From clay to pottery
Experiments started in April 2024
Chemical analysis of pottery interprets its composition to answer questions such as: Where was the clay sourced? How was it prepared? What temper was used? How was the pottery fired, etc.? However, using chemical signatures to understand what happened before means making assumptions about how the chemistry of the raw material may have changed throughout the production chain.
Now, this part of the ESPRIT project turns the approach on its head: The experimental archaeological production of pottery - from raw material, through all the preparation steps, to the finished product - is used to investigate chemical changes. Samples are taken at each stage and analysed by p-XRF in order to better understand the fingerprints of archaeological pottery by knowing what went into it and what was - or was not - affected during its production.
At each stage of pottery production, samples are taken and analysed by p-XRF.
Samples are taken all along the production chain:
The clay is sorted, sampled and measured when it is still wet...
... and again after it has dried.
Temper is prepared and sampled for p-XRF analysis as well.
Clay and temper are combined to form a clay paste, which is again sampled.
Samples are also taken from the formed vessel.
To ensure a sufficient basis for this experiment, several clays and tempered materials are stringently combined and moulded into small vessels, each identifiable by its individual number.
The final measurement for each combination of clay and temper is the p-XRF analysis of the fired vessel.