Pottery Samples Research Articles

FTIR, XRD and SEM-EDS Studies of Archaeological Pottery Samples from Recently Excavated Site in Tamil Nadu, India

These studies focus on the elemental concentration and firing temperature of the ancient pottery samples collected from the recently excavated site Pilaiyarpalaiyam in Tamil Nadu, India. Clay was prepared which consisted of quartz, kaolinite, illite, chlorite, feldspars and iron oxides. The samples were subjected to analysis as in the received state. The characterization studies for the analysis of the composition of the pottery using FT-IR, XRD, SEM and EDS reveals the skill and style of the artisan lived in the ancient civilization. The firing temperature and the firing conditions adopted at the time of manufacturing of the pottery also determined. The Pilaiyarpalaiyam samples were fired in the range of 800°C. The elemental concentration through the EDS analysis gave the provenance of the pottery samples well evidence that the sample were two different origin and different sources of materials used.

Lipids, pots and food processing at Hočevarica, Ljubljansko barje, Slovenia

The paper presents the results of lipid analyses of pottery samples from Ho≠evarica (Ljub- ljansko barje, Slovenia). Total lipid extracts were subjected to high temperature gas chromatography (HT-GC), gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and gas chromatography-combustion-isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC-C-IRMS). The results show that some vessels were used for prepar- ing ruminant meat and vegetable, but also the remains of aquatic food were identified. The processing of non-ruminant meat was detected in a few samples. A high number of pottery samples yielded the presence of beeswax lipids. The charred residual on pottery was AMS 14C dated.

Fish and plants: The “hidden” resources in the archaeological record of the North–central Patagonian coast (Argentina)

Archaeological research conducted from 1990 on the North–central Patagonian coast showed certain discrepancies between the archaeofaunal and the human stable isotopic record. In general, zooarchaeological studies indicated that most faunal remains consisted of guanacos and mollusks, followed by pinnipeds, and small mammals, birds, and fish in very low proportions. Unexpectedly, stable isotopes (13C and 15N) from human skeletal samples indicated that all individuals' diet included not only sea resources of high trophic level in variable proportions, but also terrestrial plants. Therefore, the need arose to investigate these differences, especially in regards to the less documented resources in the archaeological record: fish and plants. In this paper, we present the results of diverse methodological approaches used to inquire into the role these resources would have played among the native populations of the area through time. The methods include archaeofaunal and isotope analyses, gas chromatography in ceramic sherds, oral health in human samples, a distributional record of fishing and plant processing technology, and actualistic studies that explore the impact of post-depositional processes on the fish record.The results indicate that these resources were more important in the subsistence of the native populations of the study area than what was estimated a decade ago. However, plants seem to have been exploited in a higher systematic manner than fish due to the fact its presence was determined in most samples analyzed with stable isotopes and gas chromatography. For its part, fish remains were found only in some zooarchaeological assemblages and in fifty percent of the organic residues in pottery samples. The integrity of the ichthyoarchaeological record may have been altered by post-depositional processes and as well by cultural practices such as milling and processing in ceramic containers.

Spectroscopic and rock magnetic studies on some ancient Indian pottery samples

In this study, the ancient potteries from Tamilnadu (Nedungur: Lat.10° 57′N; Long.77°51′E) were collected and investigated for their chemical and mineralogical characteristics to estimate their firing temperature and firing atmosphere. The physical and chemical state of iron (Fe2+/Fe3+) and iron oxide phases obtained using Mössbauer spectra were used to establish the temperature and atmosphere of firing. The clay mineral type and its structural deformation due to firing were established using X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy. The data collected from these techniques show that quartz was the predominant mineral, followed by traces of albite, orthoclase and Fe-bearing minerals (hematite and magnetite) and suggested that the firing temperature of potteries lies in the range of 600–800 °C in oxidizing atmosphere. The mineral types and domain states of the constituent magnetic fine particles were elucidated using the variation of susceptibility at various frequencies and temperature under low field. An attempt has also been made to correlate the magnetic parameters from the percentage of Fe2+/Fe3+ and iron oxides. The information obtained paves a way for a better understanding of the technological development that took place in the ancient past and also the suitability of the samples for the determination of reliable ancient geomagnetic field intensity values.

