Showing papers in "Archaeometry in 2004"
TL;DR: The chemical analysis of excavated glass fragments from dated archaeological contexts in Raqqa, Syria, has provided a detailed picture of the chemical compositions of artefacts deriving from 8th to 9th and 11th century glassmaking and glassworking activities as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: The chemical analysis of excavated glass fragments from dated archaeological contexts in Raqqa, Syria, has provided a detailed picture of the chemical compositions of artefacts deriving from eighth to ninth and 11th century glassmaking and glassworking activities. Evidence for primary glass production has been found at three excavated sites, of eighth to ninth, 11th and 12th century dates; the first two are discussed here. The 2 km long industrial complex at al-Raqqa was associated with an urban landscape consisting of two Islamic cities (al-Raqqa and al-Rafika) and a series of palace complexes. The glass fused and worked there was presumably for local as well as for regional consumption.
Al-Raqqa currently appears to have produced the earliest well-dated production on record in the Middle East of an Islamic high-magnesia glass based on an alkaline plant ash flux and quartz. An eighth to ninth century late ‘Roman’/Byzantine soda–lime recipe of natron and sand begins to be replaced in the eighth to ninth century by a plant ash – quartz Islamic soda–lime composition. By the 11th century, this process was nearly complete. The early Islamic natron glass compositional group from al-Raqqa shows very little spread in values, indicating a repeatedly well-controlled process with the use of chemically homogeneous raw materials.
A compositionally more diffuse range of eighth to ninth century plant ash glass compositions have been identified. One is not only distinct from established groups of plant ash and natron glasses, but is believed to be the result of experimentation with new raw material combinations. Compositional analysis of primary production waste including furnace glass (raw glass adhering to furnace brick) shows that contemporary glasses of three distinct plant ash types based on various combinations of plant ash, quartz and sand were being made in al-Raqqa during the late eighth to ninth centuries. This is a uniquely wide compositional range from an ancient glass production site, offering new insights into the complexity of Islamic glass technology at a time of change and innovation.
179 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, a multi-element studies of sediments have successfully identified specific activity areas by analysing other elements in addition to phosphorus, which can be used to identify specific activities.
Abstract: Archaeologists have employed sediment chemistry in site prospection for nearly a century. For example, phosphorus is a good indicator of human occupation, because it is a generic indicator of human activity. Recently, multi-element studies of sediments have successfully identified specific activity areas by analysing other elements in addition to phosphorus. To reach its full potential, however, sediment chemistry must be undertaken with an understanding of how these residues are formed and of the chemical indicators that can be used to identify specific activities. Methodologies that optimize the extraction of specific residues must be employed. Not to do so is a naive application of the technique.
149 citations
TL;DR: A review of the intellectual positions of both groups, with a brief discussion of the history of archaeological theory and an appraisal of its current trajectory, is given in this paper, where the authors discuss how and why contemporary theoretical perspectives have fundamentally diverged from the perspectives of archaeological scientists and how the recent theoretical emphasis upon materiality offers a rapprochement between theoreticians and archaeological scientists.
Abstract: Due to the diversity of contemporary archaeology, the aims and approaches of archaeological scientists and archaeological theorists are often at odds. I suggest that this position is problematic, both intellectually and methodologically, as both groups are fundamentally engaged in the same task: an understanding of past societies through the medium of material culture. This paper offers a review of the intellectual positions of both groups, with a brief discussion of the history of archaeological theory and an appraisal of its current trajectory. I will discuss how and why contemporary theoretical perspectives have fundamentally diverged from the perspectives of archaeological scientists and how the recent theoretical emphasis upon materiality offers a rapprochement between theoreticians and archaeological scientists.
140 citations
TL;DR: Weak acid-extraction ICP-AES analysis was performed to obtain multi-elemental characterizations of anthropogenic sediments from plaza spaces that no longer contain artefacts and adjacent trash deposits at the prehispanic site of El Coyote in northwestern Honduras as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: Weak acid-extraction ICP‐AES analysis was performed to obtain multi-elemental characterizations of anthropogenic sediments from plaza spaces that no longer contain artefacts and adjacent trash deposits at the prehispanic site of El Coyote in northwestern Honduras. Multivariate quantitative assessments of the anthrosol chemical data, along with associated inventories of midden materials, are examined to derive signatures for activity areas and refuse dumps that can be linked across portions of the site. The findings of this study permit the reconstruction of activity patterns in the site’s main plaza and in its environs. This has important implications for understanding the relationship among ritual practice, craft production and political economy during the Late and Terminal Classic periods, c. AD 600‐1000.
