper attempts to introduce a research tool essential for the study of production and trade and the way they were organized in ancient Egypt by examining marl clay pottery fabrics from the New Kingdom. Marl clay was the preferred raw material for the containers used in the transport of food within the Nile Valley and beyond. Sample sherds from Memphis, Saqqara and Amarna are described and illustrated macroscopically (20 × magnification) and microscopically (from thin sections). The results are used to create a concordance between the fabric classifications used at these sites, and with that used at Qantir and with the Vienna System. The data given will allow other archaeologists to link their own material to that described and so have access to the evidence this pottery provides on chronology and commodity exchange.

Marl Clay Pottery Fabrics of the New Kingdom from Memphis, Saqqara and Amarna

Marl Clay Pottery Fabrics of the New Kingdom from Memphis, Saqqara and Amarna

Park of Tongland: Analysis of Pottery Fabric Inclusions

All three pots contain quartz (often milky), feldspar and small lumps of grey granite (Biotite Granite) which looks very similar to the Gatehouse-of-Fleet granite and Creetown Granite. This suggests that the source of this material lies to the west of Kirkcudbright rather than to the east. Hence the grits from all three pots, and therefore the manufacture, are likely to have been quite local to the site.

Details of Thin Section Analysis of Pottery Fabrics

Terms usedGrog relates to clay inclusions within the pottery which appear as discrete pieces of varying sizes. Usually such entities are assumed to be crushed parts of pre-existing pots.Sizes of quartz, grog, shell or other inclusions referred to in the analysis concern measurements taken on the longest axis of the grain or piece. In each case the maximum measurement stated is the longest observed in that particular section, and does not infer that other grains in the sample were all of this size, unless stated.Percentages of materials shown as included in the clay matrix are estimates expressed by area using comparison charts (Terry and Chilingar 1955, and Flugel 1982, 247-257).

TEXTURAL ANALYSIS OF CERAMIC THIN SECTIONS: EVALUATION OF GRAIN SAMPLING PROCEDURES

‘Textural analysis’ is being increasingly used for the characterisation of pottery fabrics. In this study we have investigated some of the effects on the observed size distribution data of applying a number of different grain selection procedures (principally various point‐counting and ribbon‐counting procedures). The results indicate that significant differences may arise from the application of the various techniques of grain selection and it is important that appropriate procedures be rigorously applied.

Petrological Examination of Later Middle Bronze Age Pottery from Ayia Irini, Keos

S INCE EARLY in the course of excavations at Ayia Irini, it has seemed likely that the reddish brown, micaceous ceramic fabric found in all: prehistoric levels is locaL It is characteristic of most terracotta small finds (e.g., loomnweights and spindle whorls), artifacts which are likely to have been made from local Keian materials, and is also by far the most common pottery fabric. Members of the excavation team, therefore, have felt that they can with confidence distinguish this local fabric from non-local fabrics and, in many cases, also assign certain non-local fabrics to specific areas of the Aegean on the basis of characteristics apparent to the unaided eye.'