Šegvić B., Süssenberger A., Ugarković M., Moscariello A. (2014) :Mineralogy and cultural heritage-introducing QEMSCAN® automated techonology to the study of ancient artefacts (original) (raw)
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A wide range of existing mineralogical and geochemical methodologies such as optical microscopy, X-ray diffraction, manual scanning electron microscopy, ICP-MS and INAA have been utilised in the analysis of ancient ceramics, in attempts to elucidate patterns of regional trade and interaction. However, advances in automated scanning electron microscopy with linked energy dispersive spectrometers (SEM-EDS) have created the potential to offer a seamless combination of textural and mineralogical data based on the acquisition of energy dispersive spectra that has so far been unattainable with existing techniques. In this pilot study on pottery from the Cycladic Bronze Age site of Akrotiri (Thera), we have quantified the mineralogy of the ceramics based on automated SEM-EDS using QEMSCAN® technology and imaged the textures of the ceramics through compositional mapping. Thirteen samples were analysed and, based upon the automated analysis, four groups of ceramic compositions are defined. These data are consistent with, but also refine, previous traditional petrographic examination of the ceramic samples, and enable the likely provenance of the raw materials used in the ceramic manufacture to be identified. This technique allows the acquisition of fully quantitative data, not only for the larger inclusions within the ceramics but also for the typically finer-grained groundmass/matrix, whilst also providing the overall texture of the ceramic.
A wide range of existing mineralogical and geochemical methodologies such as optical microscopy, X-ray diffraction, manual scanning electron microscopy, ICP-MS and INAA have been utilised in the analysis of ancient ceramics, in attempts to elucidate patterns of regional trade and interaction. However, advances in automated scanning electron microscopy with linked energy dispersive spectrometers (SEM-EDS) have created the potential to offer a seamless combination of textural and mineralogical data based on the acquisition of energy dispersive spectra that has so far been unattainable with existing techniques. In this pilot study on pottery from the Cycladic Bronze Age site of Akrotiri (Thera), we have quantified the mineralogy of the ceramics based on automated SEM-EDS using QEMSCAN Ò technology and imaged the textures of the ceramics through compositional mapping. Thirteen samples were analysed and, based upon the automated analysis, four groups of ceramic compositions are defined. These data are consistent with, but also refine, previous traditional petrographic examination of the ceramic samples, and enable the likely provenance of the raw materials used in the ceramic manufacture to be identified. This technique allows the acquisition of fully quantitative data, not only for the larger inclusions within the ceramics but also for the typically finer-grained groundmass/matrix, whilst also providing the overall texture of the ceramic.
CHARACTERIZATION TECHNIQUES OF CLAYS FOR THE ARCHAEOMETRIC STUDY OF ANCIENT CERAMICS: A REVIEW
2020
The provenance of ceramic artefacts is one of the fundamental issues in ceramic analysis and is related to the location a ceramic object was produced or manufactured. This, in turn, refers to the clay source from where the ancient potter exploited their ceramic raw material. Being aware of the local geology is crucial to the identification of potential raw materials for the ceramic manufacturing. Thorough examination of clays in terms of composition, plastic behavior, shrinkage and particle size, is necessary for the evaluation of their suitability for ceramic production. A combination of several analytical techniques can contribute to the identification and characterization of a ceramic raw material. The choice of the proper ones depends on different factors, such as precision, cost, time, expertise, availability and the way a researcher would combine them. The present study aims to unfold the criteria of clay sampling and investigate the appropriateness of the most relevant analytical techniques for the fully characterization of ceramic raw materials and thereafter provenance of ceramics made from them.
Materials, 2021
Combined analysis methods such as optical microscopy (OM), cathodoluminescence (CL) microscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy–energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (SEM–EDX) have made it possible to obtain the first physico-chemical data of Dacian potsherds, exhumed at the archeological site of Ocnița-Buridava, Romania; the samples were provided by the “Aurelian Sacerdoțeanu” County Museum Vâlcea, dating from the 2nd century BC to the 1st century AD. The mineralogical and petrographic analyses revealed two types of ceramic pastes, taking into account the granulometry of the inclusions and highlighting the choice of the potter for fabricating the ceramic either by wheel or by hand. All samples showed an abundance in quartz, mica (muscovite and biotite), and feldspars. These observations were confirmed by cathodoluminescence imagery, revealing heterogeneous pastes with varied granulometric distributions. The XRD patterns indicated the presence of the mineral...
Thin Section Petrography, Geochemistry and Scanning Electron Microscopy of Archaeological Ceramics
Archaeopress, 2022
Thin section petrography, geochemistry, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction are key scientific methods used to investigate the raw materials, origins and production technology of archaeological pottery, ceramic building materials, ancient refractories and plaster. Using over 400 colour figures of a diverse range of artefact types and archaeological periods from 50 countries worldwide, this book outlines the mineralogical, chemical and microstructural composition of ancient ceramics and provides comprehensive guidelines for their scientific study within archaeology. The core of the book is dedicated to the versatile approach of ceramic petrography. This is complimented by a detailed account of the principles of bulk instrumental geochemistry, as well as the SEM microanalysis and XRD characterisation of ceramics. The book is intended as a reference manual for research as well as a course text for specialist training on scientific ceramic analysis.