134 citations
TL;DR: One hundred and twentyfive new lead isotopic analyses on galena, mainly from the Los Pedroches - Alcudia Valley area of southern Iberia, are presented in this paper.
Abstract: One hundred and twenty-five new lead isotopic analyses on galena, mainly from the Los Pedroches - Alcudia Valley area of southern Iberia, are presented. These data allow us to define four compositional groups in the 2 0 7 Pb/ 2 0 6 Pb versus 2 0 8 Pb/ 2 0 6 Pb and 2 0 7 Pb/ 2 0 6 Pb versus 2 0 6 Pb/ 2 0 4 Pb diagrams. Group I compositions are intermediate between those previously reported for southeastern and southwestern Iberian ore mineral locations. The compositions of Group II, the largest group, overlap with ore data from southwestern Spain. Groups III and IV have compositions that have never before been identified in this region and are comparable to those from the Sardinian Cu ores, which might explain the previously assumed exotic origin for local Bronze Age artefacts.
126 citations
TL;DR: This paper reviewed the formation processes of the evaporitic deposits between the different lakes in the wadi and for the whole wadi as a whole, and showed that the precipitation of sodium carbonate minerals within the lakes is seasonal and probably subject to long-term fluctuation as climate varies.
Abstract: The evaporitic deposits of the Wadi Natrun on the edge of the Western Desert of Egypt have been used in variety of crafts and industries for over 6000 years. This paper reviews the formation processes of the evaporitic deposits between the different lakes in the wadi and for the wadi as a whole. It shows that the precipitation of sodium carbonate minerals within the lakes is seasonal and probably subject to long-term fluctuation as climate varies. This has a significant impact on the use of the lakes for ancient industries, particularly the manufacture of glass.
125 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the lead and copper isotopes of Roman Imperial copper coins (denominations as and quadrans) were analysed by MC-ICP-MS and compared with published lead isotope data of ore bodies from the Aegaean, Cyprus, Italy and Spain to fingerprint the sources of Roman copper.
Abstract: Lead and copper isotopes of Roman Imperial copper coins (denominations as and quadrans) were analysed by MC-ICP-MS. We concentrated on well-dated coins minted at the official mint of Rome under the Emperors Augustus and Tiberius (between 16 BC and AD 37). The lead isotope results were compared with published lead isotope data of ore bodies from the Aegaean, Cyprus, Italy and Spain, in order to fingerprint the sources of Roman copper. During the Augustan period the main copper supply, as judged from the copper coins, is from Sardinia and south-east Spain, with minor contributions from Tuscany. Except for Tuscany. this continued into the Tiberian period, when Cypriot copper also appears. Augustan quadrantes and late Tiberian asses came solely from the Rio Tinto area in south-west Spain. Copper isotopes were applied here for the first time to systematic. archaeometric studies. They are supplementary to lead isotopes and allow further grouping and classification of the copper coins.
104 citations
TL;DR: In this article, Neutron Activation Analysis was used to analyse post-depositional alterations of minor and trace elements, and the most striking effect was that a leaching of Ca could be found at the surface.
Abstract: From 38 sherds with ‘corroded’ surfaces, two samples per sherd were examined using Neutron Activation Analysis, one from the surface and one from the core of each sherd, in order to analyse post-depositional alterations of minor and trace elements. The most striking effect was that a leaching of Ca could be found at the surface. Another group of elements that is severely affected are the alkali metals, with Cs and Rb showing the strongest changes. A third conspicuous group of elements are the Rare Earth Elements. Finally, the effect of such alterations on a statistical data evaluation to classify pottery according to provenance is investigated.
103 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the occurrence of coarse-grained vivianite and mitridatite aggregates in a potsherd, a grand ring and a timber imprint from the Second Iron Age site of Adria (Rovigo, northeastern Italy) suggest contrasting environmental conditions of burial.
