Ancient ceramics

Catalogo de los materiales arqueologicos recuperados del fardo 290, exhumado por Julio C. Tello a principios del siglo XX en la peninsula de Paracas, Ica. Este fardo correspondio a un individuo de alta jerarquia de la sociedad Paracas Necropolis [tildes omitidas].

In this paper, the author discuses about the challenges
and perspectives of archaeometric analysis on the
Hellenistic ware on the East Adriatic based on hitherto
published analysis. Diversity of Hellenistic types of
ware – in shapes, colour of coatings and decorations
– show differences in technological process, that can
be understood through analysis in both archaeological
and archaeometric methods. The archaeometry
increasingly plays an important role in the study of
archaeological artefacts, and it is necessary to stress
out the importance of the integrated archaeological
– archaeometric methodological approach. The
author will propose, on the examples of Hellenistic
ware production on East Adriatic coast, how to integrate
archaeological and archaeometric analysis in
researches and studies on ancient pottery production.

One of the most debated issues in the Archaeology of the Palestinian Iron Age is the relationship between the cultural traditions known as “Midianite” and “Edomite”, which existed in the Negev and Southern Jordan through all the Iron Age. According to most interpretations, there exists a great similarity between the painted pottery of both cultures. Nevertheless, it remains an unsolved fact the long span of time that separated both ceramics. This paper argues that the historical concept of “cultural stratum” provides a framework for the understanding of cultural continuities through long periods. In this respect, it is suggested that both the Midianite and Edomite traditions belonged to a same stratum, which would explain the likenesses of the decorative patterns of their ceramics.

Min er al ogy of the ce ramic slags from the Bronze Age fu ner ary site at Lãpuº (NW Ro ma nia) Volker HOECK, Corina IONESCU, Carola METZNER-NEBELSICK and Louis D. NEBELSICK Hoeck V., Ionescu C., Metzner-Nebelsick C. and Nebelsick L.D. (2012) -Min er al ogy of the ce ramic slags from the Bronze Age fu ner ary site at Lãpuº (NW Ro ma nia). Geol. Quart., 56 (4): 649-664, doi: gq.1047

Middle Kingdom Studies 9
280 pages, including 8 colour plates.
ISBN 9781906137656

This volume serves as a catalogue and handbook for the description for  Pan-Grave ceramics , and that considers the Pan-Grave tradition and its ceramic production within the broader socio-cultural framework of Ancient Egypt and Nubia during the mid-Second Millennium BC.

£60 - $120
Available from http://www.goldenhp.co.uk/mks.htm

This article deals with the chronology of the fortifi cations of the Akhtanizovskaya 4 settlement during the
last period of its existence. The citadel was located on the cape in the north-western part of the Akhtanizovsky
fi rth. According to the surveys and aerial photography, the size of the fortifi ed area was about 108 by 112
meters. Instrumental for the dating of this edifi ce is a section of a moat discovered in 2012–2014. The moat
was fi lled right before the building of the citadel. Based on the fi nds (fragments of amphorae and glazed
ceramics, coins, terracotta fi gurines etc.) from the fi ll of the moat and from the stratum associated with the
destruction of the citadel walls, it is possible to assume that the citadel was built in the middle — third
quarter of the 1st century BC; it was most probably destroyed in the course of the internecine (the so-called
Polemon) war in the Bosporos, i.e. during the last 15 years of the 1st century BC.

Na području antičke luke u Zatonu kraj Nina pronađena je pri hidroarheološkim istraživanjima velika količina keramičkoga materijala, među kojim autor izdvaja i obrađuje dva zoomorfna reci-pijenta. Interdisciplinarnim radom autor nastoji objasniti simboliku ovdje obrađivanih zoomorfnih recipijenata. Komparativnim istraživanjima u vidu analogija upotpunjuje pregled i distribuciju ostalih zoomorfnih recipijenata maloazijske provenijencije pronađenih na prostoru antičke Liburnije. Također će u radu po prvi put biti naznačene poneke poje-dinosti izrazito dokumentacijske i tehničke naravi ovdje obrađi-vanih zoomorfnih recipijenata, poput dodjeljivanja inventarnoga broja, obrade arheološkoga materijala, kolorita i tonaliteta boje, dimenzija, zapremnine i drugih odrednica.

