Ceramic production during the Middle Horizon: Wari and Tiwanaku clay procurement in the Moquegua Valley,Peru

As the only place simultaneously occupied by the Middle Horizon (A.D. 600–1000) Andean states, the Tiwanaku and the Wari, the Moquegua Valley in southern Peru is of critical importance to understanding relations between the two states. Visual studies of Tiwanaku and Wari ceramics in the valley have elucidated differences in form and decoration. The procurement of raw clays was central to the production of these ceramics, and understanding where people procured their clay may provide insight into the social and economic interactions between these two states. Survey of the Moquegua Valley indicates the extensive availability of raw clays. Results of laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA‐ICP‐MS) analyses of clays indicate that there is heterogeneity in the chemical signature of the valley's clays and that at least five different clay groups can be distinguished. Comparison of these clays with LA‐ICP‐MS analysis of ceramics from a Tiwanaku site and a Wari site demonstrates that although Tiwanaku and Wari colonists in Moquegua used locally available clays during the Middle Horizon, the clay sources exploited by potters from each state were different and derived from areas located within their respective middle and upper valley territories. This information provides a basis for future chemical analysis of ceramics from the Moquegua Valley and improved understanding of past social and economic interactions. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Geoarchaeological investigations of the “potters' quarter” at Sagalassos,southwest Turkey

The potters' quarter of the ancient city of Sagalassos, southwest Turkey, was one of the largest and most enduring ceramic‐producing manufactories in the eastern Mediterranean. The objective of our study was to determine environmental circumstances that favored development of different clay resources in the territory of Sagalassos and to assess utilization of these resources in the local pottery manufactory. The potters' quarter was established where, owing to favorable geological circumstances, a large clay body had developed. The bedrock in the potters' quarter, a tectonized ophiolite sequence, has synclinal structure; hence, surface runoff and groundwater tend to accumulate in its center. The weathering of the basic rock formed a smectite‐rich clay with vertic properties. This clay was mined in antiquity, and mineralogical and chemical analyses indicate that it was used for the production of local ceramics from Hellenistic to Byzantine times. It is likely that colluvium on top of the ophiolitic clay at the potters' quarter is related to deforestation and slope processes after the potters' quarter was abandoned. In sum, environmental circumstances determined the location of the artisanal quarter of Sagalassos, with its clay quarrying operation and ceramic manufactory. However, for the local mass‐produced Sagalassos red slip ware, the results of our chemical and mineralogical analyses indicate that a different, more suitable clay was used: detrital lake sediments, rich in chlorite and chlorite/smectite mixed layers, located about 8 km from the original artisanal quarter. The choice for this clay was determined both by the presence of a suitable clay deposit, as well as socio‐economic circumstances such as land ownership. The site of Sagalassos yielded unique evidence of mining of clay at a ceramic production site, as well as import of nearby clays. The local and imported clays were used side‐by‐side, but one for the production of common wares and building ceramics, and the other for the manufacturing of luxury fine tablewares. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Petrographic and geochemical characterization of Archaic‐Hellenistic tableware production at Solunto,Sicily

A selected assortment of Archaic‐Hellenistic tableware samples from Solunto, a Phoenician‐Punic site located 20 km east of Palermo (Sicily), has been subjected to thin‐section petrography and chemical analysis (XRF). In this settlement several ceramic kilns remained operative over a long time period (7th to 3rd century B.C.). The main goal of this analytical study is to distinguish the ceramics manufactured locally from regional and off‐island imports. Analytical results were matched to similar data concerning local natural clay sources and to coeval tableware productions from other sites in the same area. The ceramic pastes used by the ancient craftsmen of Solunto in the case of this class of pottery could be differentiated clearly by their petrochemical characteristics. We conclude that ceramics were locally produced far beyond satisfying just internal consumption needs, indicating interaction of Solunto with neighboring Greek colonies, indigenous people, and Phoenician‐Punic colonies of Sicily. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

The Latnenskoe refractory clay deposit (Central Russia)