Abstract: The occurrence of coarse-grained vivianite and mitridatite aggregates in a potsherd, a grand ring and a timber imprint from the Second Iron Age site of Adria (Rovigo, northeastern Italy) suggest contrasting environmental conditions of burial. In particular, bone fragments were replaced by vivianite at relatively low pH and Eh, due to the presence of deteriorating organic matter, together with slag and iron flakes. Subsequent interactions with Ca-rich groundwater characterized by higher pH and Eh determined the growth of mitridatite after vivianite. Although phosphates crystallized after burial, the examined samples were not involved in pervasive chemical contamination.
84 citations
TL;DR: The chemical composition of wood-ash glass reflects the elemental pattern of the involved nonvolatile base materials in quartz sand, wood ash and possibly potash as discussed by the authors, and the essential elemental ratio of wood ash varies between 0.2 and 0.8, and depends on the habitat and geological substratum of the wood rather than on the tree species.
Abstract: The chemical composition of potassium‐calcium ‘wood-ash’ glass reflects the elemental pattern of the involved non-volatile base materials in quartz sand, wood ash and possibly potash. The essential elemental ratio K 2 O/CaO of wood ash varies between 0.2 and 0.8, and depends on the habitat and geological substratum of the wood rather than on the tree species; ratios between 1.0 and 3.0 in wood-ash glass are only possible when potash is added as a third base material. Melting temperatures of wood-ash glass sensu stricto, termed K‐Ca-2, produced with the two raw materials quartz sand and wood ash, are between 1250 ° C and 1400 ° C, while those of three-component-glasses, termed K‐Ca-3, are between 900 ° C and 1250 ° C, according to the amount of added potash. Experimentally produced glass displays different hues, from colourless to brown, olive-green and pink, according to the chemical composition of the wood ash. Elevated MnO concentrations between 0.5 and 3 wt% may originate from wood ash and are hence not necessarily an indicator of colour-inhibiting additives. Phosphate stemming from wood ash is an essential discriminator between wood-ash glass and potash‐lime glass. Because wood ash contains only minor amounts of sodium, wood-ash glass with equal concentrations of potassium and sodium is a hybrid glass type, where besides quartz sand, wood ash, possibly potash and also soda-rich cullet have been applied for glass production.
82 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors demonstrate the use of the optical coherence tomography (OCT) technique for non-invasive scanning of the subsurface morphologies of jade objects.
Abstract: We demonstrate the use of the Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) technique for non-invasive scanning of the subsurface morphologies of jade objects. The two-dimensional tomography images show the refractive index or dielectric constant variations in the samples, reflecting their structures. Three samples of archaic jade objects from the Qijia and Liangzhu cultures in China are scanned in order to understand the subsurface morphologies of the naturally whitened jades. Also, two jade objects with artificial treatments (burning) are scanned and compared with the original materials in subsurface structures. In the original objects, the jade materials can generally be quite transparent, such that the backscattering intensity is weak, although the large-scale (tens of microns or larger) subsurface morphology can be clearly observed. After burning, small-scale (smaller than a few microns) structures are formed and the backscattering intensity is enhanced. In this situation, the large-scale structures may be preserved or even newly generated. On the other hand, in an archaic object with natural whitening, small-scale structures are also formed. Hence, the deeper distributions of significant backscattering intensity are observed, when compared with the unwhitened objects. Nevertheless, the large-scale features diminish during the whitening process. With OCT scanning, such differences in subsurface morphology can provide us a valuable reference for authenticating archaic jade objects.
TL;DR: A newly developed compound-specific stable carbon isotope technique allows the detection of maize components in absorbed organic pottery residues as mentioned in this paper, which is useful in determining pottery use, particularly in concert with other analytical methods.
Abstract: A newly developed compound-specific stable carbon isotope technique allows the detection of maize in absorbed organic pottery residues. This method was applied to absorbed organic residues from a variety of Mississippi Valley potsherds, and successfully identified maize components. Maize was cooked in sampled vessels less often than expected, but otherwise fitted expected patterns of maize use derived from stable carbon isotope analysis of human bone from the region. Absorbed organic pottery residue analysis is useful in determining pottery use, particularly in concert with other analytical methods.
