Pottery Samples Research Articles

Iron Forms Fe(II) and Fe(III) Determination in Pre-Roman Iron Age Archaeological Pottery as a New Tool in Archaeometry.

This article presents studies on iron speciation in the pottery obtained from archaeological sites. The determination of iron forms Fe(II) and Fe(III) has been provided by a very simple test that is available for routine analysis involving the technique of molecular absorption spectrophotometry (UV–Vis) in the acid leachable fraction of pottery. The elemental composition of the acid leachable fraction has been determined by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). Additionally, the total concentration of the selected elements has been determined by X-ray fluorescence spectrometry with energy dispersion (EDXRF). The results of the iron forms’ determinations in archaeological pottery samples have been applied in the archaeometric studies on the potential recognition of the pottery production technology, definitely going beyond the traditional analysis of the pottery colour.

Gamma-ray induced thermoluminescence emission of green synthesized zinc oxide nanophosphors

The thermoluminescence (Thermally stimulated luminescence) technique has been applied in the field of radiation dosimetry and was found to be highly successful in dating ancient pottery samples. It is also used in the study of biological and biochemical systems. The present study reports the gamma-ray exposed thermoluminescence (TL) emission of ZnO nanophosphors. ZnO nanoparticles were prepared via phyto-mediated green routes according to our previous works. Different analytical techniques such as XRD, FESEM, HRTEM, XPS, EDS, FTIR, and UV-DRS were employed to characterize the samples. The ZnO nanoparticles possess hexagonal wurtzite crystal structure of with 29–71 ​nm particle dimension. TL emission of the samples was recorded with different gamma dosages10-50 Gy at a constant heating rate of 2oCs-1. A broad single glow curve above 300 ​°C was exhibited by the samples and good linearity was reserved in integrated TL profiles. The TL emission follows first-order kinetics and the activation energies of the traps located in the samples were determined.

The use of early pottery by hunter-gatherers of the Eastern European forest-steppe

The Eastern European steppe and forest-steppe is a key region for understanding the emergence of pottery in Europe. The vast region encompasses the basins of two major waterways, the Don and the Volga rivers, and was occupied by hunter-gatherer-fisher communities attracted to highly productive forest/aquatic ecotones. The precise dates for the inception of pottery production in this region and the function of pottery is unknown, but such information is vital for charting the pan-Eurasian dispersal of pottery technology and whether there were common motivations for its adoption. To investigate, we conducted AMS dating, including a re-evaluation of legacy radiocarbon dates together with organic residue analysis and microscopy. The dating programme was able to clarify the sequence and show that hunter-gatherer pottery production was unlikely in this region before the 6th millennium BC. Regarding use, stable isotope and molecular analysis of 160 pottery samples from 35 sites across the region shows that terrestrial animal carcass fats were preferentially processed in pots at Middle Volga sites whereas aquatic resources dominate the residues in pottery from the Middle and Upper Don basin. This is supported by fragments of fish, legumes and grasses in the available charred deposits adhering to the inside of pottery from the Don basin. Since the sites from both river basins had similar environmental settings and were broadly contemporaneous, it is posited that pottery use was under strong cultural control, recognisable as separate sub-regional culinary traditions. The ‘aquatic hypothesis’, previously suggested to explain the emergence of Eurasian pottery, cannot be substantiated in this context.

Study on the Pottery composition of Neolithic Age in Liaoxi Area

The composition of 321 pieces of Neolithic pottery samples in Liaoxi Area was detected by X-ray fluorescence analyzer, and the characteristics of raw materials in different periods were analyzed by principal component analysis. The results show that the raw materials of ceramic samples are ordinary fusible clay with low SiO2 and high flux RxOy. The composition of pottery from Chahai site of Xinglongwa culture is quite different from that in other areas. The contents of Fe2O3 and MgO are obviously higher, while the contents of SiO2, Al2O3 and K2O are lower. The raw materials used for making pottery are relatively poor.

Multi-analytical investigation of decorative coatings on Neolithic Yangshao pottery from Ningxia, China (4000-3000 BCE)

Yangshao, well-known for its exquisite painted pottery, has long been considered as the most important Neolithic culture in China. Yangshao pottery excavated in Ningxia, a remote region, has never been scientifically investigated. In this study, the selected painted pottery samples from Ningxia were examined to characterise the decorative coatings using a multi-analytical approach. The white slip was likely made of kaolinitic clay. The black decoration on the surface was mostly jacobsite. Inclusion of manganese and iron oxides within the black decoration informed the process of jacobsite formation. Complemented by ab initio calculations, varying tones of black can be explained by the band gaps of different materials. An in-depth discussion on the formation of the detected materials will help gain insight into technical details involved in the craft of Yangshao pottery and therefore better understand the cultural diffusion of Yangshao from the core area to Ningxia.

