Archaeometrical study of Khmer stoneware from the Angkorian period: Results from the Cerangkor Project

In the area around Angkor, Cambodia, several ceramics kilns dating from the ninth to 15th centuries ce have been discovered since 1995. The technical, typological and compositional characterization of their production has been one of the main goals of the Cerangkor Project. Samples of green‐glazed ‘Kulen‐type' stoneware and non‐glazed stoneware produced in five kiln sites in the Angkor region were analysed chemically by wavelength‐dispersive X‐ray fluorescence spectrometry (WDS‐XRF) and also petrographically. The data indicate that some workshops used similar raw materials for the same types of ceramics, suggesting the exploitation of the same geological formations in the whole region. Several references groups were established for each type of stoneware offering an important database for future provenance studies of sherds from consumption sites.     

Urbanism and Residential Patterning in Angkor

The Khmer Empire (9th–15th centuries a.d.), centered on the Greater Angkor region, was the most extensive political entity in the history of mainland Southeast Asia. Stone temples constructed by Angkorian kings and elites were widely assumed to have been loci of ritual as well as habitation, though the latter has been poorly documented archaeologically. In this paper, we present the results of two field seasons of excavation at the temple site of Ta Prohm. Using LiDAR data to focus our excavations, we offer evidence for residential occupation within the temple enclosure from before the 11th century a.d. until the 14th century. A comparison with previous work exploring habitation areas within the Angkor Wat temple enclosure highlights similarities and differences between the two temples. We argue that temple habitation was a key component of the Angkorian urban system and that investigating this unique form of urbanism expands current comparative research on the diversity of ancient cities.     

A 17th-century Kiln Site at Woolwich

Abstract

This report describes the results of the excavation of two adjacent kilns at Woolwich, one producing earthenware and one producing stoneware. Both date from the third quarter of the 17th century, though evidence suggests that the stoneware kiln is the earlier of the two. The report also includes a discussion of an earlier feature, a clay-lined pit, as well as several features associated with the three main features. The earthenware kiln had twin stoke holes and produced domestic pottery. The stoneware kiln had a single stoke hole and produced Bellarmine jugs with other stoneware vessels, and is the only stoneware kiln of this period yet discovered in Britain.¹     

A Comparative Study of the Early High‐Fired Ceramic Shards from Dongtiaoxi,Zhejiang (China)

There is a generally accepted view that there is an obvious distinction between proto‐porcelain and stamped stoneware. However, some early shards unearthed from the Dongtiaoxi region (northern Zhejiang) inspire people to rediscuss the relationship between them, because it is difficult to identify them as proto‐porcelain or stamped stoneware. In this work, we have collected samples from three of the earliest kiln sites (Piaoshan, Beijiashan and Nanshan) in the Dongtiaoxi region. We have analysed the chemical composition, firing temperature and phase composition of the samples. Comparing samples from the three kiln sites, we find that, from Piaoshan and Beijiashan to Nanshan, there has been progression in the manufacturing technology. The Shang proto‐porcelain and the stamped stoneware from Nanshan have similar raw materials, firing temperatures and body phase compositions—and they have obviously different decorative appearances, such as glazing or stamping. For ceramics from Piaoshan and Beijiashan, there is no clear distinction between glazed and unglazed samples. We believe that in the Dongtiaoxi region, the difference in the decoration between proto‐porcelain and stoneware became obvious up to the time of the Nanshan production but that, subsequently, two different paths for the development of high‐fired ceramics began to diverge.     

Unearthing an Atlantean myth in Angkor: geoarchaeological investigation of the ‘underwater road’ crossing the Tonle Sap Lake,Cambodia

Of the many myths surrounding the medieval city of Angkor, Cambodia, one of the most obscure but pervasive is the existence of a road built across the Tonle Sap Lake. This road supposedly ran from the Angkorian ‘port’ at Phnom Krom to the temples situated in the Battambang district some 70 km southwest of capital. New geoarchaeological information demonstrates that the ‘road’ is actually a series of localised occurrences of authegenic calcite, which probably formed approximately 5500 years Before Present. Our results demystify this intractable Cambodian legend expand on the dynamic history of this important water body in mainland Southeast Asia.     

当阳峪窑剔划花瓷器

剔划花瓷器是当阳峪窑富有特色的品种,也是“磁州窑型”瓷器最精美的品种之一。当阳峪窑剔划花瓷器生产跨越宋、金两个时期,类型多样,工艺精美,尤以黑地剔划白花、三彩剔划花等制品最具特色;在同时期北方窑场中,当阳峪窑以及磁州窑可能是剔划花瓷器生产更为集中、装饰技法与装饰风格发展得更为全面和充分的窑场。本文在窑址调查的基础上,参照现台磁州窑发掘资料并结合传世器,对当阳峪窑剔划花瓷器的类型、工艺、时代以及与磁州窑同类制品的关系等,作了初步探讨。     

Protecting World Heritage: Regulating Ownership and Land Use at Angkor Archaeological Park,Cambodia

This paper contemplates whether, and in what ways, proprietary interests in land and land usage are affected by a World Heritage listing, using Angkor Archaeological Park, Cambodia, as the case study. The effect is measured through the identification and synthesis of the national legislative and local regulatory response to the implementation of the World Heritage listing. Such an analysis illustrates that the listing imposes significant restraints on land use and ownership which impact directly on the local resident communities of Angkor. A breakdown of the regulatory response also highlights the limitations inherent in the existing regulatory framework. There is a consideration of the concept of ‘ownership’ in a World Heritage site of ‘outstanding universal value’. In raising these issues, this paper highlights the challenges facing heritage managers in attempting to marry local needs with the demands of international heritage protection in the setting of a post‐conflict Southeast Asian nation.     