This paper reports the results of our recent studies and generalizes previously known data on the geology, mineralogy, geochemistry, and genesis of the Russia’s largest Latnenskoe refractory clay deposit. It is shown that conditions of its localization were defined by regional and local factors. The regional factors controlled the distribution of the clay raw material in the region, while the local factors were responsible for the genesis and composition of refractory clays of the Latnenskoe deposit. Our studies showed that the formation of refractory clays is not only related to terrigenous but also to authigenic processes of sedimentation. The terrigenous component of clays was formed by the erosion of kaolin weathering crusts of the Voronezh anteclise crystalline basement and Paleozoic sedimentary hydromica–kaolinite rocks. Authigenic processes were significantly contributed by organic matter, which determined the environmental pH and Eh parameters. It is established that the mineral matter of clays of the deposit is represented by three morphological modifications (crystalline, amorphous, and biomorphic), which were formed subsequently and (or) simultaneously and could be transformed into each other. Application of a complex of modern precision methods allowed us to reveal a previously unknown biomorphic modification of kaolinite, the major rock-forming mineral, as well as mixed-layer kaolinite-smectite in the clays. It is shown that the distribution of major and trace elements and the sulfur isotope composition in different technological types of clay depend mainly on the facies conditions of their formation. Technological properties of clay raw material are considered.     

An exploration of potential raw materials for prehistoric pottery production in the Tao River Valley,Gansu Province,China

Northwest China is known for its Majiayao-style Neolithic painted pottery which has received much praise for its high level of craftsmanship, yet its chain of production, in particular the step of raw material selection, is still poorly understood. To fill this lacuna, the present study explores the raw materials used in producing these wares from a geological and technological perspective. At its core stands the first geoarchaeological survey conducted around the eponymous site of Majiayao which collected 47 samples of raw materials suitable for ceramic production including clay, loess and rocks, which were all analysed macroscopically. A selection was analysed using thin-section petrography, and a subset of the clay and loess samples were subjected to firing experiments. Additionally, three clay samples were analysed by scanning electron microscope with energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometer to understand their composition and behaviour in ceramic production. These were then compared to archaeological ceramics, thus providing insights into raw-material availability and selection that will be of importance not only for research on Majiayao-style pottery but also for later-period ceramics produced in the area. This research shows how an archaeologically informed geological survey can contribute insights into human–environment interaction in early pottery production, especially the interplay between raw-material availability, technological know-how and potters' choices.     

A plains ceramic clay source characterization by comparative geochemical and petrographic analyses: Results from the Calhan Paint Mines,Colorado, U.S.A.

The Calhan Paint Mines District, 5EP3258, Colorado, presents exposures of an exceptional clay source. When the area also produced prehistoric Ceramic stage sites, it provided the opportunity for both pottery and potential clay source analysis by optical petrography, X‐ray diffraction, and neutron activation. Although the main purpose of this study is the characterization of the ceramics and outcrop clays, results from a limited number of samples suggest that the colorful clays, the figurative “paints,” of the Calhan Paint Mines were purposely used in prehistoric times as clay source materials for ceramic production. The Calhan Paint Mines are quite possibly the only prehistoric Plains Ceramic stage clay source currently confirmed within the state of Colorado. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Lead isotopic analysis within a multiproxy approach to trace pottery sources. The example of White Slip II sherds from Late Bronze Age sites in Cyprus and Syria

Lead isotope analyses were carried out on fragments of White Slip II ware, a Late Bronze Age Cypriote pottery ware, and on raw materials possibly used for their production. Sherds originate from three Late Bronze Age sites (Hala Sultan Tekke and Sanidha in Cyprus and Minet el-Beida in Syria) and clays come from the surroundings of Sanidha, a production site for White Slip ware. X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and a Principal Component Analysis (PCA) are combined with Pb isotope analyses to further investigate the effectiveness of the latter method within a multiproxy approach for pottery provenance study. The pottery sherds from the three sites are compared between themselves and with potential raw material. Additional X-ray diffraction (XRD) and analyses using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) equipped with an energy dispersive X-ray detection (EDX) facility were performed on selected sherds and clays. This work confirms that the clay source used for pottery production in Sanidha derives from local weathered gabbro. It also shows that different origins can be proposed for White Slip II ware sherds from Hala Sultan Tekke and Minet el-Beida and that clays were prepared prior to White Slip II ware production. It finally confirms the effectiveness of Pb isotopes in tracing pottery provenance not only by comparing sherd assemblages but also by comparing sherds to potential raw materials.     

