Scientific Analysis of Archaeological Ceramics

Coarse earthenware with a painted decor from the Toulouse region of France occur at the Fortress of Louisbourg, Canada, in contexts dating to 1713-1758. This paper compares pieces from Louisbourg to examples made at three pottery centres in the "Midi toulousain" region, namely Giroussens, Lomagne and Cox. Geochemical analysis shows that the type initially ascribed to Cox, then to "Cox-Lomagne", definitely derives from the Lomagne region near Auvillar on the Garonne River. 

Des terres cuites communes peintes fabriquées dans la région de Toulouse surviennent au Canada, entre autres à la forteresse de Louisbourg entre 1713 et 1758. Ce travail compare des pièces de Louisbourg aux exemplaires fabriquées à trois centres potiers du «Midi toulousain», soit Giroussens, Lomagne et Cox. L'analyse géochimique démontre que les types attribués d'abord à Cox, puis à «Cox-Lomagne», proviennent définitivement de Lomagne, près d'Auvillar sur la Garonne.

Recently, there has been significant interest in the use of portable X-ray fluorescence spectrometers (pXRF) for cultural materials applications, especially ceramics and sediments. Although modern pXRF spectrometers have lower detection limits and better resolution than those of decades past, portable instruments remain subject to the same limitations as bench-top ED-XRF instruments, particularly with respect to sample preparation, instrument calibration, and ability to accurately quantify low-Z elements. In this paper, we evaluate the strengths and limitations of pXRF analysis for the quantitative compositional analysis of archaeological ceramics and sediments and propose an analytical protocol and calibration designed to optimize pXRF performance for these materials.

The principles governing thermal shock resistance are introduced briefly, followed by
the presentation of an experimental study conducted to assess the influence of temper and firing
temperature on the thermal shock resistance of clay-based ceramics. Focusing on the assessment
of a material’s capability to resist thermal stresses, difficulties which arise when interpreting
experimental results are discussed. We report that thermal shocking may induce a change in
fracture mode in the ceramics, a finding which has important implications for the interpretation of
experimental results and the assessment of the performance of ceramic vessels when exposed to
sudden thermal stresses. Generally, it appears that for coarse cooking ware pottery, thermal shock
resistance might not play such an important role as frequently has been assumed. Limited thermal
shocking might even be beneficial for a ceramic’s subsequent exposure to thermal stresses, as it can
result in a change in fracture mode and may increase the toughness of the material.

Our research involves a novel combination of techniques to investigate the ceramic tradition at ancient Urkesh. Preparing and observing large numbers of samples for traditional ceramic petrography is expensive, time-consuming, and impractical in the field. Our alternative approach uses a flatbed scanner on- site to collect high-resolution images of sectioned sherds. We selected a portion of the scanned sherds for subsequent microanalysis. Element maps of these sherds were made using an electron microprobe (also called an electron probe microanalyzer). Image analysis software correlated the two image sets. The result is a promising way to analyze large numbers of sherds, crucial for understanding chronological and stylistic variations at this particular site and throughout the region.

The insular nature of the Maltese archipelago provides a unique opportunity to explore trade and cultural change from the Neolithic to the Bronze Ages in the central Mediterranean. I hypothesize that, during the period in which the Maltese islands were experiencing a form of isolation—owing either to their distance from Sicily and other populated regions, to the collective formation of an inwardly-focused culture, or to a combination of these factors—it is unlikely that pottery played a significant role as either an import or export in the archipelago’s exchange relationships with other communities in the central Mediterranean. I accordingly propose that ceramics were only significant in the interaction networks between Malta and its neighbors during periods when the archipelago was culturally connected to Sicily.

Except for a limited number of archaeometric studies (Barone et al. 2015; Molitor 1988; Mommsen et al. 2006), analysis of similarities among ceramic wares produced in Malta and elsewhere that allow archaeologists to draw conclusions about the nature of Malta’s connectivity to other communities has been based on macroscopic observation. The present study builds on the few archaeometric studies by determining the provenance of ceramic samples based on their trace elemental composition. Included in this study were both clay samples and ceramic artifacts representing each of Malta’s chronological phases from the Neolithic to the Bronze Ages.

Specifically, in order to address the question of the role that pottery played in the prehistoric trade of the Maltese islands, 392 Maltese ceramic sherds were analyzed using a Bruker III-V handheld portable X-ray fluorescence device, which revealed the relative abundance of six trace elements, namely thorium, rubidium, strontium, yttrium, zirconium, and niobium. The trace elemental composition of the Maltese pottery was compared with that of 18 Sicilian ceramic sherds and clay samples from both Malta and Sicily.

The results of this research support my hypothesis in part, suggesting that neither ceramics nor raw clay materials played a significant role in overseas trade during Malta’s period of cultural isolation, which extended from the Ġgantija phase to the end of the Tarxien phase. On the other hand, ceramics played a more active role in Malta’s interaction networks during periods of connectivity with Sicily, for instance in the Neolithic Age. This study also provides the first chemical evidence that Malta exported pottery to Sicily during the Bronze Age and that Malta’s contact with Mycenaeans was indirect in nature. The findings presented here thus contribute to understanding Malta’s role in trade and interaction networks from the Neolithic to the Bronze Ages and point to new approaches to exploring the cultural change that becomes apparent in the Maltese Temple Period.

