Study Of Archaeological Ceramics Research Articles

Simultaneous TG/DTG-DSC analysis – application in ceramic artefacts

The aim of this paper is to promote thermal analysis as a method for the study of archaeological ceramics. In order to achieve this goal, the nature of the thermal methods (thermal processes, types of thermal methods and their application) is described. Specific experimental measurements by simultaneous TG/DTG-DSC analysis of ceramic archaeological artifacts are also presented.

A deep variational convolutional Autoencoder for unsupervised features extraction of ceramic profiles. A case study from central Italy

The need for a quantitative approach to the morphologic study of ceramics is becoming increasingly evident. Ceramics are the most common material in many archaeological sites and a huge amount of data has accumulated over time. This data can be handled by Machine Learning algorithms which are rapidly gaining popularity in archaeology. Although most approaches can be referred to classification tasks, in this contribution a particular type of Neural Network is proposed for feature extraction from archaeological ceramics. Through this proposed method it is possible to gain a numerical weighted representation of the pottery profile that can be used for multivariate analyses. The case study will focus on regionalisation processes in pottery production between the end of the 2nd millennium BC and the first half of the 1st millennium BC in central Tyrrhenian Italy, a period that saw major transformations in the cultural and socio-political structure of Ancient Italy. The results seem to confirm the regionalisation hypothesis and offer interesting insights into the quantitative study of archaeological ceramics.

Introducing the BRICC (Bricks and rocks for Instruments’ ceramic calibration) sets: Open-source calibration materials for quantitative X-ray fluorescence analysis

Here we introduce a set of well-characterized historical brick and geological specimens intended to aid the calibration of portable XRF (pXRF) instruments for archaeological ceramics. Known as the BRICC (Bricks and Rocks for Instruments’ Ceramic Calibration) sets, each of the ten matched sets consists of 20 specimens mounted in epoxy discs: 12 bricks and 8 geological specimens to use for calibration. Additionally, a certified reference material – a shale standard measured by 85 labs – is included with each set to assess the resulting accuracy, and a high-purity silica blank is included to check for spectral interferences or other calibration issues. The BRICC sets provide an open-source alternative to pXRF calibration approaches that are proprietary, were devised for oil shales instead of ceramics, and/or rely on expensive and often unavailable certified standards. A set can be tested at Yale or borrowed following loan policies of the Yale Peabody Museum. Publishing all information for the historical bricks and geological specimens – from their origins to the data used to derive the recommended values – fulfills the requirements of scientific transparency. Ultimately, these sets are intended and designed as a means (1) to meet (and exceed) experts’ practices regarding accuracy, reproducibility, and scientific transparency when analyzing ceramics using pXRF and (2) to reduce siloed production of knowledge within established laboratories and, hence, facilitate integration of more diverse perspectives into elemental studies of archaeological ceramics.

Portable ED-XRF as a tool for optimizing sampling strategy: The case study of a Hellenistic amphora assemblage from Paphos (Cyprus)

Provenance studies of archaeological ceramics based on their elemental composition illuminate the production and distribution of pottery vessels and, in the case of transport containers, of the commodities that they contained. A basic assumption is that the elemental composition of ceramics from a specific workshop or production area can be distinguished from other production groups, mainly because of the use of geochemically different clays, either singly or in combination. In some cases, however, the compositional differences between production groups are quite small. Thus, laboratory methods with high performance, in terms of precision and accuracy, such as neutron activation analysis (NAA) or wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence (WDXRF), are often preferred for analyzing archaeological ceramics, especially for effective comparison with reference groups and published data from other studies. Handheld portable energy dispersive XRF systems (pXRF), although increasingly used during recent years, offer lesser analytical performance, which may obscure compositional differences and currently do not offer the same potential for comparison to known reference groups. However, due to their potential for fast and non-invasive measurements, considerably larger numbers of samples can be analysed by pXRF, offering an array of advantages. We argue that pXRF offers the opportunity for an initial analytical survey of a large ceramic assemblage as the basis for efficient sample selection for laboratory analysis, covering a large number of samples and avoiding for the generation of redundant measurements. We present the application of such a stepped analytical approach to a well-studied assemblage of amphorae of the Hellenistic period at Nea Paphos, Cyprus. The analysis of 287 amphora fragments by pXRF, the grouping of that data to select samples for further analysis of 97 individuals by NAA, and the comparison of the grouping of data from both chemical techniques is presented. This leads not only to archaeological insights on the production and circulation of amphorae, but tests an innovative methodology that offers the chance to maximize and extend the application of geochemical techniques of high accuracy and precision on an assemblage-wide scale.