From  the  large  quantity  of  pottery  found  during  the  hydroar-
chaeological research in the ancient port of Zaton near Nin, the
author  singles  out  and  discusses  here  two  zoomorphic  recep-
tacles. Using an interdisciplinary approach, the author endeav-
ors to explain the symbolism of the zoomorphic receptacles dis-
cussed here. In his comparative research, the author uses analo-
gies to complement the overview and distribution of the other
zoomorphic receptacles of the Asia Minor origin found on the
territory of the ancient Liburnia.
Also for the first time, the work provides details of how these
zoomorphic receptacles were documented (e.g. the way of as-
signing their inventory numbers) and some technical details (the
processing of the archaeological material, its colors and shades,
dimensions, capacity and other determinants).

A study of decorated Neolithic pottery samples from the excavation site Pločnik, Serbia, was performed using X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy. The investigated samples belong to the era of the Vinča culture that existed in the central Balkan region from the mid VI until the first half of the V millennium BCE. The mineralogical composition of the pottery samples and comparison of the investigated pottery with thermally treated local clay indicated firing temperatures in the range from 600 to 800 °C. Two different types of white pigments were identified in white incrusted decorations: calcium carbo-nate and bone white (composed of crushed bones). This is the first evidence of the use of bones for decorations in pottery of the Vinča culture from the excavation site Pločnik. In addition to this, it was revealed that the potters used the iron reduction technique for obtaining black decorations.

Bowls, cooking pots, and other seemingly common vessels tell a long story of ethnic boundaries, social hierarchies, and class camaraderie, but they also reveal shared ritual values across different ethnic communities in ancient Edom (and later Idumaea), and their ancient Judaean (and later Jewish) counterparts in the Negev.

The Achaea and Corinth regions of the northern Peloponnese are renowned for their rich archaeological record. Achaea is part of mainland Greece in the NorthWestern Peloponnese, whereas Corinth is in the NorthEastern Peloponnese. Since ancient times, ceramic production has played an important role in the local and regional social and economic evolution in both regions. Our aim is to identify and evaluate sources of clayey raw materials outcropping in the territory of the northern Peloponnese, potentially used for ceramic production during antiquity, by means of their compositional and technological properties. This was accomplished by the systematic sampling of clayey raw materials from a wide area spanning the Northern Peloponnese. In spite of the interregional chemical homogeneity recorded in their geochemical analysis in terms of major, minor, and trace elements, the data obtained led to their intra-regional compositional distinction into calcareous, calcareous-dolomitic, and siliceous clayey sediments. In addition, the presence of the clay minerals (illite, chlorite, smectite, mixed phases), their granulometry, and their bulk mineralogy all proved to considerably influence some of their performance characteristics, such as their plasticity. After a full characterization of the studied material, the clay deposits in all areas did not show significant differentiations, but they did need improvement to be suitable for the production of ceramic artifacts.

Present research exploits the benefits of the non-invasive and non-destructive spectroscopic methods in order to characterize the pigments which constitute the colorants found on ancient ceramic pieces. A red colorant, which occurs on the outer surfaces of the ceramic pieces excavated from archaeological finding sites Čepin-Ovčara and Kneževi Vinogradi-Osnovna škola and in earth piece from Aljmaš-Podunavlje locality was analyzed. Using the UV-Vis FORS and Raman spectroscopy, red colorant is found to be red ochre. Raman spectrum of red ceramic colorant agrees with the spectrum of the colorant from the earth piece, leading to the conclusion that the Neolithic culture living in today Slavonija and Baranja region used the same colorants for decorating their ceramics as other nearby Neolithic cultures of Pannonian Basin. Black colorations are found to be made of soot.

The article presents some preliminary research results of typological and technical- technological specifics of the Early Bronze Age ceramics from Tsaghkasar-1, located in Talin, Aragatsotn marz of Armenia. Main morphological types of ceramics from Trench (Tr.) I and II (excavated in 2005-2007) were sorted out and described. By its morphological specifics, the ceramics is associated with the typological compound of Early Bronze Age (EBA) I Elar-Aragats group (last quarter of IV millennium). The technological classification and specifics are also presented in this article, i.e. the type of clay matrix and inclusions, forming techniques (using fillets or ropes). The selected samples were also studied through microscopic petrographical analysis. The main kinds of inclusions in the clay mass are volcanic glass, plagioclase, orthopyroxene, clinopyroxene, quartz, rarely hornblende and magnetite, which are typical for tuffs and volcanic glasses of this region. The ceramics was fired most probably between 600-700°C both in oxidizing and reducing atmosphere. By means of optical method, the type of clay was defined (hydromicaceous clay), which is typical for Aragats volcanic region. The comparison of the result of the clay sample analysis (petrographic) from the site territory proved this observation.