Technology and raw material sources of pottery from Mulyosari Site based on petrographic analysis

Since the research in 2018 until 2019, pottery sherds are the most dominant artifact from Mulyosari megalithic site amongst other. Hence, analysis conducted towards pottery directly associated with the megaliths are important. Petrographic analysis that was applied in this research is aiming to understand the technology and the material source of pottery at Mulyosari Site. It is necessary to know whether the pottery is locally made or imported from other region. Petrographic analysis was carried out to several excavated pottery samples. All the samples were not randomly chosen; instead they were based on specific character of pottery sherds. The result of analysis shows that the source of pottery material located within geological formation of researched area comprises Sukamade, Merubetiri, Batu Ampar, and Merubetiri limestone. The result of analysis also shows advanced pottery making technology using spinning wheel and open firing at 400 Celsius degrees.

Mobility and ceramic paste choice: Petrographic analysis of prehistoric pottery from northeastern Colorado

Pre-contact Native American sites in northeastern Colorado typically yield only a few sherds per site (if present), thus little information is known regarding ceramic manufacture by highly mobile groups in this area. Over the past fifty years, systematic archaeological research in Larimer County has generated a large sample of pottery for detailed study. Petrographic analysis of forty samples from ten sites on the low hills of the Front Range indicates a preference for non-local granitic raw materials. Group mobility clearly played a role in where pottery was made (western foothills) as opposed to where it is used (Colorado Piedmont). There are slight differences in paste and temper from the Early Ceramic (AD 150–1150) to the Late Ceramic periods (AD 1540–1860) that could reflect varying approaches to ceramic production as related to preferred source materials. The results suggest the pottery was made on a limited scale and likely for cooking.

Imitation games: The exchange and emulation of fine orange pottery in central Chiapas, Mexico

This article examines the complex production and exchange networks through which Central Chiapas polities manufactured and imported fine orange pottery. The Jovel Valley of highland Chiapas formed part of the western frontier of the Maya area, traditionally considered a relatively isolated periphery zone. Conversely, the neighboring Central Depression is considered by many scholars to be a corridor for trade, transportation and cultural contact, inhabited by Zoque cultural groups prior to occupation by Chiapanec-speaking people during the Postclassic period. Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA) of fine orange pottery samples from sites in the Jovel Valley and Central Depression revealed that they were locally-produced imitations of Balancán Fine Orange ceramic serving dishes from the Lower Usumacinta River region, rather than imported vessels. Our results suggest that potters working independently in the Jovel Valley and Central Depression were making and locally exchanging imitation Balancán ceramics, using many different clay sources/recipes. An interpretive framework of isomorphism adapted from new institutional theory is useful for distinguishing the production of a standardized, elite-attributed, God-N-decorated set of vessels, from multiple, independent potters’ communities, all under the widespread stylistic influence of Balancán-style Fine Orange wares.

Geochemical Characterization Of Pottery Shards Unearthed From Kampung Baru Archaeological Site, Kedah, Malaysia

Candi Kampung Baru is situated in the Kampung Baru Archaeological Site, and it is one of the temple sites that used bricks as the main construction material. Based on the Global Positioning System, Candi Kampung Baru is located at N 05.58215°, E 100. 38004°. Apart from bricks, granite stones were also used as the pillar base of the construction’s structure. This study is an analytical approach on the pottery properties of clays discovered at the Kampung Baru Archaeological Site. X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and physical analysis have been performed on these potsherds. 15 pottery shard samples were analysed to determine the chemical and mineralogical characteristics of the pottery shards. The results indicate a local provenance of these samples. The mineral content in the pottery samples also indicate the presence of minerals, such as quartz, illite, datolite and microcline. Furthermore, the physical analysis conducted uncovered a variety of motifs that adorned the earthenware, such as lines, nets, square and floral motifs. The mineral content and physical observation of the pottery shards indicate that the open burning technique was used to produce these pottery shards due to the presence of illite mineral in the pottery shards. The mineral content (namely illite) also shows that the samples were baked at a temperature between 650°C and 750°C. The content of the major and trace elements also proves that these potteries were produced from the same source and it is proposed that local raw materials were used in the production of the potteries, from which the nearest source that could be detected is at the Muda River basin. Moreover, the involvement of the local community in producing the potteries should not be refuted, as this proves that the knowledge of producing pottery by the local community had already started since the evolution of the Neolithic culture at the Muda River basin since 4000 to 5000 years ago.