Working with huacos: Archaeological ceramics and relationships among worlds in the Peruvian North Coast

This article proposes a multitemporal approach to the study of archaeological ceramics in the Peruvian North Coast through archaeological ethnography. It allows us to create a new perspective of a past that seems to be continuously brought back in the ritual practices of curanderos (shamans), and in the daily life of other subjects that interact with what archaeologists call archaeological artifacts. In the rituals of curanderos and in the practice of huaqueo, where archaeological ceramics are known as huacos, it is possible to see how these vessels come to life, performing within a complex meshwork of relationships which extend over different worlds, as well as human and other-than-human participation. This discussion provokes the reevaluation of the relationships among archaeological heritage, archaeological material, and archaeological practice itself. It also shows how past and present are related in this specific Andean context.

Reverse engineering of ceramic anthropomorphic figurines from the Tumaco archaeological tradition in southwest Colombia.

Traditional studies of archaeological ceramics in Colombia have been largely based on visual and stylistic analyses. Here we introduce frameworks and concepts of reverse engineering as a complementary strategy to develop hypotheses about ceramic manufacture, as a first step to the address possible cross-craft relationships and broader sociocultural parameters affecting technical traditions. Our case study is focused on ceramic figurines recovered from two archaeological sites in southwest Colombia (Inguapí and La Cocotera), both dated to the period of greatest cultural and technological development of the Tumaco tradition (350 BC–AD 350). The results of the analyses including microscopy, XRF, SEM-EDS and XRD revealed two manufacturing pathways within the broader tradition, developed locally and adapted to the natural resources available to each site. These are shown through chemical and mineralogical differences in the raw materials, as well as differences in their preparation and shaping, molding, and modeling processes as observed at the microstructural level. Estimated firing temperatures are under 600°C for La Cocotera, and under 800°C for those of Inguapí, with an inhomogeneous, oxidizing atmosphere probably related to firing in a pit. The superficial characterization shows that all the figurines were painted, with those from Inguapí externally smoothed and polished, and those from La Cocotera covered with a slip. Notwithstanding differences between sites, the ceramic figurines illustrate a particular technical style that undoubtedly conveyed a shared ideological message of cultural affiliation. These results contribute in an innovative way to archaeological ceramic studies in Colombia from a different perspective that is complementary to the more common typological studies.

To be or not to be local: a provenance study of archaeological ceramics from Shahr-i Sokhta, eastern Iran

Findings from the archaeological site of Shahr-i Sokhta in eastern Iran include a wide range of undecorated, monochrome, and polychrome ceramics with gray, red, and buff-colored bodies that date back to a period spanning from 3200 to 1800 B.C.E. Given the large number and variety of ceramics unearthed from Shahr-i Sokhta, the provenance of these wares has remained a subject of controversy. Based on compositional data obtained from quantitative wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence (WDXRF) spectroscopy studies and petrographic observations, findings from this study provide information that can be used to determine whether the ceramics from Shahr-i Sokhta were manufactured locally or were imported from elsewhere. We show here that the chemical components of a large group of ceramics with gray, red, and buff-colored bodies are similar to those found in local clay sources and kiln wasters, suggesting local production of these wares. However, one group of red and gray-colored wares demonstrated entirely different chemistry, suggesting a different origin. In support of the quantitative WDXRF data, petrofabric analysis of the first group of buff, gray, and red wares revealed poorly sorted basaltic clasts similar to those found randomly distributed in the matrix of local clays. By contrast, the non-local gray and red wares exhibited fine-grained clay bodies with sorted distribution of fine-grained quartz within the clay matrix.