The rare “A” marked porcelains have for some time been associated with the Bow first patent of Heylyn and Frye although conclusive documentary evidence has not been found.  This paper examines a teapot lid matching “A” marked pieces which was found during excavations at Stratford and it’s possible links to the Bow first patent wares.  By J.V. Owen (first author) and Nicholas Panes.  English Ceramic Circle Transactions, Volume 23, 2012.

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.

Archaeological excavation and survey of 18th century sugarcane and indigo plantations in Fort-Dauphin, north-east of Haiti, revealed numerous ceramic sherds decorated in tache noires. This type of wares was produced originally in Albissola (North west Italy) but then imitations were produced in Barcelona (Spain) and Provence (France).(Italy). Fort-Dauphin plantations were mostly dated to the French colonization period (circa 1700-1800), yet they were probably reused again later. This research presents the results of compositional (ICP-OES and SEM-EDS) and petrographic analysis on a group of taches noires from from Fort-Dauphin and compare and them with reference samples from Albisola, Provence (France) and Barcelona (Spain). The results confirm the Ligurian origin of the wares.

Freshwater reservoir offsets (FROs) occur when AMS dates on charred, encrusted food residues on pottery predate a pot's chronological context because of the presence of ancient carbon from aquatic resources such as fish. Research over the past two decades has demonstrated that FROs vary widely within and between water bodies and between fish in those water bodies. Lipid analyses have identified aquatic biomarkers that can be extracted from cooking residues as potential evidence for FROs. However, lacking has been efforts to determine empirically how much fish with FROs needs to be cooked in a pot with other resources to result in significant FRO on encrusted cooking residue and what percentage of fish C in a residue is needed to result in the recovery of aquatic biomarkers. Here we provide preliminary assessments of both issues. Our results indicate that in historically-contingent, high alkalinity environments <20% C from fish may result in a statistically significant FRO, but that biomarkers for aquatic resources may be present in the absence of a significant FRO.

RIASSUNTO
La straordinaria qualita presente nei colori dipinti sulla ceramica preistorica siciliana viene esaminata in termini della composizione dei pigmenti e dellc loro possibili fonti, con particolare riguardo alle decorazioni nere ampiamente presenti in ogni periodo. Yen­gono richiamati e confrontati con particolare dettaglio i dati finora ottenuti da campioni ceramici del Tardo-Neolitico (stile di Serra d' Alto), de! Primo Eneolitico (stile di S. Cono - Piano Notaro/Spatarella, Conzo e Serraferlicchio) e del Bronzo Antico (stile Castelluccio) e che hanno mostrato la presenza di manganese nelle decorazioni nere c l'elevata percen­tuale di ferro nelle decorazionj rosse. Le inclagini, non distruttive, sono state effcttuate adoperando la strumentazione portatile (sistema PIXE-alfa) realizzata dal laboratorio LANDIS - fNFN de! Laboratorio Nazionale de! Sud di Catania. L'elevato tenore in Man­ganese presente in alcunc classi ceramiche suggerisce l'uso diretto del minerale. Yiene avanzata l'ipotesi della possibile provenienza locale di deua materia prima. L'effettuazio­ne di alcune di queste misure e stata eseguita presso i locali del Museo Archeologico Regionale di Licata e dimostra l'utilita di questa tecnica in situ.

SUMMARY
The extraordinary quality of the colour present in prehistoric sicilian painted ceramics is examined in terms of the elemental composition of their pigments and their possible sources. The data, in particular, from ceramic samples of the Late Neolithic (Serra d' Alto style). the Early Eneolithic (San Cono-Piano Notaro/Spatarclla, Cunzo and Serraferlicchio styles) and the Early Bronze Age (Castclluccian style) demonstrate the presence of manganese (Mn) in black decoration and an elevated percentage of iron (Fe) in red decoration in each period. This non-destructive analysis was performed using new, portable instruments (PlXE-alpha system) by the LANDlS-INFN laboratory of the Laboratorio Nazionale del Sud (Catania). Several measurements were made at the facilities or the Museo Archeologico Regionale (Licata. AG) and facilities of the Soprintendenza ai BB.CC.AA. di Catania to demonstrate the usefulness of this technique on site.

reflects diverse analytical approaches and methodological strategies for examining the role of glaze \vare pottery in the social lives of the late precontact and early contact Pueblos. By tracing the circulation of spe cialized knowledge, raw materials, and the glaze-painted pots themselves, through interactive networks of varying sizes and scales, these researchers reveal how glaze ware production, distribution, and use articulated with a variety of dynamic historical and social processes, including migration, community formation, constructions of local and regional identity, inter comlTIunity interaction and alliance, organization of production, and the proliferation of new religious systems and ritual practices. What is emerg ing from these studies is a diverse and complementary series of local "so cial histories" of the glaze \vares that allow us to track both similarities and differences in how these articulations played out in different times, places, and contexts across the late precontact and early contact South west. Finally, by comparing and contrasting these diverse social histories, we hope to move toward a more synthetic understanding of the mutually constitutive relationships that linked material culture, technological prac tice, and the complex processes of social formation and culture change.