Raw Materials for Archaeological Pottery from the Campania Region of Italy: A Petrophysical Characterization

We performed petrophysical analyses on 34 clayey samples of different geological origin within the Campania region of Italy in order to determine possible sources of raw materials used to produce ancient pottery. Possible raw material sources can be grouped into high‐CaO clays (HCC) and low‐CaO clays (LCC). HCC are mainly represented by more recent (Miocene‐Pleistocene) basinal sediments whereas LCC tend to be associated with basinal, alluvial, and pyroclastic deposits. A chemical comparison between clayey raw materials, modern ceramic replicas, and Campanian archaeological ceramics of several typologies (common ware, cooking ware, fine tableware, amphorae, and bricks) from 8th century B.C. to the Middle Ages (a total of 350 ceramic samples) indicates that HCC were extensively used for common wares and that these were either mixed with temper or levigated. In contrast, most of the LCC were used for the production of cookware. We also analyzed the technological potential of the sampled raw materials, taking into consideration their actual and possible uses. We observed that most HCC deposits were well suited for tableware and amphorae, whereas LCC were better for cookware and some fine tableware.     

宿迁市晓店陶瓷矿床特点及评价

晓店陶瓷矿床位于郯庐断裂带内，并分为瓷石，陶土和陶瓷土三大类型，其中瓷石矿产于下白垩统青山组火山岩中，陶土矿产于上白垩统王氏组中，瓷土矿产于上新统宿迁组中。测试结果表明，该陶瓷矿是较理想的建筑陶瓷原料，并可望成为江苏新的陶瓷原料基地。     

Mineralogy and physico-chemical properties of Wadi Badaa clays (Cairo-Suez district,Egypt): a prospective resource for the ceramics industry

The Wadi Badaa (WB) Upper Miocene clays, Cairo-Suez district, Egypt, represent materials for the ceramic production. The clay raw materials are composed mainly of smectite and kaolinite with minor quartz, calcite, and rare feldspar. The plasticity indices vary between 24 and 30%, suggesting that these clays are plastic raw materials. IR bands of the investigated clays were observed at 3695, 3619, 1032, 916, 794, 690, 534, 466, and 423 cm^?1 for kaolinite; at 3436, 1635, 916, and 466 cm^?1 for smectite; and at 1179, 1104, 794, 690, and 466 cm^?1 for quartz. The <2 μm particle sizes of samples are relatively abundant in clays (～33%), which is adequate for uses of the ceramic products because of containing fine particle sizes. The studied WB clays contain 7.95 and 12.35% moisture water and interlayer water, respectively, with a maximum drying shrinkage of 7.87% at room temperature; therefore, the WB clays could be used in the ceramic manufacture.     

Geology and the loessial soils,Tell Jemmeh,Israel

Tell Jemmeh (Tell Re'im) is in the climatically sensitive transitional zone between the southern Coastal Plain of Israel and the northwestern Negev. It is a major site that was inhabited from about 3500 to 200 B.C. with an occupation gap between ca. 3100 and 1800 B.C., possibly a result of a particularly dry period. Quaternary loess derived by winter dust storms from the Sinai and Sahara and reworked loess blanket the region. Imposed on these are well-developed Holocene and Quaternary pedocal profiles that have been identified in the field and substantiated in the lab by variations in bulk chemical composition, petrography, and mineralogy by X-ray diffraction. Pluvial events are evidenced by dark-colored A-horizons high in clay minerals, Al₂O₃, and Fe₂O₃ and by periods of loess accumulation. Interpluvials and the Holocene commonly involved wind ablation and water erosion, and led to shallow depths with very high-calcite B-horizons. Some of the loessial soil horizons were found to be suitable ceramic clays, and their composition and petrography provide a basis for distinctions between locally made and imported ceramics, as well as to identifying modifications of local clay resources by potters.     

Mineralogy and micromorphology of chalcolithic and early bronze age Ikiztepe ceramics

The mineralogy and micromorphology of ceramics from the Ikiztepe site (Chalcolithic and Early Bronze) have firing characteristics that indicate low temperature levels and oxidizing conditions. Stress phenomena indicated by cracks most probably indicate a process of shrinkage. Illuviated clay suggests the occurrence of humid periods with vigorous precipitation, pluvials during the Holocene. Provenance of clays used for production of ceramics is determined to be of nearby surface soils.     

