Pottery technology in the Tang dynasty (ninth century ad): archaeometric analyses of a Gongyi sherd found at Siraf,Iran

In 1969–70, a single Tang dynasty blue‐spotted Gongyi sherd was found at Siraf, Iran, the main trading port on the Persian Gulf in the early Islamic period. This is the only known example of Chinese blue‐and‐white ware, whether low‐ or high‐fired, found in the Middle East from such an early date. The sherd provides direct archaeological evidence for the Indian Ocean trade between China and the Middle East in the ninth century ad . The body paste, clear glaze and blue glaze or pigment were analysed by thin‐section petrography, scanning electron microscopy with energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectrometry (SEM‐EDX) and X‐ray fluorescence (XRF). The technological analysis reveals the different steps of the chaîne opératoire: clay mixing, slip and glaze application, and decoration with the cobalt blue glaze before high‐temperature firing. These steps are characteristic of Tang stoneware production at Gongyi in Henan province, China. The use of cobalt blue pigment as part of a simple spotted decoration scheme on the Gongyi sherd, and its find context within the Middle East, provides evidence for the complex interplay and influence occurring between Chinese and Middle East ceramic industries at this time. Closely comparable examples of contemporary low‐fired earthenware ceramics with cobalt blue decoration on a white tin glaze manufactured within the Middle East also occur within the same assemblage from Siraf.     

Composition of white paste inlay on the pottery from sites of the 10th–8th centuries bce in the northern Pontic region

For the first time, the mineralogical–geochemical compositions of the white paste inlay found on vessels from sites (10th–8th centuries bce ) in the northern Pontic region are investigated. Samples of the white paste on vessels from settlements, burials of sedentary groups and graves of early nomads were analysed by means of scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry (SEM-EDX) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) methods. Between the 10th and eighth centuries bce , various innovations occurred in the working area. Iron processing technology and the manufacture of iron products also appeared. Other innovations were changes in the manufacturing technology of ceramics. A high-quality, polished/burnished surface and ornaments with white paste inlay are characteristic of this pottery. When collating white paste mixtures of different European sites, similarities in the preparation of white paste recipes for vessels from the Balkan and northern Pontic regions are evident. During the Early Iron Age, further changes in the manufacture of the white paste were discovered in the northern Pontic region, namely the application of high-temperature firing to obtain more resistant synthesized material such as calcium alumosilicates and silicates (wollastonite). The development of iron metallurgy in this period could provide a basis for the elaboration of new techniques in ceramic manufacture.     

Ceramic Technology and Social Boundaries: Cultural Practices in Kalinga Clay Selection and Use

This study examines cultural sources of variation in ceramic compositional patterning in two pottery-making villages of the highland Philippines. In Dalupa, many potters are part-time specialists whereas in Dangtalan, women make pottery less frequently. Previous studies show that both pottery form and decoration correspond well with Kalinga social boundaries, but how do morphological and decorative patterning relate to compositional variability? Although researchers have made substantial advances in our understanding of natural and postdepositional sources of compositional variability, little is known about behavioral factors that affect chemical and mineralogical compositional patterning. This study examines cultural practices of clay selection and use in an ethnographic setting, and undertakes technical analyses to assess the relationship between behavior and material culture patterning. Our study identified paste differences between the clays and fired ceramics from Dangtalan and those from Dalupa. Findings from our compositional research thus parallel earlier morphological and stylistic studies, and illustrate multivariate differences in ceramics from these two Kalinga communities. This ethnoarchaeological and analytical project contributes, therefore, to understanding objective parameters within a behavioral context. It also provides an example of how a combined characterization approach, using chemical and petrographic techniques, can yield insights on intraregional variation at a finer scale of resolution than is often attempted.     

利用FT-IR、Py-GC/MS和THM-Py-GC/MS微损分析技术探索油画文物复杂的有机基质组成

近现代油画有机基质组分复杂、难辨,其分析鉴定是当今文物保护科技研究的难点之一。利用微损分析技术研究油画文物复杂的基质结构、材料和技法,可以阐明油画特定层的性质和状况,对于专业保护人员制定修复决策至关重要——这对选择正确修复技术非常有用,关系到修复后油画的安全状态,因此已成为许多研究者关注的焦点。本研究利用傅里叶变换红外光谱(FT-IR)、热裂解气相色谱-质谱(Py-GC/MS)和热辅助水解甲基化-裂解气相色谱-质谱(THM-Py-GC/MS)等微损分析技术对一幅中国国家博物馆藏油画《德涅泊尔河的秋天》进行科技分析。研究发现,综合运用这些微损分析技术可以有效识别油画用的胶结介质和其中添加剂的种类,最大限度、准确、完整地提取样品中所蕴含的信息。结果表明,该油画的有机胶结材料为聚乙烯醋酸酯类材料和亚麻籽油,同时聚乙烯醋酸酯类材料中使用了邻苯二甲酸二丁酯作为增塑剂。裂解产物中不含光油树脂类成分,说明画作下部的光亮层并非作者有意上的光油层。此外,油画部分区域还添加了蜂蜡作为改性材料,起到增加颜料稠度、可塑性和减弱光泽的作用。     