Analysis of Japanese ancient lacquerwares excavated from Jōmon period ruins

Lacquer samples from two different periods the Japanese Jōmon age were analyzed by Py–GC/MS, cross-section, ATR-FT/IR, ED-XRF, and SEM. The cross-section observed found seven layers coating in earring sample but only two layers in painted pottery sample. Py–GC/MS results showed that both samples coated with lacquer sap tapped from Toxicodendron vernicifluum lacquer tree. Dry oil also was found in both samples, and it is considered to have been used to increase luster and elasticity of lacquer film. Pigment contained in lacquer films were analyzed by ED-XRF and SEM measurements. Cinnabar (HgS) and pipe-type iron oxide (Fe2O3) were detected in the red parts of the earring and painted pottery, respectively, showing the use of different type of red pigments at different time even in the same site.

Petrographic analysis of Contact Period Native American pottery from Fort Hill (27CH85), Hinsdale, NH, USA

We present results of petrographic analysis of a sample of pottery from Fort Hill, a fortified village in southwestern New Hampshire built and occupied by a group of Native Americans between Autumn of 1663 and Spring of 1664. Our analyses reveal a surprising degree of variability in ceramic fabrics and in ceramic production techniques relative to that reported for contemporaneous and slightly earlier assemblages from southern and central New England. We explain the presence of this variability as likely reflecting the amalgamation of multiple ceramic traditions that would result from the presence of refugees within the community occupying Fort Hill.

Pottery versus sediment: Optically stimulated luminescence dating of the Neolithic Vinča culture, Serbia

Abstract Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating was applied to the Neolithic Vinca culture's type-site, Vinca Belo-Brdo, to establish best protocols for routine luminescence dating of similar Holocene sites, critical in understanding Neolithic to Chalcolithic cultural development. Equivalent dose (De) values were investigated for sediment samples using 63–90 μm grains on large and small aliquots, and single-grain laser luminescence (SGLL), and for pottery samples using large aliquots of 4–11 μm grains. The effects of changing water content and the different techniques available to establish radionuclide concentration were explored for their impacts on dose rate (Dr) estimates. Ages for two pottery samples of 6.74 ± 0.37 ka and 7.04 ± 0.47 ka are in line with the existing AMS radiocarbon chronology for the site and are regarded as the best dates available. Sediment samples at Vinca show poor signal strength, and the uncertainty over past water content, in addition to the possibility of mixing and/or partial bleaching of the quartz, means that we do not recommend the use of sediment-derived ages at complex archaeological sites such as Vinca. OSL dating of fired pottery however, presents a powerful tool for generating independent chronologies at archaeological sites as well as providing additional constraints for Bayesian age models.

Application of various spectroscopic techniques to characterize the archaeological pottery excavated from Manaveli, Puducherry, India

This paper is focused on a spectroscopic study of some ancient pottery shreds from an archaeological site Manaveli village, Puducherry, India. Analytical characterization using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and differential scanning colorimetric coupled with thermo gravimetric analysis were carried out on red and black ware and red ware recently excavated from the above site. The experimental results of FT-IR and XRD are similar and allowed us to identify the mineralogical composition of pottery samples. In addition, TGA was applied in order to study the dehydration of hydroscopic water and decomposition of carboxyl group in the powdered pottery samples during heating. Moreover, this paper proves that all the above spectroscopic techniques are very useful analytical tool for the examination of ancient pottery, which is also suitable for the identification of its firing temperature and firing atmosphere.