Fine pottery shaping techniques in Predynastic Egypt: A pilot study on non-destructive analysis using an X-Ray CT scanning system

Eight complete Egyptian Predynastic pottery samples were studied using X-ray CT scanning systems to assess such systems’ applicability as a means of refining our knowledge of pottery manufacturing techniques. This non-destructive analysis produces two- and three-dimensional renderings of the external surface and internal structure of an object with high-resolution micro-CT imaging. The 3D images of the air voids inside ceramic walls and observation of the wall cross-slices indicated that the Predynastic pottery was not made only by coiling/slab-building but also combined various techniques. There was also a distinct difference in the CT cross-slice void shapes of black-topped and decorated wares, probably due to variations in the pressure applied, usually associated with the use of a turning device. The results give clearer information about the ancient potter’s choice of technique and application according to shape and size, as well as about a development phase in the radial method.

تصنيفات لأنماط فخار ممالک/ دويلات المدن اليمنية القديمة: دراسة مقارنة

الملخص:تستعرض هذه الورقة البحثية بعض التصنيفات لأنماط الفخار اليمني القديم خلال الفترة من القرن الثامن قبل الميلاد إلى القرن الرابع الميلادي، وتطبيقها على بعض نماذج من الأنماط الفخارية التي جاء ذکرها من خلال الدراسات التحليلية وبعثات التنقيب، والتي اعتمد عليها أصحاب تلک الدراسات والبعثات في توثيق ودراسة الفخار. وتهدف هذه الدراسة إلى عقد مقارنة بين تلک التصنيفات، وإبراز مدى أهمية عمل الدراسات التحليلية من العلوم الطبيعية على بعض العينات الفخارية، والتي قد تؤدي إلى الوصول إلى نتائج مختلفة وجديدة منها على سبيل المثال النوع 4100 – الجرة 1 من تصنيف فان بيک الذي اعتقد أنه نمط مستورد من مملکة دعمت بعد فحص عينه منه، لکن بعد مزيد من الفحص واستخدام تقنيات جديدة ثبت محلية صناعة هذا النمط. تبرز هذه الدراسة مشاکل تعدد التصنيفات وعدم تطابق معظمها مع کل سمات وأنماط الفخار المکتشف بمواقع التنقيب، مما يؤدي إلى ظهور تصنيفات أخرى جديدة تضم الأنماط المکتشفة بمواقع الحفر. بالتالي کان لما سبق أثر سلبي في حصر کل أنماط الفخار اليمني القديم وزخارفه، مما يؤدي إلى نقص المعلومات التاريخية والحضارية وغيرها وعدم اتضاح الرؤية کاملة عن الحضارة اليمنية القديمة وأصحابها. لذا سترکز هذه الورقة البحثية على عرض بعض من تلک التصنيفات الهامة والتي تم الاعتماد عليها في مواقع التنقيب لتوثيق الفخار المکتشف والمقارنة بينهما، وکذلک عرضها مع بعض الأنماط الفخارية من تلک المواقع لإيضاح مدى فاعلية التصنيف في توثيق الفخار وسماته ومدى فاعليته في مواقع التنقيب المختلفة. Classifications of Pottery Types of the Ancient Kingdoms/ City-states of Yemen: a Comparative Study Abstract:This paper reviews some of the classifications of ancient Yemen pottery types from the 8th century B.C. to the 4th century A.D. It also applies these classifications to some examples of pottery mentioned in the analytical studies and reports of the archaeological missions. This study aims to compare these classifications and highlight the importance of applying archaeometrical analysis on some pottery samples, which may lead to different and new results such as type 4100 – Jar 1 of Van Beek classification, which was thought to be imported from Dʿmit kingdom based on sample analysis of this type, After further examination and the use of new techniques; its local production was proved. Through this study, problems of multiple classifications and the incosistency of most of them are evident with all the features and types of pottery discovered at the excavation sites, leading to new classifications, including more new types discovered at the excavation sites. This had a negative effect on including all the types of ancient Yemen pottery and decorations, leading to a lack of historical, cultural, and other information and a lack of clarity about the complete picture of ancient Yemen civilization and its people. Therefore, this paper will focus on presenting and comparing some of these important classifications that have been adopted at excavation sites, displaying them with some pottery types from those sites and the extent to which the classification matches the pottery discovered in different sites.