Pliocene clays from Aegina (Greece): Reference material for chemical provenance studies on bronze age pottery from the Island

Normally, the use of clays as reference materials in chemical provenance studies of ancient ceramics is complicated due to the original clay paste processing. The primary mixing and/or refining of raw materials during pottery production makes a straightforward comparison of archaeological ceramics with extant geological materials difficult if not impossible in many cases. However, in the case of Pliocene clays from Aegina (Greece), which were examined chemically and mineralogically and compared with Bronze Age pottery produced on the island, a successful exception can be presented. The chemical composition of a large group of Aeginetan pottery resembles the chemical composition of clays from a deposit in close vicinity to the main Bronze Age settlement of the island. Clays from specific outcrops exhibit considerable chemical and mineralogical homogeneity, and the suitability of those clays for pottery production apparently made substantial clay paste processing unnecessary. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Chemical Characterisation of Geological Raw Materials Used in Traditional Ceramics

A wide range of natural raw materials is used in the manufacture of traditional ceramic products such as ceramic tiles, frits, glazes and pigments. The chemical composition of these raw materials needs to be strictly controlled to assure end-product quality and enable the identification of the origin of defects caused by impurities or contamination. Six types of ceramic raw materials (silica sand, clays and kaolin, feldspars and related minerals, calcium and magnesium carbonates, sodium and calcium borates, and zirconium silicates) have been analysed in this study. X-ray fluorescence (XRF), potentiometry, coulometry and atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) were used in this chemical characterisation. A methodology has been established for characterising each studied raw material, by identifying the chemical elements to be determined, selecting the most appropriate technique and validating each measurement. The reference materials used for validation were BCS CRM 267, 313/1, 393 and 388 (BAS), GBW 03103, GBW 07404, NIST SRM 181, 201a and 1835, Euronorm CRM 782-1 and Syenite SY-2. The results showed that most of the elements present in the geological samples used as traditional ceramic raw materials could be determined by XRF. The determination of light elements, such as lithium, fluorine and boron, is more suitably conducted by ICP-AES/AAS, potentiometry or potentiometry/ICP-AES respectively. Organic and inorganic carbon could be determined by coulometry. Inorganic carbon (CO₂) could also be determined by coulometry or by thermogravimetry, if samples did not contain clay minerals. Loss on ignition was always determined by gravimetry.     

Use of mine spoils from Teruel coal mining district (NE,Spain)

Coal mine restoration projects increase public perception of mining companies. Spain has relatively few examples of completed opencast mine rehabilitation projects. This study seeks to obtain the use of mine spoils from coal mines in Teruel. The studied mine spoils may be used as raw material for the Spanish ceramic industry, located in the provinces of Castellon, Valencia and Teruel. This study specifically discusses the mineralogical and geochemical characteristics of the Lower Cretaceous materials from coal deposits in Estercuel basin, around Teruel and Castellon in Spain. These provinces have a large ceramic industry. A characterization of mine spoils from coal deposits has been carried out. This characterization is based on the data of both mineral and chemical analysis. The mineralogical characterization was complemented with SEM/EDAX. The study of the chemical composition allows the evaluation of the applicability of the studied mine spoils to the following industries: refractory, fine clay, red clay for pavement and coating, and heavy clay. The clay used for refractory industry has the highest compositional demand. The positive results obtained on this set of preliminary tests lead us to envisage new research programs, focusing on testing these mine spoils on a semi-industrial scale.     

Strontium isotopic evidence for prehistoric transport of gray‐ware ceramic materials in the eastern Grand Canyon region,USA

Through a novel application of strontium (Sr) isotopic analysis, we evaluate geological sources for prehistoric ceramics in the eastern Grand Canyon region of northern Arizona, focusing on two gray‐ware traditions in the Upper Basin of the Coconino Plateau. Building on a conceptual framework for the general potential of Sr isotopes in the analysis of geological materials, we suggest that the eastern Grand Canyon is specifically well suited archaeologically and geologically for: (1) exploring the utility of Sr isotopes for ceramic provenance research and (2) testing long‐standing hypotheses that gray‐ware ceramics were invariably made with local materials. Sr isotopic compositions indicate that the ceramic samples represent at least three different geological sources, and that different raw materials were used in the manufacture of the two gray‐ware traditions found in the Upper Basin. One of the gray‐ware traditions is not compositionally consistent with local geology, indicating that either the ceramics or the raw materials were transported at least 20 km to the Upper Basin. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