TL;DR: In this article, a study of Neogene clays in Crete (Greece), a clay type commonly used in ancient and modern pottery production, is presented, where sixtyone samples were taken from 28 locations in the central and eastern parts of the island, to reveal both intra and inter-deposit variability.
Abstract: The determination of provenance probably forms the primary role of geochemical analyses in archaeological ceramic studies. In what has comprised a successful field of study, the ultimate basis for such research has been the comparison of pottery compositions with the geochemical diversity displayed by clay deposits within a given study area. Although such studies are now common, the understanding of chemical and mineralogical variability in ceramic raw materials has been somewhat neglected, with the dominance of assumptions rather than the actual analysis of clays. In this paper, a study is presented of Neogene clays in Crete (Greece), a clay type commonly used in ancient and modern pottery production. Sixty-one samples were taken from 28 locations in the central and eastern parts of the island, to reveal both intra- and inter-deposit variability. In one deposit chosen for multiple sampling, the 14 samples display great variability in the alkali elements, Fe and Co, and to a lesser extent in the REEs. Many of the geographically separate deposits differ from each other in chemical composition, with Eastern Cretan deposits showing higher REE concentrations and higher Th/Sc ratios, whereas Central Cretan deposits of younger geological stages are characterized by a lower Th/U ratio. Mineralogical analysis by XRD is used to explain aspects of the geochemical variability of the clays. © University of Oxford 2004.
TL;DR: The results obtained by conventional (scanning electron microscope, electron microprobe) and synchrotron (X-ray diffraction, X-ray absorption spectroscopy) techniques indicate that the thickness, porosity or chemical composition of the different types of gloss cannot be used as the principal distinguishing factor as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: The present study aims to understand the reasons for the visual differences of black gloss pottery found in northern Etruria. The results obtained by conventional (scanning electron microscope, electron microprobe) and synchrotron (X-ray diffraction, X-ray absorption spectroscopy) techniques indicate that the thickness, porosity or chemical composition of the different types of gloss cannot be used as the principal distinguishing factor. The size of quartz or feldspar crystals may well be a critical factor responsible for the matt effect in some samplers, while the range of mixtures of iron compounds indicated by XRD and XAS could be the reason for differences in colour and reflectivity. The Fe L-edge XAS results in particular show that a correlation does exist between the oxidation state characteristics and the visual appearance. The Si, Fe and Al contents seem to further discriminate the different types of gloss that have differing visual appearances.
TL;DR: In this article, high-resolution elemental data on Lapita ceramics (3200-2700 cal year bp) from Fiji, Tonga and New Ireland using chemistry-based inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) was obtained.
Abstract: We have obtained high-resolution elemental data on Lapita ceramics (3200–2700 cal year bp) from Fiji, Tonga and New Ireland using chemistry-based inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (ICP–MS). These data show clear elemental distinctions between Lapita pottery manufactured in Fiji, Tonga and New Ireland, and demonstrate significant elemental variation in Fijian ceramics collected from settlements in close proximity to one another. Therefore, we anticipate that ICP–MS will become an effective technique for tracking the transfer of Lapita pottery within and between different island groups in Oceania.
TL;DR: One hundred and seventyfive glazed ceramics from Sasanian and Early Islamic period sites located on the Deh Luran Plain in southwestern Iran were examined by instrumental neutron activation analysis for characterizing differences in ceramic pastes and by laser-ablation inductively coupled plasma mass-spectrometry for identifying the constituents of the ceramic glazes as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: One hundred and seventy-five glazed ceramics from Sasanian and Early Islamic period sites located on the Deh Luran Plain in southwestern Iran were examined by instrumental neutron activation analysis for characterizing differences in ceramic pastes and by laser-ablation inductively coupled plasma mass-spectrometry for identifying the constituents of the ceramic glazes. The results of the analysis reveal that alkaline-based glazed ceramics have paste compositions that are distinct from contemporary and later ceramics decorated with alkaline-low-lead and lead-based glazes.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present the results of a chemical analysis of black pigment used to decorate pottery from Late Neolithic Tell Sabi Abyad, northern Syria (c. 6100 cal bc).
