Through the looking glass: the integration of scientific, ceramic, and archaelogical information (original) (raw)

2011, UNDER THE POTTER’S TREE Studies on Ancient Egypt Presented to Janine Bourriau on the Occasion of her 70th Birthday

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Abstract

Overview of Egyptian pottery from the perspective of petrographic and chemical studies as of 2011.

Major and Trace Element Analysis of Modern Egyptian Pottery

Journal of Archaeological Science, 1996

A geochemical survey of modern traditional Egyptian pottery using a multi-element, multi-method approach provides a basis for interpreting sedimentary composition and manufacture location of different wares. Several pottery source compositions were investigated: ubiquitous Nile silts; calcareous silty clays (marls); mixtures of Nile silts with marl clays or carbonates; and other sediments. Each of these source compositions has a distinctive geochemical signature which can be used as a fingerprint. This geochemical fingerprint makes it possible to distinguish the following base ceramic compositions from each other: Nile silts; other silts; marl clays; mixtures of Nile silts and marl clays; mixtures of Nile silts and calcium carbonate. When combined with petrographic analysis, geochemistry is an especially powerful diagnostic tool. Such modern fingerprints aid in understanding modern pottery sourcing and composition and provide a potentially powerful tool for providing similar insights into patterns of ancient pottery production.

Importing Clay for Local Pottery Production in the 4th Century B.C. at Tell el-Timai, Egypt

Journal of Field Archaeology , 2017

Archaeological evidence of ceramic production most commonly consists of locally procured raw materials. Excavations at Tell el-Timai in Lower Egypt recovered raw fine marl clay from two transport jars in the vicinity of pottery kilns dating to the 4th century b.c. Production wasters of small perfume bottles produced in the same fine marl clay were found inside the kilns. The marl clay inside the jars pointed to an origin outside of Lower Egypt. Samples of the clay and wasters, along with a confirmed locally sourced sample, were subjected to X-Ray Fluourescence (XRF) analysis, revealing significant differences in their chemical compositions. The results of the analysis are compared to published Egyptian data and an Upper Egyptian provenience is suggested because the raw clay is consistent with available comparative XRF data.

A Corpus of Nineteenth Dynasty Egyptian Pottery from Zawiyet Umm el-Rakham

This paper presents the preliminary results of research on the Nineteenth Dynasty Egyptian pottery corpus from the fort of Zawiyet Umm el-Rakham, located 300 km west of Alexandria within ancient Libya (Tjemeh). It focuses on defining typical shapes and characteristics of the assemblage, as well as investigating its possible origins. It presents the results of a portable X-ray fluorescence analysis of the Egyptian pottery and concludes that approximately 44% of the Egyptian-style pottery is of non-Nilotic origin, most likely locally sourced.

The Lower Egyptian Culture: new perspectives through the lens of ceramic technology

2019

International audienceThis study aims at characterising the pottery tradition of the Lower Egyptian Culture to shed new light on the sociological landscape of the Delta region at the beginning of the 4 th millennium BC. The analytical method chosen to address this issue is the chaîne opératoire approach as it proved to be particularly well suited to define the local tradition and differentiate it from other productions in Middle/Upper Egypt and the Levant. The goal is to set the stage for future studies on its evolution through interactions with neighbouring regions. The results obtained by analysing pottery assemblages from Tell el-Iswid and Tell el-Samara and by comparing them to samples from Tell el-Fara'in/Buto show the presence of four chaîne opératoires; a local distinctive one of the Delta predominates and proves to be very different from those of Middle/Upper Egypt and the Levant. This local tradition was practiced at the domestic level, remained stable over time and tes...

Egyptian pottery from the Middle Bronze Age Levant in context

Vicino Oriente XXV, 2021

The contribution aims at a reassessment of Egyptian and Egyptianizing pottery from stratified assemblages in the MBA Levant in light of the high chronology supported by the recent 'radiocarbon revolution'. The archaeological context of so-called 'key-types' that allowed previous cross-dates, together with the methods adopted for absolute dating, will be critically evaluated in order to avoid circular reasoning. The study will then attempt a regional synthesis integrating the examined artifacts with the radiocarbon chronology, the historical chronology of Egypt, and the relative sequence of cultural developments of the MBA Levant.

Correlation between petrography, NAA, and ICP analyses: application to Early Bronze Egyptian pottery from Canaan

Geoarchaeology, 1991

Under favorable circumstances petrographic studies supported by chemical analysis using inductively coupled plasma (ICP) suffice to establish the provenience of pottery. A case in point is Egyptian-style pottery of Early Bronze Age found in Canaan. The pottery was divided into three groups according to four criteria determined by thin section analysis supplemented by X-ray diffraction: sorting and volume of silt-sized quartz, heavy minerals, the amount of carbonates in the matrix, and the firing temperature. Chemical analyses confirmed the classification. The source materials inferred for the three groups are Nile muds, Egyptian marly sediments, and local loess. Although the chemical analyses obtained by ICP and neutron activation analysis ( N U ) were compatible, the existing database for NAA cannot be used indiscriminately. However, for provenience studies based on mineralogical and petrographic data, knowledge of the geology of the potential source areas can replace a n extensive database.

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