Ancient Pottery and Archaeometry (original) (raw)
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A series of prehistoric pottery samples excavated from Rahmatabad, south-west Iran, were investigated using XRF and XRD analyses to determine their chemical and mineralogical compositions. The sample microstructures were also studied by SEM/EDX. The relative similarity of compositions, the fine, dense and homogeneous microstructures and the presence of high-temperature phases such as diopside and mullite showed the use of high firing temperatures, in the range 950-1050°C. This, along with the homogeneity in shape, decoration and size ranges of the ware, all indicate the adoption of specialized potterymaking techniques by the potters of Rahmatabad in the fifth to fourth millennia BC.
Compositional Analysis of the Pottery Shards of Shahr-I Sokhta, South Eastern Iran
Research Journal of Applied Sciences, Engineering and Technology, 2013
The aim of this study is to determine whether pottery shards from Shah-I Sokhta especially the shards with red and gray in color are locally made or imported from elsewhere. Shah-I Sokhta is one of the most ancient settlement in Iranian Sistan and has been occupied by human since more than 5000 years ago. Based on archaeological excavations, the most ancient layer, considered as Period I, shows southern Turkmenian influences evidenced by clay figurines and pottery vessels similar to those of Namazga III period. The second period of occupation is dated between 2800 and 2500 BC. The first half of period III, ca. 2500-2200 BC, seems to be an continuation of the social changes of period II, but during the second part of period III signs of social/economical decline and environmental changes began to appear, leading to a great reduction of surface of the site in period IV (2200-1800 BC). By the end of period IV Shahr-I Sokhta was completely abandoned. Archaeological excavations also unearth thousand of pottery shards which are buff, grey and red in color which are mostly shards from broken bowls, jars, beakers and dishes. Archaeologists believe that most of the buff pottery shards are locally made; hence to determine whether this hypothesis is true, a scientific analysis was done to determine the chemical compositions of the pottery shards. The technique involved X-Rays Fluorescence (XRF) equipment which was applied to determine the major and trace elements of the pottery shards. The results shows that most of the pottery shards are in the same group and this strongly suggest that they are local products. Additionally, based on the major and trace elements, it can be suggested that sample 18259-9, 18265-10, 18266-13, 18271-15 and 18273-4 are not locally made and the surface of these potteries are buff and red in color.
2024
Mineralogical and thermal analysis have examined Neolithic ceramic sherds from Ghaf Khāneh, a site dated ca. 5200-5000 BCE, i.e., the early phase of Cheshmeh Ali culture in northeast Iran. This research includes fifteen sherd fragments recovered from archaeological excavation at this site. The ceramic assemblage of the site is overwhelmed by the Red Ware, comprising almost 95 percent of the whole, while the Gray Ware and Buff Ware constitute minor ceramic groups. This study aims to identify each ceramic group's mineralogical and chemical characteristics and evaluate the mineralogical behavior (phase decomposition) during the firing process, kiln atmosphere, the firing temperature, and factors that may affect the mineral behavior. Buff and Red Ware display diopside and hematite phases within their fabrics, which indicate the role of these phases in coloring. The studied samples contained muscovite, calcite, and microcline phases; these phases have been considered thermobarometers. According to petrographical studies, XRD analysis, and TG-DTA curves, Red Ware and Buff Ware can be classified into two groups: those fired above 850 • C and those fired below 750 • C, while Gray Ware was fired below 750 • C. Certain phases in the studied samples may provide insight into ancient potters' knowledge and familiarity with various clayey resources.
JOURNAL OF ANCIENT HISTORY AND ARCHAEOLOGY, 2021
The aim of this study was to determine whether pottery shards from Kuh-i Khawja were locally made or imported. Kuh-I Khawja is one of the most ancient settlements in Iran's Sistan during the Sassanid period. The study shows that the antiquity of the site goes back to the 3rd to 8th centuries CE and the earthenware found in Kuh-I Khawja can be categorized into four groups which are i) Plain unglazed pottery; ii) Unglazed painted pottery; iii) Plain glazed pottery; iv) Glazed and painted pottery. Archaeologists believe that most of the pottery shards are locally made; hence, to test this hypothesis, a scientific analysis was done to determine the chemical composition of the pottery shards. X-Rays Fluorescence (XRF) was applied to determine the major and trace elements of the pottery shards. The results demonstrate that most of the pottery shards are in the same group and this strongly suggests that they are local products. Additionally, based on the major and trace elements, it can be suggested that some of the samples were imported items.
Study on Late Bronze Age Potteries of Shahrak-e Firouzeh, Neyshabur, Iran by XRD and XRF
During excavations of the Shahrake Firouzeh site, much evidence of the Bactria Margiana Archaeological Complex or Amu Darya Civilization has been found. Such evidence is spread across northern Iran, northern Afghanistan, eastern Turkmenistan, southern Uzbekistan, and western Tajikistan. In the present study, pottery samples from the Firoozeh town area were studied using XRD and XRF methods. Using the XRF method and Dplot Software, 15 samples were studied and the data evaluated by analyzing the ratio of various components. The results of the study show that the dominant clay source of the pottery samples existed in the same region, while two other clay subsources from adjoining regions were also identified.