Abstract: The paper presents the results of a chemical analysis of black pigment used to decorate pottery from Late Neolithic Tell Sabi Abyad, northern Syria (c. 6100 cal bc). The pigment appears to be bitumen. A comparison with known reference samples from modern locations of bituminous sources in the Near East suggests that the bitumen used to paint ceramics at Tell Sabi Abyad came from at least two different source areas in northern Iraq. The bitumen-painted ceramics at Tell Sabi Abyad represent the earliest evidence attested so far of bitumen used as a pigment for pottery decoration.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors show the possibilities offered by the combined use of non-destructive neutron and X-ray beams in archaeological research on metallic finds, including a Roman sword, a Roman dagger, an Iron Age bucket, Iron Age spearheads and a Roman finger ring.
Abstract: This paper shows the possibilities offered by the combined use of non-destructive neutron and X-ray beams in archaeological research on metallic finds. The following five artefacts from Swiss excavations were submitted to investigation, each with dedicated aims: a Roman sword, a Roman dagger, an Iron Age bucket, Iron Age spearheads and a Roman finger ring. The images obtained with both methods—neutrons and X-rays—are discussed in length in this paper. The investigations took place at the Paul Scherrer Institute and the archaeologists who studied the objects come from the Universities of Lausanne and Zurich.
TL;DR: In this paper, the chemical nature of the red, black and white pigments of five samples of Greek pottery from the end of the fifth century and the first half of the fourth century BC, exhumed from the Iberian necropolis of Cabezo Lucero (Guardamar del Segura, Alicante Spain), has been identified.
Abstract: Roman microspectrosocpy (RMS) is now established as a key technique for the identification of pigments of archaeological pottery that permits the in situ study of art objects by a non-destructive procedure. The information obtained represents a great aid to restoration and conservation techniques. In this work, the chemical nature of the red, black and white pigments of five samples of Greek pottery from the end of the fifth century and the first half of the fourth century BC, exhumed from the Iberian necropolis of Cabezo Lucero (Guardamar del Segura, Alicante. Spain), has been identified. The black and the red pigments are found to be magnetite (Fe 3 O 4 ) and hematite (α-Fe 2 O 3 ), respectively. The white pigment is found, for the first time, to be composed of alumina (α-Al 2 O 3 and γ-Al 2 O 3 ) probably yielded by the thermal decomposition of Greek bauxite.
TL;DR: In this article, 60one ceramic samples collected in Cuenca, Ecuador, were analyzed by neutron activation analysis in an attempt to establish their elemental compositions, and the results showed that the Spanish samples were separable primarily by their high Ca contents; the Panamanian samples were separated primarily by high Cs contents; and the Quito ceramics by high Na contents.
Abstract: Sixty-one ceramic samples collected in Cuenca, Ecuador, were analysed by neutron activation analysis in an attempt to establish their elemental compositions. The bulk of the samples were manufactured in the region of Cuenca, with others imported from Quito in the northern highlands of Ecuador, from Panama Vieja in Panama, and from Seville in Spain. Relative to the Cuenca ceramics, the Spanish samples were separable primarily by their high Ca contents; the Panamanian ceramics by their high Cs contents; and the Quito ceramics by their high Na contents. The ceramics made within the region surrounding Cuenca are much more difficult to separate, with Ba and other elements being potentially important.
TL;DR: In this paper, an assemblage of 149 black gloss pottery samples found in northern Etruria (Tuscany, Italy), at Arezzo, Volterra, Chiusi and Populonia, is presented.
Abstract: The object of the present study is an assemblage of 149 black gloss pottery samples found in northern Etruria (Tuscany, Italy), at Arezzo, Volterra, Chiusi and Populonia. Complete chemical analyses have been performed for the whole set of samples, whereas mineralogical characterization has been provided for most of the Volterra, Chiusi and Populonia samples. The Chiusi-Marcianella production site has been the further object of a detailed study aimed at the creation of a complete reference group. Moreover, several trade routes have been reconstructed, shedding light on the import and export of these ceramics from inland Etruria to the coast and vice versa.
TL;DR: In this article, the chemical compositions and microstructures of Iznik pottery and tile samples, together with those of lumps of glass found in association, were investigated using both scanning electron and optical microscopy.