Accepting Variation and Embracing Uncertainty: Creating a Regional Pottery Typology in South Asian Archaeology

AbstractThis article presents the results of the analysis of archaeological ceramics collected during landscape surveys in the Vidarbha of Maharashtra, India; and offers the first attempt at a regional pottery typology for this area. Here, as in many other parts of South Asia, the pottery from archaeological sites have been subject to considerable scrutiny. Yet, so far approaches to their study have focussed on mainly their surface colour and feel. This has resulted in overly simplistic typologies that do not (and cannot) accommodate the full range of variation that exists within a ceramic assemblage, and so limit their value as archaeological evidence. Addressing this, we apply a chaîne opératoire-based approach to the analysis of a ceramic assemblage that we have been developing in this region. This results in a much more complex and detailed pottery typology than has so far been achieved. Throughout this study we also identify points of comparison with familiar parallels published elsewhere. In doing so, the resulting typology, while by no means the final word on the matter, provides a valuable and flexible resource that others working in this region and neighbouring areas can use for their own analyses and research. Moreover, in shifting the bases of categorisation and classification to the ways that pottery was made, we are able to incorporate far more of the variation that exists in the material itself. Indeed, the amount of variation can be somewhat bewildering in comparison to the standard (limiting) typological categories that populate earlier reports, and forces us to question those frameworks. Yet, we argue that it is precisely this sort of uncertainty that has to be embraced if the study of archaeological ceramics for the region of the ancient Vidarbha is going to continue to develop as a meaningful area of archaeological enquiry.

Ceramic raw materials: how to recognize them and locate the supply basins: chemistry

Provenance studies of archaeological ceramics by analysis of their elemental composition are based on the assumption that clays can be distinguished, which were used for pottery manufacture in different workshops or production centres. The clay pastes used for the ceramic manufacture were prepared from natural raw materials extracted commonly in the vicinity of the production sites. Due to different geological contexts of local raw material sources, differences of their elemental compositions can be expected, which are propagated to elemental compositions of the ceramics. The general distinctiveness of natural raw material sources is presumed in the ‘Provenience Postulate’, which, though, has to be verified in each case study. For investigation of ceramics and raw materials potentially used for their manufacture, different practices of clay paste preparation have to be considered which might confine the direct comparison. In the present paper, the study of raw materials will be introduced as integral part of ceramic provenance studies. Issues, such as intra-source and intersource variation, elemental composition in context with clay type and accessory mineral, clay paste preparation, and methodological constraints will be discussed by means of raw material and ceramic data from Greece and the Greek islands.

Recent Publications on Archaeological Ceramic Analyses and their Contributions to the Study of Ancient Pottery Technology

Recent Publications on Archaeological Ceramic Analyses and their Contributions to the Study of Ancient Pottery Technology

Artificial neural network for the provenance study of archaeological ceramics using clay sediment database

Abstract An artificial neural network (ANN) for archaeometric studies was created to facilitate provenance attribution of archaeological ceramics. A multilayer perceptron model (MLP) was applied to construct the network, including only one hidden layer. Moreover, correction parameters based on historical and archaeological evidences were applied to Bayesian probability factor. The ANN was trained by using clays mixings mathematically constructed based on a reference chemical database of Sicilian sediments. The clay mixing takes in consideration compositional variability within the same geological site and the extent of the ceramic manufacture processes. Test was performed by querying the ANN with compositional data of ceramics found in archaeological sites coherent with clays sampling areas. Up to 88% correct attribution was verified, with good correspondence between geological and archaeological contexts. Finally, merits of ANN were highlighted by comparing the extent of successfully provisional attribution with classical statistical methods (PCA and LDA).