Simultaneous determination of Si, Al and Na concentrations by particle induced gamma-ray emission and applications to reference materials and ceramic archaeological artifacts

A particle induced gamma ray emission (PIGE) method using 4MeV proton beam was standardized for simultaneous determination of Si, Al and Na concentrations and has been applied for non-destructive analysis of several reference materials and archaeological clay pottery samples. Current normalized count rates of gamma-rays for the three elements listed above were obtained by an in situ method using Li as internal standard. The paper presents application of the in situ current normalized PIGE method for grouping study of 39 clay potteries, obtained from Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh states of India. Grouping of artifacts was carried out using the ratios of SiO2 to Al2O3 concentrations, due to their non volatile nature. Powder samples and elemental standards in pellet forms (cellulose matrix) were irradiated using the 4MeV proton beam (∼10nA) from the 3MV tandem accelerator at IOP Bhubaneswar, and assay of prompt gamma rays was carried out using a 60% relative efficiency HPGe detector coupled to MCA. The concentration ratio values of SiO2/Al2O3 indicated that pottery samples fell into two major groups, which are in good agreement with their collection areas. Reference materials from IAEA and NIST were analyzed for quantification of Si, Al and Na concentrations as a part of validation as well as application of PIGE method.

The New Kingdom settlement of Amara West (Nubia, Sudan): mineralogical and chemical investigation of the ceramics

Forty-three pottery samples from the New Kingdom site at Amara West in Nubia (Sudan) were analysed by optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry to identify pottery potentially produced at the site. Twenty-two samples from modern local alluvial soils, modern locally made pottery and archaeological material (mudbricks, daub, oven liners and kiln fragments), likely to have been made from locally sourced clays, were also studied. The analytically and microscopically defined pottery fabrics were cross-correlated with macroscopic fabrics defined on-site during fieldwork to demonstrate not only the potential and limitations of both approaches but also how the complementary datasets can provide new insights. The mineralogical and chemical analyses, of 65 samples, suggest that locally manufactured pottery included both Egyptian-style tableware and Nubian-style cooking pots. At the same time, the community at the site imported ceramics from a variety of different regions, including Egypt itself.

G‐Factor, a Suitable Tool for Characterization of Ancient Ceramics: Application to Monitoring Amphorae Phase Transformations in Firing

The thick Pliocene clay beds located along the mouth of the Guadalhorce River in Malaga were used in the Roman era for amphorae production related to the ever‐growing production of garum and salted fish. As a first step in their archaeometric characterization, a series of firing tests on the potential raw material have been carried out. The main aim of this work is to obtain a suitable tool for estimating the firing temperatures of those amphorae, as well as to make a comprehensive evaluation of the potential of an innovative external‐standard method for measuring the amorphous content of a pottery sample, the G‐factor method. The obtained results emphasize a highly amorphous content, over 50 wt% in some samples, which varies with the firing temperature. This shows the potential of this technique, which allows straightforward fully quantitative mineralogical analysis and a mineralogical comparison even between samples fired at very different temperatures.

Characterization of the early Byzantine pottery from Caričin Grad (South Serbia) in terms of composition and firing temperature

Mineralogical and chemical composition as well as production methods of the pottery from Caričin Grad, a significant early Byzantine urban complex and production centre of the northern Illyricum region, were determined by multi-analytical investigations that comprised optical analysis and scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectrometry (SEM–EDS), micro-Raman and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) methods. The obtained data indicate that all investigated pottery samples were made of similar raw material that, most likely, originated from the local geological environment. Estimated firing temperatures for the cooking pots vary between 600 °C and 900 °C, while for the glazed table and storage vessels they are more uniform, about 900 °C. The transparent high lead glaze was obtained by direct application of lead oxide to the ceramic surface.

Elemental analysis of ancient potteries of Vellore Dist, Tamil Nadu, India by ED-XRF technique with statistical approach

In the analysis of archaeological pottery, Energy Dispersive X-ray florescence analysis has been utilized to establish the elemental concentrations up to fourteen chemical elements for each of 14 archaeological pottery samples from Vellore Dist, Tamil Nadu, India. The EDXRF results have been processed using two multivariate statistical cluster and principal component analysis (PCA) methods in order to determine the similarities and correlation between the selected samples based on their elemental composition. The methodology successfully separates the samples where two distinct chemical groups were discerned.