Abstract: Previous research has established that Iznik pottery differs from other Islamic stonepaste pottery in that its stonepaste bodies contain lead oxide as well as soda and lime, and that a significant proportion of the tin oxide in its glaze is present in solution rather than as tin oxide particles. In order to better understand these distinguishing features, the chemical compositions and microstructures of Iznik pottery and tile samples, together with those of lumps of glass found in association, were investigated using both scanning electron and optical microscopy. These data have been supplemented by the study of replicate lead–alkali glazes produced in the laboratory with a range of different compositions. The results demonstrate that separate soda–lime and high-lead glasses were used in the production of Iznik stonepaste bodies, and that the total glass contents of the bodies were significantly higher than those quoted by Abū’l-Qāsim, who was writing in about ad 1300. The very high purity of the lead–soda Iznik glazes indicated that the alkali flux used was either a purified plant ash or an as yet unidentified mineral source of soda. Replication experiments established that the high solubility of tin oxide in the glaze was due to the high purity of the glaze constituents. Furthermore, it is suggested that tin oxide was added to the glaze in order to give it a very slight opacity and thus obscure any blemishes in the underlying body.
TL;DR: In this article, several rare coloured engravings from the work of Albrecht Durer and Cornelis Cart, Servatius Raeven and Johannes Sadeler were investigated, and the analyses result in specific palettes of colours that were used by different artists or in different workshops for the coloration of engraved images.
Abstract: Qualitative investigations of pigments and dyes using micro X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (micro-XRF) and visible spectrophotometry (VIS) are suitable non-destructive methods for the characterization of different colorants in art objects. In this study, several rare coloured engravings from the work of Albrecht Durer-and, in addition, from the work of Cornelis Cart, Servatius Raeven and Johannes Sadeler-were investigated. The analyses result in specific palettes of colours that were used by different artists or in different workshops for the coloration of engraved images. Starting from these different palettes, it is possible to distinguish coeval colorations that were added in the 16th century from those that were carried out at a later date (e.g., the 19th century).
TL;DR: In this article, the probability of nuclei capturing neutrons reveals sharp peaks, so-called "resonances" which occur at neutron energies specific for each element These resonances are very suitable for analysing the elemental composition of objects They are the basis of a new analytical method, "neutron resonance capture analysis" (NRCA).
Abstract: The probability of nuclei capturing neutrons reveals sharp peaks, so-called ‘resonances’, which occur at neutron energies that are specific for each element These resonances are very suitable for analysing the elemental composition of objects They are the basis of a new analytical method, ‘neutron resonance capture analysis’ (NRCA) This is a fully non-destructive method, which is applicable to almost all stable isotopes, determines the bulk elemental composition, does not require any sample preparation and results in a negligible residual activity Recently, NRCA has been applied in a study of a series of bronze statuettes, obtained from the National Museum of Antiquity in Leiden (NL)
TL;DR: In this article, red figure pottery found at Locri Epizephiri was analyzed for 18 chemical elements by inductively coupled plasma emission spectroscopy and the results supported the opportunity of a refiring pre-treatment.
Abstract: Thirty-nine samples of red figure pottery found at Locri Epizephiri were analysed for 18 chemical elements by inductively coupled plasma emission spectroscopy. The finds, dated from the end of the sixth to the fourth century bc, were assigned to Attic, Sicilian and Locrian workshops due to their style of execution. Prior to facing the archaeological questions, possible biases on sample classification due to variable firing conditions, or to alteration during burial, were investigated: the results supported the opportunity of a refiring pre-treatment. Multivariate statistical treatment of the analytical data confirms the separation between Attic and non-Attic samples; comparison with the composition of black gloss pottery suggests that all the non-Attic red figure vases could be the output of Locrian workshops.
TL;DR: In this article, it is claimed that additional petrographic analysis, the so-called integrated approach, should not be considered as a must for each project, but is only needed in cases in which the chemical approach leaves questions to be answered.
Abstract: The method of chemical provenance determination of pottery is described as a very useful tool, which gives reliable results in most cases, if it is applied correctly and to its full power. Therefore, it is claimed that additional petrographic analysis, the so-called ‘integrated approach’, should not be considered as a must for each project, but is only needed in cases in which the chemical approach leaves questions to be answered.