This Mayan mixture of realistic imagery and gesture signs created a beautiful ceramic figurine. A great deal of information was compressed through the ancient depicted signing system. In order to avoid a lengthy and dry explanation of the figurine's meaning, the  signs were converted into color coded and visual illustrations. This is a revision of a previous paper of the same name that has been deprecated.  7-18-21

It is rather difficult for a modern-day researcher to understand the rationale behind the molding or incorporation of two crustaceans into a rather odd-shaped ceramic vessel. We can gain some insight into the meaning of such compositions through the use of an ancient depicted sign language system.

Thе paper is dеvotеd to thе rеstoratiоn of arсhaеologiсal сеramiсs from thе еxcavations of thе Nеolithiс sеttlemеnt of Mеntеsh-Tеpе in thе wеst of Azеrbaijan. Thе sеttlеmеnt of Меntеs-tеpе is a unique plaсе сovеring thе pеriоds from Nеolithiс to Еarly Bronzе and сontaining a riсh arсhaеologiсal matеrial of diffеrеnt agеs, whiсh is still a subjесt to study.  Rеstoration of thе arсhеologiсal сеramiсs оf Mеntеsh-tеpе madе it possiblе to idеntify сultural rеlationships with thе еastеrn regions and to traсе thе influеnсе of Northеrn Mеsopotamia on thе dеvеlopmеnt of loсal innovatiоns in pottеry produсtion. Thе paper disсussеs thе issuеs of intеrprеtation of сeramiсs, thе gеneral proсеss of rеstoration and providеs сonсlusions basеd on thе rеsults of thе rеstoratiоn сonduсtеd.

Twenty-one glazed red stoneware objects, with gilded or gold-painted decor from different collections (Cité de la Céramique, Sèvres, France; Art Institute of Chicago, USA; a private collection) attributed to 18 th century Böttger, Meissen (Saxony) have been analyzed with a portable X-ray fluorescence spectrometer (XRF) and portable or fixed Raman microspectrometer in laboratory/museum/collector rooms. Analysis was aimed at gaining a deeper understanding of the technology of production of the gilding and black glaze, to augment what is known from the limited literature. Three different techniques to obtain a golden décor emerged as a result of this study: i) a true gilding with gold, ii) gold with mercury, and iii) an alloy of copper and zinc.

A study of decorated Neolithic pottery samples from excavation site Plocnik, Serbia, was performed using X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy. Investigated samples belong to the era of the Vinca culture which existed at the central Balkan region from mid VI until the first half of V millennium BCE. The mineralogical composition of pottery samples and comparison of investigated pottery with thermally treated local clay indicated firing temperature in the range from 600 to 800?C. Two different types of white pigments have been identified in white incrusted decorations: calcium carbonate and Bone White (composed of crushed bones). This is the first evidence of use of bones for decorations in Vinca culture pottery from excavation site Plocnik. In addition to this, it was revealed that the potters used the iron reduction technique for obtaining the black decorations.

The structural features of ancient ceramic fragments dating from various historical ages of ancient cultural groups inhabiting the territory of modern Kazakhstan were studied using optical microscopy, neutron diffraction, neutron tomography, and Raman spectroscopy methods. Fragments of ancient pottery were selected from the collection of ancient remains from archaeological excavations near Zaysan district of East Kazakhstan region, Republic of Kazakhstan. The phase analysis of the studied ceramics fragments was performed. Phases of feldspar, quartz and mica as additional additives for the manufacture of ancient pottery were observed. Minor phases of graphite, anatase, and calcite were detected. Structural features and spatial distribution of components inside the volume of ceramic fragments were studied. In some pottery fragments, organic additives, possibly of vegetable origin, were found. According to the obtained structural data, the specific features of ceramic manufacturing, as well as the processes of temperature annealing of pottery pieces are discussed.