How Was Neolithic Pottery Fired? An Exploration of the Effects of Firing Dynamics on Ceramic Products

The presented study is focused on the development of a new methodology for estimating the heating rate during firing as one of the principal characteristics of the firing process. We experimentally determined the limits of the heating dynamics (heating rate, cooling rate and soaking time) of the firing processes for two basic alternatives for pottery firing considered for the Early Neolithic in Central Europe—bonfires and single-chamber kilns—and analysed the thermal gradient within the walls of the fired pottery as the effect of these heating dynamics. Mineralogical transformations caused by the firing procedures were estimated by X-ray diffraction in order to apply the results of the experimental measurements in a study of archaeological ceramics. The difference between the maximum temperatures on the outer surfaces and in the cores of the vessel walls at the places where the pottery is exposed to the fastest heating and cooling rates appears to be a usable basis for distinguishing between the tested firing structures. XRD analysis has demonstrated that temperature differences measured and modelled experimentally can be traced to the products of these processes with sufficient reliability. The results of the experimental study were applied in the interpretation of the firing process employed in the manufacture of Early Neolithic pottery obtained from the Linear Pottery culture settlement in Bylany (Czech Republic).

Taphonomy and negative results: An integrated approach to ceramic-bound protein residue analysis

Despite the growing body of evidence demonstrating that proteins can survive for thousands to even millions of years in selected contexts, there are relatively few examples of the successful recovery and identification of archaeological protein residues from ceramic artifacts. Claims of positive results are sometimes contentious and frequently challenged. One source of confusion in the debate is a general lack of consideration for the taphonomic histories of ceramic-bound proteins. To gain insight into this issue, we conducted an integrated, mass spectrometry-based study examining ceramic-bound protein that was experimentally aged over the course of 12 months. Results demonstrate the rapid degradation of proteins, raise questions about the degree to which ceramic-bound proteins can be expected to survive over time, and reveal some of the limitations of non-targeted mass spectrometry-based analyses. Further, by comparing results from our experimentally-aged samples to the those we obtained from a multi-pronged study of archaeological ceramics from the American Southwest, we are able to draw more confident conclusions regarding our lack of meaningful matches in the archaeological samples.

Investigation by pXRF of Caltagirone Pottery Samples Produced in Laboratory

AbstractIn the study of archaeological ceramics, it is important to have compositional data to identify their origin and source. The fabric also provides useful information on the production technology, especially with regard to the firing steps. The work presented here is connected to this field and focuses on the main parameters related to the terracotta artefacts preparation. Thus, one can consider the effects in terracotta characteristics of different raw materials and firing parameters, in particular for pottery of Caltagirone, which is one of most important centres of pottery production in Italy, active since the Neolithic. To this end, terracotta samples have been reproduced in a laboratory setting according to the ancient procedure of Caltagirone manufacture, starting from clay and degreaser extraction in local historical sites. The analysis was conducted using a portable X-Ray Fluorescence (pXRF) spectrometer for elemental characterization of sand degreaser and of clays during each step of the realization process and in different firing conditions. SEM-ED techniques were also employed to verify the method and results for some of the samples after firing process. Framing the technological context of manufacture production, known in the specific case, it is also possible to identify potential outcomes and limits in the study of potsherds using pXRF technology, in applying the methodology to historic artefacts.

Emilie Sibbesson , Ben Jervis and Sarah Coxon , eds. Insight from Innovation: New Light on Archaeological Ceramics. Papers Presented in Honour of Professor David Peacock's Contributions to Archaeological Ceramic Studies (Southampton Monographs in Archaeology, New Series 6. St. Andrews: The Highfield Press, 2016, xxxvi and 277pp., 85 colour and b/w illustr., 13 tables, ISBN: 978-0-9926336-4-6)

Emilie Sibbesson , Ben Jervis and Sarah Coxon , eds. Insight from Innovation: New Light on Archaeological Ceramics. Papers Presented in Honour of Professor David Peacock's Contributions to Archaeological Ceramic Studies (Southampton Monographs in Archaeology, New Series 6. St. Andrews: The Highfield Press, 2016, xxxvi and 277pp., 85 colour and b/w illustr., 13 tables, ISBN: 978-0-9926336-4-6)

Compositional variability of archaeological ceramics in the eastern Mediterranean and implications for the design of provenance studies

The so-called ‘chemical fingerprints’ of production sites that are determined in provenance studies of archaeological ceramics comprise not only an estimate of the intrinsic chemical compositions but also an estimate of their variability. The compositional variability of ceramics from a specific production site is affected by the natural variability of the raw materials used, variation in the ceramic production process and potential post-depositional alteration. In order to characterise the production site as whole, average concentrations and their variations are estimated on the basis of a necessarily limited number of samples selected for analysis. The sampling strategy therefore has a significant impact on the results. The compositional variability is interfered from uncertainties introduced during the analysis subject to the analytical method chosen. This paper provides an overview of the sources of variability that influence such analyses. Case studies challenging the classical unbiased provenancing approach are presented using examples from the eastern Mediterranean region.

