陶器资源——江西红土岩开发

依据江西红土岩物质组成特征及与宜兴紫砂土的相似性，对江西红土岩进行了较系统的陶器实验与研究。江西红土岩系的化学成分、矿物成分及工艺特征适合陶器要求。按其分布规律和物质组成特征可分成两类：酸性红土岩和碱性红土岩。在详细分析两类岩系工艺性质的基础上，对江西红土岩这一陶器资源进行了产品开发。     

Two Brazilian archaeological sites investigated by GPR: Serrano and Morro Grande

The application of the ground penetrating radar (GPR) at two archaeological sites, Serrano and Morro Grande, situated in Araruama County, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, aids the study of a prehistoric indigenous culture, associated with the “Tupinambá” that inhabited the region during prehistoric times.The archaeological remains of the study area are mainly characterized by pottery artifacts for several uses, including funerary urns, which were buried within layers of sand and clay. Several profiles were acquired using a RAMAC system, with a 200 and 400 MHz frequency antennae. At the Serrano site, the profiles were acquired around some partially exposed pottery shards, due to sand exploitation. The resultant profiles provided a response model to guide the interpretation of new profiles acquired at other sites in the area, which present similar characteristics.The results showed the great importance of the dielectric permittivity contrast which exists between the targets and the host media, in order for possibly significant features to be identified in radar data.     

Quartz OSL and TL dating of pottery,burnt clay,and sediment from Beicun archaeological site,China

This study focuses on characterizing the thermoluminescence (TL) and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) of quartz in burnt clay, pottery, and the sediments unearthed from a Neolithic site, the Beicun site of the Liangzhu culture. It shows that the initial OSL signals (within 0.8 s) of most burnt clay and pottery sherds are not dominated by the fast component. Results of a heating simulation experiment of sediment quartz show that annealing at temperatures exceeding 600–800 °C decreased the proportion of the fast component in the initial signal slightly. In addition, the proportion of the medium component in the later signal (0.8–5 s) increased significantly, resulting in a decrease in the Fast Ratio value. Therefore, high annealing temperature may be an important reason for the slow decay rate of OSL signals of the burnt clay and pottery samples. The D_e(t) plot shows that most of the samples have thermally stable OSL component signals, which have no significant effect on the final OSL ages. The single-aliquot regenerative-dose (SAR) protocol was used to determine the OSL and TL ages for chunk burnt clay and pottery sherds. The high-precision age of the last archaeological heating event, such as sacrifice, burning, or domestic firing, can be obtained by determining the TL and OSL ages of a homogeneous chunk of burnt clay. The OSL results are consistent with the ¹⁴C age of carbon chips extracted from burnt clay. The age of the Beicun site is finally determined to be approximately 5000–5300 BP (BP represents before 2020), belonging to the early period of the Liangzhu culture.     

Archaeometric characterisation and origin of black coatings on prehistoric pottery

Black or dark grey vessel surfaces with characteristic metallic lustre are recognised from various archaeological contexts throughout Europe. This feature is commonly attributed to the application of graphite-bearing coatings onto ceramic vessels. However, recent experimental studies have shown that a very similar visual effect can alternatively be achieved by polishing and, subsequently, firing in a reducing atmosphere (so-called smudging). In this study, experimentally manufactured ceramics as well as samples of prehistoric ware (dated to the Neolithic Age, late Bronze Age and early Iron Age) have been analysed to find the distinguishing features between graphite-based and non-mineral black coatings. In the low-magnification BSE images the well-preserved graphite-coated surfaces are characterized by a distinctive spotty pattern with numerous dark grey angular fragments of monomineralic or nearly monomineralic metamorphic rocks scattered in the clay groundmass. Provided that polished thin sections are skilfully prepared, individual graphite plates can be easily recognized in the near-surface layer of the sherds using polarized reflected light microscopy. A relatively homogeneous appearance is typical of the low-magnification BSE images of surfaces coated by smudging. At higher magnifications, presence of blurred darkish stains (presumably organic-derived, as indicated by elevated levels of biogenic elements) is characteristic of this kind of non-mineral black coatings. SEM-EDS and optical microscopy have been supplemented by micro-Raman spectroscopy, which allows differentiation between various carbonaceous phases.     

The earliest prehistoric pottery in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau and its archaeological implications

Remains of prehistoric human activity in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP) were often found exposed in the surface due to strong erosion. Thus, archaeological sites containing continuous and integral cultural remains within stratigraphic layers are rare in the plateau. The Jiangxigou site, located in the south of Qinghai Lake basin and in the northeastern margin of the plateau, are such a site with ages ranging from the early to late Holocene, i.e. from the Paleolithic to the Neolithic. Our excavation disclosed remains including more than 700 pieces of microliths, 14 pottery pieces, and other cultural relics. The oldest pottery fragments were found at the depth of 75 cm in the section, and in particular, a painted pottery piece was found at the depth of 61 cm. In this study, both luminescence (TL and OSL) and radiocarbon dating were employed to establish the chronology for these remains. Two pieces of pottery were dated using thermoluminescence (TL), another two pieces of pottery were dated by OSL, and three charcoal samples by AMS ¹⁴C. TL age of pottery piece P14 from the depth of 75 cm is 7.06 ± 0.51 ka, making it the earliest pottery in the Tibetan Plateau. The AMS ¹⁴C age of charcoals from the same depth of 75 cm is 6805 ± 95 Cal a BP, in agreement with TL age of P14. OSL age of pottery P12 from the depth of 60–70 cm is 6.50 ± 0.47 ka, and OSL age of pottery P9 from 54 cm is 4.97 ± 0.25 ka. Thus, the age of the painted pottery piece at the depth of 61 cm should be ∼5.50 ka by interpolation, making it the earliest painted pottery in the QTP. The pottery P14 has many common features similar to that of the Yangshao culture in China. We suggest that, before 7 ka, hunters using microlithic had been living in the northeastern margin of the QTP. Since 7 ka, these native microlithic hunters had been affected by the Neolithic Yangshao culture from the Loess Plateau, which was characterized by well-developed pottery. Agricultural growers migrated from the lower elevation of the Loess Plateau to the east of the QTP, leading to profound cultural exchanges with highland native microlithic hunters.     

试论制劈离砖陶瓷原料的选择

劈离砖是当前建材市场重要商品，生产工艺独特，对陶土和瓷土原料要求严格。烧制过程经历低温阶段、氧化分解阶段、高温烧成阶段，不同颜色是由不同发色金属元素所致，因而必须对劈离砖陶瓷原料进行认真选择和分析测试，并在生产中注意降低成本，增强经济效益