Research on the white pottery, stamped hard pottery, and proto- porcelains unearthed at Erlitou

AbstractThe earliest proto-porcelains in northern China known to date have been unearthed at Erlitou Site in Yanshi City, Henan Province. This archaeological evidence is very important for the exploration of the origin of proto-porcelain in China. As research subjects, the white pottery, stamped hard pottery and proto-porcelain samples unearthed at Erlitou Site are analyzed by systematical experimental methods to determine their chemical compositions, baking temperatures, phase compositions and micro-structures, and then the raw materials and baking technology of these samples are discussed. In addition, the characteristics and origin of proto-porcelain from Erlitou Site were also studied.

Raman Study on Pompeii Potteries: The Role of Calcium Hydroxide on the Surface Treatment

Pottery samples from the Pompeii archaeological site were investigated by IR Raman spectroscopy and EDAX measurements. The analysis of the Raman spectra of the surfaces reveals the presence calcium hydroxide (peak at about 780 cm−1) while the calcium carbonate is totally absent. The comparative studies on the carbonation effect of the surfaces were performed on laboratory grown samples of calcium hydroxide. The samples were treated at high temperature and exposed to different ambient conditions, and the analysis suggests that the original surfaces of Roman pottery were scattered by calcium hydroxide (limewash) before the cooking process in the furnace. The result of this surface treatment not only permits a vitrification of the surfaces but also seems to reduce the content of CO2in the furnace atmosphere and then obtain a more oxidant ambient during the cooking of the pottery. These results give new insights on the real degree of knowledge of the Romans about the art of ceramics and more generally about chemistry and technologies.

OSL and TL characteristics of fine grain quartz from Mongolian prehistoric pottery used for dating

Abstract The OSL, post-IR OSL and pulsed post-IR OSL applied to polymineral grains and calculated by fitting to the data the contributions from fast, medium and slow components revealed that the polymineral samples under study are dominated by the medium component. An increase in De’s with increasing integration intervals was observed, which is considered as an indication of increasing medium and decayed fast component; and the equivalent doses obtained using different components or minerals reflect also the shape of the dose distributions. The identified fast component in polymineral sample has photoionization cross section of 1.2±0.02 × 10−17 cm2. The present study shows the usefulness of the application of different luminescence techniques combined with fitting procedures as a check which should be adopted in dating protocols. Based on luminescence ages obtained on poly-mineral grains from prehistoric pottery samples from the Boroo settlement, Mongolia, which are in agreement with independent age control by 14C on charcoal material, it is argued that the manufacturing of Xiongnu — pottery at this site lasted until ca. 130±75 AD.

Ancient Egyptian Pottery from the Subsurface Floodplain of the Saqqara–Memphis Area: Its Mineralogical and Geochemical Implications*

Potsherds recovered from the Saqqara–Memphis floodplain in Egypt, dated according to their typology and radiocarbon dating of the included sediments, are analysed geochemically and mineralogically to identify source materials and fabrication characteristics. Pottery layers were identified and potsherds were recovered from several settlement levels. Sherd typology was used to identify sherds from four periods (the Old and New Kingdoms, and from the Late Period to the Ptolemaic). The Pharaonic pieces were found at depths of between 8 and 12 m and the later material was between 6 and 3 m. Chemical analyses of the potsherds revealed three main source materials: local Nile silt, marl clay and mixed Nile silt–marl. Two marl clay types were recognized: marl clay from Upper Cretaceous marine sediment and another one from Late Pliocene deltaic sediments. The mineralogical composition of the pottery samples shows that the estimated firing temperature was about 850–900°C. No consistent differences in sherd mineralogy and geochemistry were found according to pottery types, so that the ancient Egyptian potters used essentially the same materials throughout the Pharaonic period. However, this initial study has revealed the existence of extensive pottery‐rich occupation sites buried within the Nile floodplain deposits between Memphis and Saqqara.