STUDY ON THE PROVENANCE OF XICUN QINGBAI WARES FROM THE NORTHERN SONG DYNASTY OF CHINA

The Xicun kiln in Guangdong Province was a famous porcelain kiln in the Song Dynasty of China, and for years there has been controversy over the provenance of Xixun Qingbai wares. This paper analyses Qingbai samples from the Xicun, Hutian (Jingdezhen) and Chaozhou (Guangdong Province) kilns by laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA–ICP–MS) and energy‐dispersive X‐ray fluorescence probe (EDXRF). The analytical results indicate that wares with a thin body excavated from the Xicun kiln site were produced in the Hutian kiln, and wares with a thick body were locally fired in Xicun; the contents of trace elements (V, Rb, Ba, Ta, Pb and Th) and the Nb/Ta ratio can be used to discriminate the products from the Xicun and Chaozhou kilns.     

The Construction Process of the Angkor Monuments Elucidated by the Magnetic Susceptibility of Sandstone*

The Angkor monuments in Cambodia are mainly constructed of grey to yellowish‐brown sandstones. No differences in the constituent minerals and in the chemical composition of the sandstones have been confirmed among the monuments. However, we have found their magnetic susceptibility a useful parameter by which to distinguish them. The principal monuments of Angkor Wat, Ta Prohm, Preah Khan, Banteay Kdei and Bayon, constructed from the Angkor Wat period to the Bayon period (from the beginning of the 12th century to the beginning of the 13th century ad ), were investigated in detail using a portable magnetic susceptibility meter. We succeeded in dividing the periods of construction into stages. This elucidated the enlargement process of the monuments and correlated their construction stages.     

AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE RAW MATERIALS USED IN THE PRODUCTION OF CHINESE PORCELAIN AND STONEWARE BODIES AND THE RESULTING MICROSTRUCTURES*

The microstructures of porcelain and stoneware bodies from north and south China, spanning the period from the Tang to the Ming dynasty (7th–17th centuries ad ), were examined in polished sections in a scanning electron microscope (SEM) after etching the sections with hydrofluoric acid (HF). Mullite, present as fine, mainly elongated crystals, is the dominant crystalline phase observed. The bulk chemical compositions of the bodies are determined by energy‐dispersive spectrometry in the SEM, and the relative amounts of mullite and quartz present in the different ceramics are estimated from X‐ray diffraction measurements. Mullite formed from areas of kaolinitic clay, mica particles and feldspar particles is distinguished through a combination of the arrangement of the mullite crystals, and the associated SiO₂/Al₂O₃ wt% concentration ratios. It is shown that very different microstructures are observed in ceramic bodies produced using kaolinitic clay from north China (Ding porcelain and Jun stoneware), porcelain stone from south China (qingbai and underglaze blue porcelain and Longquan stoneware), and stoneware clays from south China (Yue and Guan stonewares). Therefore, SEM examination of HF‐etched, polished sections of the bodies of high‐refractory ceramics has considerable potential for investigating the raw materials used in their production.     

Post‐conflict Heritage and Tourism in Cambodia: The Burden of Angkor

The World Heritage Site of Angkor is enduring one of the most crucial, turbulent periods in its 1200‐year history. Since the early 1990s over 20 countries have contributed millions of dollars to help safeguard and restore its temples. As one of Southeast Asia’s premier destinations, Angkor has also seen a 10,000% growth in international tourist arrivals in just over a decade. The challenges arising from the intense convergence of these two paradoxical and unstable agendas—heritage conservation and tourism development—are greatly compounded by Cambodia’s need to recover from war and turmoil. This paper explores the critical trends that have surfaced at Angkor and why the challenges posed by surging tourism have been inadequately addressed. It argues Angkor’s dominant role within Cambodia’s post‐conflict heritage and tourism industries requires closer, more critical attention given recent events in the country. This article is the summary of Winter's book Post‐conflict Heritage, Post‐colonial Tourism (Routledge 2007).     