TL;DR: Sixty-four sherds and seven natural clays from prehistoric sites in northwestern Sudan have been submitted to petrological and chemical analysis using XRF spectrometry, EMPA and ICP-MS.
Abstract: Sixty-four sherds and seven natural clays from prehistoric sites in northwestern Sudan have been submitted to petrological and chemical analysis using XRF spectrometry, EMPA and ICP-MS. According to their texture, the sherds form five different groups. The high contents of P 2 O 5 (more than 0.5 wt%) discerned in 19 samples and the variation of the P 2 O 5 content in two samples of the same vessel can be explained by post-depositional processes or by the ancient organic contents (e.g., milk) of the vessel. Chemical classification of the pottery bulk suggests that vessels were made locally, as only sherds from the same area show homogeneity of data.
TL;DR: This study extracted 13-year-old residues from experimentally manufactured stone tools used to butcher a single animal and shows that surface washing procedures typically used to curate stone tools remove only a small fraction of the DNA and protein deposited during animal butchery.
Abstract: Traces of protein and DNA are preserved on stone tools used to process animals Previous research documents the identification of protein residues from tools sonicated in 5% ammonium hydroxide, but it remains untested whether the same treatment yields useable DNA In this study we report both DNA and protein recovery using 5% ammonium hydroxide from residues on stone tools We extracted 13-year-old residues from experimentally manufactured stone tools used to butcher a single animal We also show that surface washing procedures typically used to curate stone tools remove only a small fraction of the DNA and protein deposited during animal butchery
TL;DR: A collection of ceramics from the Middle Ages found in Altilia and Terravecchia (the Saepinum area, Campobasso, Italy) were characterized by using different mineralogical analyses to investigate their provenance and production techniques.
Abstract: A collection of ceramics from the Middle Ages found in Altilia and Terravecchia (the Saepinum area, Campobasso, Italy) were characterized by using different mineralogical analyses to investigate their provenance and production techniques. The body ceramic was investigated using Rietveld phase analysis of X-ray powder diffraction patterns, X-ray fluorescence spectrometry and scanning electron microscopy. The chemical compositions of the coatings were measured by scanning electron microscopy and their mineralogical compositions were determined using a particular technique of X-ray small-angle scattering (SAS) optimized for studies of thin films. Moreover, the material used for decoration was studied using micro-Raman spectroscopy.
The archaeometric results confirmed the distinction into two different ceramic classes, already individuated from archaeological analysis: the Altilia objects belong to the protomajolica class, whereas the objects from Terravecchia are RMR (ramina-manganese-red) ceramics. A comparison between the chemical and mineralogical compositions of good-quality ceramic objects and those of waste products indicated local production of the ceramics. A sharp distinction was found in the chemical composition of the coatings: the Altilia products have tin-opacified lead glazes, while the Terravecchia ones have transparent high-lead glazes. Among the Altilia products, the unsuccessful process that produced a large quantity of discarded materials was attributed to the high lead content of the glazes. In fact, the principal advantage of the high lead content was to make the preparation and application of the glaze suspension easier, but the risk of reduction of lead oxide to metallic lead was greatly increased.
Using micro-Raman spectroscopy, the following minerals were identified as pigments: pyrolusite for the dark colour, malachite for green, lepidocrocite for yellow and hematite for red.
TL;DR: The authors analyzed the clay pastes of post-classic slip pottery from the central Peten lakes region and found that manufacturing traditions and trading patterns change throughout the Postclassic period, reflecting possible socio-political alliances.
Abstract: ICP–ES analysis of the clay pastes of Postclassic (c. ad 850–1524) slipped pottery from the central Peten lakes region establishes chemical composition groups that provide information concerning manufacturing traditions and trading patterns. These data demonstrate that manufacturing traditions and trading patterns change throughout the Postclassic period, reflecting possible socio-political alliances as different ethnic groups migrated to and from the Yucatan peninsula into the central Peten lakes region. The chemical composition groups also demonstrate that some manufacturing traditions imitate those from the Late Classic period and that some clay sources were used throughout the Postclassic period for multiple ceramic groups.