The source of raw materials for Roman pottery from Leptiminus,Tunisia

Leptiminus, a Roman port city on the west coast of Tunisia, North Africa, exported olive oil and a garum fish paste to Rome. Excavations have uncovered many facilities including kilns and a potter's workshop, indicating an extensive ceramic industry. The vessels, manufactured at Leptiminus, included African red‐slip fineware, coarseware, and amphorae. A petrographic study of pottery sherds showed them to contain very similar temper, rounded aeolian sand grains and limestone, but varying in proportions to produce different textures. An investigation of the source of raw materials for the pottery found three distinct types of clay within a 50 km radius of Leptiminus: grey Miocene, brown Pliocene, and green Late Pliocene clay. Statistical analysis of trace element compositions, using induced neutron activation, of clays and sherds showed that the Pliocene brown clay was used to create all types of pottery. The specific clay horizon, used in Roman times, has apparently been removed by quarrying. However, a lateral continuation of this bed was found 7 m beneath the Leptiminus site 290. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Geological and environmental management of ceramic clay quarries: a review

This paper shows a contribution to the knowledge of the geological management of ceramic raw material. We have mainly focussed on the clays with a ceramic interest. The article begins with an introduction to the mineralogical determining factor of the ceramic sector. Then, it shows a development of the main steps that take place in the geological prospecting and it concludes with the criteria that must be followed when selecting the outcrops: geographical and environmental conditions, (1) legislation, (2) market and technology, (3) mineralogical and technological characterisation and (4) geological and mining characterisation.     

Contribution of the atmospheric emissions of Spanish ceramics industries

Contaminating industrial emissions produced by the ceramics industries (including frit and enamel production) can be divided into dust emissions and emissions produced in high temperature activities. Processes of accumulation and precipitation on the substratum, of compounds enriched in certain elements used in this type of industry can occur. The objective of the present work was to identify the contribution of the emissions of the ceramics industries to the atmospheric particulate that is susceptible to depositing on vegetation and accumulating in the substratum. Samples obtained from high volume collectors were studied. Two zones were considered: zone A, a high volume collector located in the municipalities adjacent to the companies that were the object of the study; and zone B, a high volume collector further away from the said companies and adjacent to a power station and a refinery. The analysis techniques were X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and ICP-MS. The results obtained by means of the X-ray diffraction technique showed a high percentage of clays in the samples, minerals used as raw materials (K-Ba feldspar, zircon silicate), indications of high temperature phases, as well as a background noise characteristic of material of low crystallinity. The SEM analysis confirmed the presence of vitreous particles, which are crystalline phases at high temperature typical of the production of a large variety of frits. The results obtained in the chemical analysis demonstrate that (a) the influence of the frits and enamel production on the high concentrations of Zr, Cu and Ce obtained in zone type A compared with zone B; (b) the affect of clays used as raw materials in the ceramics industry can be demonstrated by the high concentrations of Fe, Al and Mg. The weekly evolution showed two series of elements, a characteristic group of dust emissions and another group of tracers from high temperature processes.     

西班牙南部Subbetic中带Río Fardes剖面Turonian-Coniacian大洋红层

Río Fardes剖面位于西班牙南部Granada东北,构造上属于深水环境的Subbetic中带。该剖面主要由白垩纪Fardes组第Ⅱ段和第Ⅲ段(半)远洋沉积构成,并出现浊流沉积和混杂沉积。本次研究在Fardes组浊流层序内首次发现两段红色沉积。钙质超微化石表明红层的时间从Turonian早期(UC7 带)到Coniacian中期—晚期界线(UC10/?UC11带)。红层由mm级红色泥岩夹灰色、杂色、偶尔黑色泥岩和钙质泥岩组成。沉积学研究表明新发现的Turonian Coniacian远洋红色泥岩沉积形成于CCD面之下深水盆地环境,浊流和碎屑流沉积强烈地影响着(半)远洋环境的背景泥岩相,并成为红色沉积结束的原因。