独乐寺观音阁辽代十一面观音像的材质分析

独乐寺观音阁内十一面观音像保存至今,泥胎存在裂隙、空鼓、脱落等病害。利用超景深三维显微镜、X射线衍射分析(XRD)、激光粒度分布仪等对观音像泥胎进行了材质分析。通过控制砂、纤维含量,分析泥塑试样的收缩性,并探索纤维含量对泥胎收缩性的影响规律。结果表明:观音像泥胎的制作原料取自当地,其中土颗粒粒径多在5~70 μm之间,约占总量的79.5%;主要矿物成分为石英和伊利石,还有部分钠长石和钾长石,以及少量的高岭石。粗泥层含砂量约为35%,麦草(麦秆及麦壳混合物)含量约6%~9%,长度大多在2 cm以下;细泥层含砂量约为30%,麻丝含量约2.1%,长度大多集中在2 cm。麦草和麻丝的加入对泥胎的收缩均能起到抑制作用。随着麦草含量的增加,抑制作用呈现先增大后减小的趋势,掺和6%的麦草抑制作用最好;添加麻丝可使试样的最终线缩率显著减小,但麻丝的多少对线缩率的减小幅度影响不大。观音像泥胎的原纤维配比就有很好的抑制收缩效果。本次研究获得了十一面观音像泥胎的材料组成信息,得出了纤维占比对泥胎收缩性的影响,为十一面观音像的修复与保护提供了参考。     

Editorial: Anatomy of a publication. the Journal of Archaeological Science, the first nine years

The structure of this journal during the first 9 years of its publication is examined. Sub-disciplinary composition indicates a predominance of zoological, botanical and materials papers. Scientific approach is difficult to evaluate but is predominantly inductive. Contributions from the U.K. exceed those from other countries, though articles from elsewhere, especially the U.S.A., have increased through time. The location of research sites shows a similar distribution. Multiple authorship is shown to be high in comparison with some sciences. Articles have become longer and fewer during the life of the journal. Discussion is directed towards the requirements of the journal readership.     

Local indicators for categorical data: impacts of scaling decisions

When the geographic distribution of landscape pattern varies, global indices fail to capture the spatial nonstationarity within the dataset. Methods that measure landscape pattern at a spatially local scale are advantageous, as an index is computed at each point in the dataset. The geographic distribution of local indices is used to discover spatial trends. Local indicators for categorical data (LICD) can be used to statistically quantify local spatial patterns in binary geographic datasets. LICD, like other spatially local methods, are impacted by decisions relating to the spatial scale of the data, such as the data grain (p), and analysis parameters such as the size of the local neighbourhood (m). The goal of this article is to demonstrate how the choice of the m and p parameters impacts LICD analysis. We also briefly discuss the impacts spatial extent can have on analysis; specifically the local composition measure. An example using 2006 forest cover data for a region in British Columbia, Canada where mountain pine beetle mitigation and salvage harvesting has occurred is used to show the impacts of changing m and p. Selection of local window size (m = 3,5,7) impacts the prevalence and interpretation of significant results. Increasing data grain (p) had varying effects on significant LICD results. When implementing LICD the choice of m and p impacts results. Exploring multiple combinations of m and p will provide insight into selection of ideal parameters for analysis.     

繁昌窑青白瓷化学组成分析及其衰落原因考察

1.引言繁昌窑遗址位于安徽省芜湖市繁昌县境内,其窑址散布在县城南郊和西郊的柯家冲、骆冲等多个地点,是我国长江下游地区一处专烧青白瓷     

北京故宫和辽宁黄瓦窑清代建筑琉璃构件 的比较研究

为了更好地揭示清代不同地区建筑琉璃构件的原料、烧制工艺及其性能关系,本工作以北京故宫和辽宁黄瓦窑清代建筑琉璃构件为研究对象,利用WDXRF、EDXRF测定琉璃构件胎、釉的化学组成,利用热膨胀仪和理论计算方法测试计算胎、釉的热膨胀系数。在此基础上,研究了两地清代建筑琉璃构件胎釉的化学组成规律和胎釉热膨胀系数的匹配性关系。结果表明:两地琉璃构件釉料的化学组成基本一致,而琉璃构件胎体原料不同,北京故宫清代琉璃构件胎体化学组成属于硅-铝体系,辽宁黄瓦窑的琉璃构件则属于硅-铝-镁体系,因此两地胎釉热膨胀系数的匹配关系也不同。     

科技研究为官哥等窑的时空定位提供新思路

本工作结合古代文献和现代科学方法,讨论和研究了宋室南迁后建立的老虎洞窑和《坦斋笔衡》中所提到的内窑、修内司官窑之间的关系;老虎洞窑对汝窑及郊坛下窑所起的承前启后的作用;越窑、龙泉窑和南宋官窑所烧制青釉瓷在技术上的相互影响以及老虎洞窑宋元两个地层所出土的瓷片与南宋官窑瓷和传世哥窑瓷的时空定位。