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), 2022
This paper discusses the pros and cons of the application of automated SEM-EDS analysis to the characterization of pottery findings by means of a thorough discussion of the basics of its technology as well as its use in archaeometric research. An in-depth investigation of coarse prehistoric pottery (42 thin sections) from the Petit-Chasseur necropolis (3100-1600 BC, Southwestern Switzerland) provided the perfect testing ground for automated SEM-EDS analysis and resulted in a complete and updated reflection on the capabilities and limitations of this method. An opportunity to produce a quick, reliable, automated, and in-depth petrographic characterization of archaeological ceramics in the form of detailed phase maps stands as a unique feature of automated SEM-EDS technology. Indeed, the information on the composition of aplastic inclusions and clayey groundmass along with the insights on void distribution offer a great resource enabling inferences on raw material choices/provenance and manufacturing technology. However, the present study exposed there are more disadvantages than the ones reported by the literature. A phase identification ignoring crystallographic particularities whatsoever is potentially alarming for mineral sorting, whereas the simplification of lithoclast's internal texture hampers the lithological classification of aplastic inclusions. Notwithstanding listed limitations, the use of automated SEM-EDS in archaeometric research of pottery offers a wealth of useful data which will secure its place in any future investigation of archaeological materials, alongside with the more traditional techniques such as optical petrography, regular scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction.
Frontiers in Earth Science, 2022
The analysis of archaeological ceramics has rapidly evolved over the last decades by the application of new analytical techniques. An emerging analytical proposal to fully characterise archaeological ceramics using automated SEM mineralogy is presented. A case study is provided of sets of ceramics from the San Pedro de Atacama oases in the Atacama Desert, northern Chile. Ceramic fragments of different typologies (i.e., Los Morros, Loa Café Alisado and San Pedro Negro Pulido) found in the Ghatchi archaeological sites are analysed. Our results include automated mineralogical maps, which are used to define the components that form the ceramic pastes, i.e., clay matrix and non-plastic inclusions, as well as grain size and mineral abundance information. We show that the pastes that define the studied ceramic types are more complex than previously suggested. The overall composition for these pastes corresponds to clay mineral-rich matrices containing non-plastic inclusions, such as mineral grains, crushed ceramic fragments, and sedimentary to igneous rock fragments, that may vary in composition, size, and abundance among the studied ceramic types. This mineralogical information allows us to discuss possible sources of raw materials by comparing these paste components with geological information. Here we interpret Los Morros and Loa Café Alisado as foreign ceramic types to Ghatchi, whereas the San Pedro Negro Pulido fragments found in this site agree well with the pottery paste recipe typically recognised in the San Pedro de Atacama oases. The petrographic-approach employed here supports the automated SEM mineralogy as a valid option for archaeometric studies of ceramic pastes since includes precise quantitative data formulated from the chemical composition of each component of the paste, which may provide valuable evidence into raw materials and technological styles.
Scientific preparations of archaeological ceramics status, value and long term future
Journal of Archaeological Science, 2018
Thin sections, resin blocks, pressed pellets, fused beads, milled powders, solutions and digested residues are several key sample formats used in the invasive scientific analysis of ancient ceramics. They are crucial tools that enable researchers to characterise the mineralogical, geochemical, molecular and microstructural composition of pottery and other ceramic artefacts, in order to interpret their raw materials , manufacturing technology, production locations and functions. Despite the importance of such preparations, key issues about their status, such as whether they are still artefacts or not, who owns them and where they should reside after analysis, are rarely addressed in the archaeological or archaeometric literature. These questions have implications for the long-term future of thin sections, resin blocks and other sample formats, as well as their accessibility for future research. The present paper highlights the above problem and assess the roles, perspectives and needs of ceramic analysts, field archaeologists, commercial units, curators, policy makers, professional bodies, special interest groups and funding agencies. Finally, guidelines are put forward that can be taken into account when deciding on the value and research potential of scientific specimens of archaeological ceramics, as well as strategies for their curation.
The Characterization of Medieval Ceramics Excavated from
2012
Thirteen potsherds from the Eğirdir Caravanserai (south-west of Turkey) were characterized by optical microscopy (OM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Mineralogical and petrographic studies of medieval potsherds in there show a ceramic body composed of a microcrystalline to amorphous matrix with various clasts and voids. The thin section, XRD and SEM analyses of samples showed that potsherds consist of K-feldspar (orthoclase), plagioclase (albite and anorthite), pyroxene (diopside), melilite (gehlenite), mullite, wollastonite, mica (biotite and muscovite), chlorite, leucite, amphibole, quartz, calcite, iron minerals (hematite and magnetite) and trace amounts of sphene. The obtained results showed that calcareous materials including illitic-kaolinitic clays were used for pottery production and the potsherds were fired in the temperatures from 800 to 1150°C.