Colour Transformation and Textural Change in Biotite: Some Remarks for the Interpretation of Firing Technology in Greyware Pottery Thin-Sections

Firing is a crucial step in the production of pottery, as it irreversibly transforms the clay into ceramic. Clay sintering and subsequent vitrification occur during firing, together with other transformations undergone by specific minerals and rock inclusions according to their optical and physical properties, including their colour. Some of these are visible in thin-sections and might be interpreted as technological markers or contribute to the estimation of firing temperatures, although most of them are poorly documented. In this paper, we approach the transformations in colour, texture and optical properties that occurred in biotite inclusions from medieval greyware pottery. Our study considers a batch of 40 pottery samples from medieval Catalonia analysed by XRD. According to the estimated firing temperature ranges and atmospheres, we examined the behaviour of biotite at different temperature ranges from 700 °C to 1000 °C by means of optical microscopy, considering its size, shape and abundance, and compared these features to a wider assemblage of thin-sections from medieval earthenware. The results obtained are interesting, as they offer a valuable reference for petrographic studies on pottery. We discuss the potential of ceramic petrography as a way to perform more precise and refined sample selection for further analysis on archaeothermometry.

ARCHAEOMETRIC ANALYSES ON PRECUCUTENI-TYPE POTTERY FROM TRANSYLVANIA (ROMANIA). CASE STUDY: ALBA IULIA-LUMEA NOUĂ

The aim of this paper is to find out - for the first time - through archaeometric analysis the provenance of the Precucuteni-type pottery from Alba Iulia-Lumea Nouă settlement and whether it has a local origin or is an imported ceramic. The presence of so-called Precucuteni-type pottery in Transylvanian sites, decorated by motifs using excision techniques, represents one of the most challenging debates related to the understanding of the material culture that belongs to Early Eneolithic human communities in the Intra-Carpathian area. A combination of non-invasive / micro-destructive analytical techniques and statistical methods were applied to provide comprehensive information about the studied fragments. In this respect, ten pottery samples were investigated to establish the elemental and molecular composition, as well as its origin. Overall, the analytical and statistical analyses show us that the local production of pottery is predominant, with a limited presence of imports. In summary, nine ceramic fragments out of all analyzed samples belong to the same group, with a strong correlation between them, confirming that they are locally made, while one sample can be considered as imported from elsewhere or obtained through mixing clay with some existing soils in the area during the pottery production stage.

Technological analysis of Capacha pottery from the Colima Valley (western Mexico) by ED-XRF and thin-section petrography

Capacha is one of the two earliest ceramic complexes known for western Mexico. It dates to a period when sociopolitical complexity was starting to develop in Mesoamerica. An understanding of Capacha pottery technology and production are therefore valuable windows into a critical moment of Mesoamerican cultural development. In this paper we analyze the composition of Capacha pottery samples from two sites in the Colima Valley (Colima, Mexico) by means of energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (n = 100) and thin-section petrography by optical microscopy (n = 42), along with 15 geological clay samples. We look for Capacha pottery compositional diversity, availability and compositional variability in clay deposits in and outside the Colima Valley, and compositional matches between archaeological ceramics and clay deposits. The results indicate that the large majority of pottery analyzed is compositionally homogeneous, in contrast with the wide variation found in macroscopic traits. The results further indicate that Capacha pottery was manufactured in the Colima Valley with largely unprocessed clay(s) obtained locally, with the clay sources closest to the sites sampled providing the best compositional matches. A wide variation in pottery macroscopic characteristics, together with a strong compositional homogeneity of clay deposits over large parts of the Colima Valley, strongly warns against explaining the compositional homogeneity found in the pottery as purely the result of cultural conditioning and standardized cultural practices, with environmental constraints perhaps playing the biggest role in this outcome. This study presents the largest archaeometry-based study of Capacha pottery and the raw materials used in its production.

A preliminary study of ancient potteries collected from Kundureddiyur, Tamil Nadu, India

This work is about to explore the mineralogical analysis of three different archaeological pottery sherds discovered from the archaeological site Kundureddiyur, Tirupattur District, Tamil Nadu, India. The mineralogical characteristics of the samples are analysed using FTIR, XRD, EDS and TG-DTA spectroscopic tools. It is observed from the results, the mineral quartz identified in all the samples at the region of 755 cm−1. Additionally, calcite and kaolinite are identified at the band region of 1739 and 1015 cm−1 respectively. Also, magnetite and hematite minerals are found in the regions of 580 and 530 cm−1 respectively. Further, confirmation of minerals was identified by the XRD technique. The XRD and FTIR characterization studies were able to indicate the conditions of the firing process adopted and the firing temperature attained by the artisans at the time of manufacture. Using, the TG-DTA significant weight loss of the pottery samples have been identified and all the samples were fired below the temperature 900 °C. Finally, some major elements such as Si, Al, Fe, Ca, Na, K, Mg, C and Ti are determined by energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) for pottery samples to confirm the firing temperature.