老河口市柴店岗砖厂汉代窑址清理简报

1999年,老河口市博物馆配合柴店岗砖厂取土,抢救清理了1座西汉中晚期陶窑。窑为半地穴式建筑,3个烟囱,主要由窑前室、火门、火膛、窑床等构成。窑室东部低洼地堆积有丰富的窑内废弃物,主要有日用陶器、丧葬用陶、生产工具、建筑仞陶等。此窑应为专门烧制日用陶器、丧葬用陶及建筑用陶的民营私窑。     

湖北咸宁咸安辜家岭瓦窑发掘简报

辜家岭窑址群位于咸安区甘棠镇竹脑村四组,1999年考古工作对该窑址群中的一座“蚌壳形”窑进行了发掘,较完整揭示出窑址的结构特征,在窑内底部出土成品灰陶小板瓦,这为我们研究明代窑及建筑材料的烧制提供了有益资料。     

湖南常德南坪"汉寿左尉"墓清理简报

1998年底,常德博物馆为配合城区柳叶大道的修建,在南坪穿紫河清理了各历史时期占墓葬80余座,其中“汉寿左尉”墓是这批墓葬中规格最高,保存最为完整的一座东汉中晚期砖室墓,所出随葬器物包括陶、铜、滑石、石等质料的实用器或明器共20件(铜钱除外)。     

Estimation of the construction period of Prasat Suor Prat in the Angkor monuments,Cambodia, based on the characteristics of its stone materials and the radioactive carbon age of charcoal fragments

Prasat Suor Prat in the Angkor monuments, Cambodia, is situated at the east end of the Royal Plaza and consists of 12 towers numbered N1–N6 and S1–S6 that are mainly made of laterite. Sandstone is also used for pediments, door and window frames, and balusters, etc. Until now, it was thought that Prasat Suor Prat was constructed in the Bayon period. However, the characteristics of the stone materials used for the Angkor monuments suggest that Prasat Suor Prat was constructed in the Angkor Wat period. This is supported by the radioactive carbon age obtained for charcoal fragments collected from the soil between the laterite blocks in the N1 tower and also from the stucco on the inner wall of the N2 tower.     

河南宜阳县甘棠寨村汉代窑址清理简报

2000年10月,郑州大学历史学院会同宜阳县文物保护管理所对位于宜阳县寻村镇甘棠寨村的一座汉代窑址进行了发掘,出土了建筑材料及生活用陶,该窑的烧造时代当属西汉中后期。     

Transmittance Analysis for the Translucent White Porcelain of the Xing Kiln,China

The Xing kiln, which is located in Xingtai, Hebei Province, is famous for white porcelain production, especially translucent white porcelain. However, the translucency, as the most important characteristic of translucent white porcelain, is rarely mentioned. In this study, eight samples including translucent white porcelain and non‐translucent white porcelain excavated from the Xing kiln are quantitatively analysed by a transmittance tester. The study points out the defects of the previous concept of translucent white porcelain based on light transmittance and proposes a new definition based on translucency. Translucent white porcelain is not deliberately thinned fine white porcelain, but a special kind of fine white porcelain with a body of excellent translucency. Further analysis reveals that all transmittance values of translucent white porcelain are more than 0.01% with a body thickness less than 6 cm, which is higher than that of non‐translucent white porcelain by about one or two orders of magnitude. The absorption coefficient for translucent white porcelain is close to ?0.82, while that for non‐translucent white porcelain is much closer to ?1.87. This research will serve to further studies on subjects such as the classification, colouring mechanism and firing technology of the translucent white porcelain of the Xing kiln. Moreover, it is expected to set a new stage for discussing the translucency of ancient porcelain.     

Compositional and Microstructural Study of KoryŎ Celadon and Whiteware Excavated from SŎRi Kiln in Kyŏnggi Province

An extensive study of the composition and microstructure of celadon and whiteware sherds excavated at Sori, one of the most important sites that were active during the founding stage of the stoneware and porcelain industry in Korea, was carried out. The analysed sherds were organized according to four different levels of the excavation and four different styles of haemurigup foot rim. Principal component analysis of the chemical compositions of the sherds revealed slight differences in their body and glaze compositions between the levels of excavation. Porcelain stone with high silica and low aluminium contents was generally used as the body material and wood ash as the chief flux in the glaze. Over the period of operation, the aluminium content in the bodies of the ceramics decreased and the P₂O₅ content in the glazes increased. Glazed bodies were fired in a single step, in contrast to the two‐step method used in later ceramic production. Firing conditions were adjusted to produce vitrification of the glazes, which meant that vitrification of the ceramic bodies occurred to varying extents, mostly determined by the relative contents of flux in the body and the glaze.     

Raw or Pre-Fired: Kiln Construction at Sawankhalok,North Central Thailand,as a Guide to Ceramic History

Sawankhalok, located in north central Thailand, was an early stoneware ceramic production site where the first kilns were dug cave-like into the natural ground, a method used in China for thousands of years. After a century or so, kilns at Sawankhalok began to be constructed of brick. It is suggested that if the bricks were pre-fired then an external influence may have been responsible. To the contrary, if raw unfired clay was used in the construction of the kilns the evolution was more likely a consequence of conceptual continuity.With the aid of chemical and mineralogical analyses it is shown that the kiln bricks were unfired at the time of kiln construction thereby suggesting that traditional conservatism, apparent in many aspects of the industry, caused processes to remain unaltered in the absence of a persuasive reason for change. These conclusions reflect on the degree of indigenous technology and artistic development associated with Sawankhalok ceramics as opposed to external influence.