Heritage Science, 2021
A collection of pottery vessels uncovered during the first season of excavations in the Deh Dumen Bronze Age graveyard (the second half of the third millennium BC) located in southwestern Iran were studied by using chemical, mineralogical and physical techniques, with the aim to identify the pottery manufacturing process in this region. The site is located in a region of the Zagros fold and thrust belt that includes carbonate rocks and alluvial deposits. The pottery vessels found in the site present two different fabric types in their fresh surface: bright yellowish hue fabric (TYPE-1) and sandwich-like or black core fabric (TYPE-2) showing presumably different production techniques or workshops. Twenty-four samples from pottery sherds were selected and analysed by X-ray fluorescence (XRF), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), polarized light microscopy (PLM), and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). Hydric tests were also performed. Samples were different according to their chemistry having distinguished calcium-rich and calcium-poor ceramics. Al 2 O 3 and Fe 2 O 3 were detected as the other main components of samples besides SiO 2 and CaO. The mineralogical and textural characterisation revealed a fine-grained clayey matrix with quartz and feldspar grains in TYPE-1 potteries and large and small calcitic and clayey lumps inclusions in TYPE-2 potteries. Imprints of straw or other plants can be responsible for the higher porosity of some of the potteries. It was found that most of the potteries from the Deh Dumen graveyard were produced by means of a local and traditional pottery manufacturing technique, whilst others may have been produced in different places and transported to the graveyard as ritual offerings.
Ben-Shlomo et al_Safi pottery technology_JAS 36_2009
The development of pottery production during the Bronze and Iron Ages at Tell es-Safi/Gath, Israel, is examined based on the analysis of 224 pottery vessels representing most periods within this ca. 1700 years time frame. The main tools employed were visual examination of manufacturing techniques and petrographic thin section analysis, all of which was conducted on the entire group. This was combined with a chronological, functional, typological, and cultural characterization of the samples. The results indicate a tendency of a diachronic shift from the use of calcareous-based clays to non-calcareous clays, from the Bronze Age towards the late Iron Age, although the primary shaping techniques do not change. Intentional tempering, when relevant, is mostly type-or function-dependent. It is suggested that this trend, possibly evident at other sites in the southern Levant as well, may be related to the employment of higher firing temperatures by the potters. This phenomenon may also be related to the decrease in the relative amount of decorated pottery that is seen during the late Iron Age.
Ceramics International, 2020
The results of an archaeometric investigation on painted pottery obtained from the archaeological excavations carried out in Kuriki (southeastern Anatolia) are presented. It was intended to reveal the production features of the painted pottery which were occasionally unearthed from the sites dated to the Late Iron Age and Hellenistic period. The samples were subjected to spectroscopic (X-ray diffraction), microscopic (optical microscopy, scanning electron microscope/energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy) and thermal (thermogravimetric-differential thermal analysis) analysis techniques. It was deduced from the results that most of the ceramics were produced with calcareous clay batches. This assumption was supported by high amounts of CaO (detected through EDX), presence of calcite and occasionally the neo-formations (i.e. gehlenite, pyroxene) identified by XRD. The abundance of calcareous raw materials in the vicinity of the region therefore suggested a local production for the majority of the samples. Considering the mineral/phase contents of the potsherds and insufficient vitrification behavior in micro structure, the firing temperature of the samples was found to change between 700°C and 900°C, but mostly in the range of 800-900°C. TG-DTA, used as a complementary technique, brought a convenient data in terms of elucidating the mineralogical content and the production properties. The same rock type (schist) determined through the petrographic analysis (OM) suggested that the raw materials used in production originated from the same or close sources. Finally, the results are compared with the outcome of the former archaeometric studies regarding the production features of various pottery types of Kuriki belonging to different time periods.
2017
Sistan plain, located in the north of Sistan and Baluchestan province, is one of the most significant cultural area in eastern Iran. This region is located between south Asia (Indus valley) and Western Asia (Mesopota-mia) and also has been a connector between cultures of Central Asia and South of Persian Gulf area. Sistan was the main area to connecting between west and south Asia. Much of the cultural items found in the site under exploration were huge bulk of diverse pottery. Most pieces of pottery found in the Sistan plain were of the pottery belonging to Shahr-e Sukhteh, and its villages dating back to the third millennium BC, Dahan-e Gholaman of the Achaemenid period 550 BC and a large number of sites belonging to the Islamic period, which vary in term of the colour ranging from buff, gray, black and red and in terms of thickness. This study aims to determine the morphological relations of the pottery of Sistan plain using semi-quantitative X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) methods. In this regard, 52 pieces of pottery from prehistoric , historic and Islamic eras, which were collected from archaeological surveys, were analysed. The samples were gathered from Gerdi domain, Dahaneh Gholaman, Shahr-e Sukhteh, south of the Hamoun Lake, Rostam castle and around the Shileh River. The instrumentation and cluster analysis of pottery sherds indicated that the prehistoric pottery pieces of Sistan plain have a different composition compared with that of Sistan area. Moreover, the glazed pottery pieces of the Islamic era are different from those of Sistan plain in terms of their chemical and have silica compounds, gypsum and aluminosilicate, which indicates the continuity of local technology, production and trade in Sistan to the Islamic period. In addition, the composition and structure of pottery in this region accounts for the high level of skills and knowledge of potters, who made a variety of pottery pieces with diverse applications in the local communities, which continued from prehistory to the Islamic era in this plain.