On The Issue Of The Formation Of The Rural Settlement Of Sogd

This article describes the influence of nomadic pastoral peoples on the emergence of rural areas in Sughd. The article provides a brief analysis of pottery samples found in tombs in Sughd and the impact of steppe culture on pottery.

Comprehensive structural and compositional investigation of Maya pottery sherds from Lake Petén Itzá, Guatemala, Central America

Maya pottery samples collected from various sites in Guatemala were investigated for their elemental composition, mineral crystalline phases, particle size, and thermogravimetric properties. The samples were analyzed by using scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM/EDX), FT-IR, ICP-OES, and powder X-ray diffraction (XRD). Investigations showed the presence of aliphatic CH, CC, and CO functional groups in samples. The SEM/EDX results revealed samples contain approximate %w/wt elemental concentrations C (3.4), O (54.8), Mg (0.45), Al (7.25), Si (11.2), K (0.3), Ca (21.3 w/w %), and trace amounts of Mn, Cu, S, Na, Ti. The ICP-OES examination further confirmed the composition and concentrations of macro-elements Al, Ca, Fe, K, Mg, Na, P, S and microelements Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Se, Zn, and V. Powder XRD analysis determined that the major mineral crystalline phases in the samples were bassanite, quartz, aluminite, alunogen, andalusite, borax, gypsum, hexahydrite, hornblende, laumontite, mirabilite, palygorskite M, talc, and vermiculite. This investigation revealed the conservative nature of the technology and materials used in the preparation of pottery among the Maya people.

Comparison of chemical compositions and manufacturing technologies on archaeological and recent pottery samples from Manappadu,Tamilnadu-India, by FTIR Investigations.

Comparison of chemical compositions and manufacturing technologies on archaeological and recent pottery samples from Manappadu,Tamilnadu-India, by FTIR Investigations.

Mineral magnetic and XRD spectroscopic studies to investigate the firing temperatures of archeological potsherds

Determination of firing temperatures of archaeological ceramics is crucial in understanding technological practices adopted by the ancient humans; and such methods are still experimental. We apply rock magnetic and XRD spectroscopic studies with laboratory heating experiments to simulate and measure the firing temperatures on archaeological potsherds from Deccan Province (India). The parameters: mass specific susceptibility (χlf), ratio of relative concentration of antiferro- to ferrimagnetic oxides, frequency dependence of susceptibility (χfd) and coercivity of remanence (B(0)CR) found most sensitive to thermal changes, enabling a comparison between simulated samples and the ancient pottery. These magnetic parameters estimated firing temperature window of 500 to 800 °C for the ancient pottery samples. Whereas, XRD spectra with distinct 2θ peaks at 6.160, 9.980, 19.820, 23.640, 26.70, 27.640, 29.840, 35.50 and 42.160 constrain thermal window between 500 and 600 °C. We infer that a plateau of maximum temperatures for >3 h. are essential for transformation of ferri- to antiferromagnetic oxides. Since these changes are dependent upon the raw material used and the variants in heating practices (rates-, duration- and open/closed heating); the present approach facilitates a combination of protocols to be adopted for independent case studies and provinces. It enables detailed and rapid data- based estimation for large population of potsherds significant to study the pyrotechnology and trade practices in routine and advanced archeology.

Insights into the production technology of the Late Bronze Age pottery identified at Topolița (Neamț County)

The aim of this paper is to identify the technological features of the Late Bronze Age ceramic assemblage discovered at Topolița (Neamț County). The archaeological site is located in the Subcarpathian area of the eastern Romania and was assigned based on the typological features of the ceramic artefacts to the Noua culture (second half of the 16th century to the 12th century BC). The dataset investigated in this study consists in 30 samples, selected to represent the stylistic and functional variability detected at the site. For assessing the various stages of the chaîne opératoire (raw materials selection, paste preparation, manufacturing procedures, surface finishing and firing conditions), the pottery samples were studied by means of an integrated analytical approach combining macroscopic observation with petrographical and mineralogical investigations performed by X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD). This study revealed various aspects of the pottery production and emphasized a rather conservative behaviour in terms of raw materials selection combined with a significant degree of variability in the processing and finishing sequences. Besides, the technological analysis of the ceramic assemblage discovered at Topolița in terms of chaîne opératoire provided qualitative data to reconstruct technological features that corresponds to networks of socially linked object-makers.