Archaeology of consumption in Ottoman urban centres: the case study of Iznik ware from the Belgrade Fortress in the 16th and 17th centuries

SUMMARY: This article advocates a holistic approach to consumption studies in the urban centres of the Middle Danube region during the Ottoman period (16th–17th centuries) using the example of Iznik ware from the Belgrade Fortress. Combined results of archaeological and scientific research provide insight into regional consumption patterns, which is important for the understanding of cultural variability across the Ottoman Empire. This work emphasizes the importance of contextualized studies of archaeological ceramics in the development of post-medieval archaeology.

Image Analysis in Quantitative Particle Studies of Archaeological Ceramic Thin Sections

AbstractThin-section petrography is a crucial tool for the study of archaeological ceramics, and in recent years, image analysis has emerged as a powerful quantitative enhancement of that tool. Exploratory applications of image analysis to archaeological ceramic thin sections, and related work by sedimentary geologists, have indicated its usefulness to the field. In this paper, we first present the results of experimental work testing the consistency and reproducibility of image analysis. We identify procedures for fast and reliable analysis of thin sections using laboratory-prepared ceramic specimens of simple clay-sand systems. We then show how those procedures can be slightly modified to accommodate more complex archaeological specimens. We conclude with a discussion of the role of image analysis within the overall context of thin-section petrography of ceramic materials, as one among a repertoire of techniques, adding quantitative data and increasing the usefulness of ceramic thin sections for addressing archaeological research questions.

Quantitative Porosity Studies of Archaeological Ceramics by Petrographic Image Analysis

ABSTRACTPores in archaeological ceramics can form in a number of different ways, and reflect both deliberate choices and uncontrollable factors. Characterizing porosity by digital image analysis of thin sections holds a number of advantages as well as limitations. We present the results of experiments aimed at improving this method, focusing on high-resolution scans of entire thin sections. We examine the reproducibility of pore measurements by petrographic image analysis of ceramic thin sections using laboratory-prepared specimens of clay mixed with sand of known amount and size. We outline protocols for measuring Total Optical Porosity, using the Image-Pro Premier software package. We also briefly discuss use of pore size and pore shape (aspect ratio and roundness) in characterizing archaeological ceramics. While discerning reasons for observed amounts, sizes, and shapes of pores is an extremely complex problem, the quantitative analysis of ceramic porosity is one tool for characterizing a ware and comparing a product to others. The methods outlined here are applied to a case study comparing historic bricks from the Read House in New Castle, Delaware; the porosity studies indicate that different construction campaigns used bricks from different sources.

Provenance Study of Archaeological Ceramics from Syria Using XRF Multivariate Statistical Analysis and Thermoluminescence Dating

Thermoluminescence (TL) dating and multivariate statistical methods based on radioisotope X-ray fluorescence analysis have been utilized to date and classify Syrian archaeological ceramics fragment from Tel Jamous site. 54 samples were analyzed by radioisotope X-ray fluorescence; 51 of them come from Tel Jamous archaeological site in Sahel Akkar region, Syria, which fairly represent ceramics belonging to the Middle Bronze Age (2150 to 1600 B.C.) and the remaining three samples come from Mar-Takla archaeological site fairly representative of the Byzantine ceramics. We have selected four fragments from Tel Jamous site to determinate their age using thermoluminescence (TL) method; the results revealed that the date assigned by archaeologists was good. An annular 109Cd radioactive source was used to irradiate the samples in order to determine their chemical composition and the results were treated statistically using two methods, cluster and factor analysis. This treatment revealed two main groups; the first one contains only the three samples M52, M53, and M54 from Mar-Takla site, and the second one contains samples that belong to Tel Jamous site (local).