Thermoluminescence and its Applications: A Review

The present review article contains various applications of Thermoluminescence. The phenomena of thermoluminescence (TL) or thermally stimulated luminescence (TSL) and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) are widely used for measurement of radiation doses from ionizing radiations, viz. x-rays, γ rays and β particles. The applications of TL are initiated in the field of Geology followed by Archaeology, personal dosimetry, material characterization and many more to name. The TL technique has been found to be useful in dating specimens of geologically recent origin where all other conventional methods fail. It has been found to be highly successful in dating ancient pottery samples. The TL/OSL dating is done from a quartz grain, which is collected from pottery or brick, by reading the TL-output. The main basis in the Thermoluminescence Dosimetry (TLD) is that TL output is directly proportional to the radiation dose received by the phosphor and hence provides the means of estimating the dose from unknown irradiations. The TL dosimeters are being used in personnel, environmental and medical dosimetry. During the last two decades, OSL based dosimeters have also been used for various applications. Natural and induced TL signals can be used to explore mineral, oil and natural gas. The present review presents TL theory, TL of minerals, salt, cement, salt crystals from pickles, and low temperature thermoluminescence (LLTL) of few agricultural products. Contents of Paper

Prehispanic Use of Chili Peppers in Chiapas, Mexico

The genus Capsicum is New World in origin and represents a complex of a wide variety of both wild and domesticated taxa. Peppers or fruits of Capsicum species rarely have been identified in the paleoethnobotanical record in either Meso- or South America. We report here confirmation of Capsicum sp. residues from pottery samples excavated at Chiapa de Corzo in southern Mexico dated from Middle to Late Preclassic periods (400 BCE to 300 CE). Residues from 13 different pottery types were collected and extracted using standard techniques. Presence of Capsicum was confirmed by ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC)/MS-MS Analysis. Five pottery types exhibited chemical peaks for Capsicum when compared to the standard (dihydrocapsaicin). No peaks were observed in the remaining eight samples. Results of the chemical extractions provide conclusive evidence for Capsicum use at Chiapas de Corzo during a 700 year period (400 BCE–300 CE). Presence of Capsicum in different types of culinary-associated pottery raises questions how chili pepper could have been used during this early time period. As Pre-Columbian cacao products sometimes were flavored using Capsicum, the same pottery sample set was tested for evidence of cacao using a theobromine marker: these results were negative. As each vessel that tested positive for Capsicum had a culinary use we suggest here the possibility that chili residues from the Chiapas de Corzo pottery samples reflect either paste or beverage preparations for religious, festival, or every day culinary use. Alternatively, some vessels that tested positive merely could have been used to store peppers. Most interesting from an archaeological context was the presence of Capsicum residue obtained from a spouted jar, a pottery type previously thought only to be used for pouring liquids.

Geochemical study of pottery sherds from an archaeological site near Mošnje (Slovenia)

This study is a geochemical analytical approach to the characterization of pottery samples from an archaeological site near Mosnje (Slovenia). Inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry and statistical analyses were used to determine detailed geochemical properties of the pottery sherds and to identify potentially individual groups among the samples studied. The geochemical results indicated the existence of four major groups of the pottery sherds: the first and second groups are assembled from eight samples, all generally characterized by their high CaO and TOT/C content; the third group comprised the samples with the highest SiO2 concentrations; and the fourth group is represented by the samples K3, K5 and K13. The principal component analysis and cluster analysis validated the existing groups and revealed a high degree of chemical similarity between these groups. The geochemical and statistical data confirmed the archaeologists’ hypothesis and interpretation of a similar origin/alteration of source material/probable local ceramic production for the majority of the pottery sherds; the imported origin of samples K3 and K13 was recognized, while sample K5 had been intentionally imported as a sample for comparative purposes.