Identificació arqueològica i arqueomètrica de noves produccions de Terra Sigillata Hispánica a l'àrea dels Pirineus catalans

Les excavacions realitzades a la Cerdanya han proporcionat l'evidència arqueològica de la possible existència d'una producció local de TSH, que inclou les formes tradicionals i d'altres formes noves. Per tal de contrastar aquesta hipòtesi, s'ha desenvolupat un estudi arqueometric per FRX i DRX. Els resultats mostren l'existència de diverses produccions desconegudes fins el present, sense que cap dels materials estudiats hagin pogut associar-se al taller d'Abella ni a les produccions de l'àrea de Tricio. Aquestes noves produccions ofereixen, a més, una important diversitat tecnològica.Archaeological research in the area of Cerdanya has provided archaeological evidence to postulate the existence of local production of HTS. This production includes traditional types, but also new ones. In order to examine this hypothesis an archaeometric study has been undertaken by means of XRF and XRD. The results show the presence of different productions yet unknown to present. Moreover, none of the studied materials have been successfully related with Abella workshop, neither with the products from Tricio. These new productions exhibit an important technological diversity

Alterations of Na, K and Rb concentrations in Mycenaean pottery and a proposed explanation using X-ray diffraction

One of the most important reference groups for Mycenaean pottery is the Mycenae/Berbati (MB). In several studies, a second group has been identified (MBKR). The chemical compositions were similar to MB, but with important differences in the Na, K and Rb contents. The present study suggests that these differences are due to selective alteration and contamination processes that are indirectly determined by the original firing temperature. Therefore, groups MB and MBKR should be considered as a single reference group

Exploring the technique of glazing used by the potters of Barcelona

The application of glazes on pottery became common in Western Europe from the late 12th century / early 13th century onwards. However, the process of 'glazing' entails different degrees of complexity which might involve a great variety of raw materials. Accordingly, simple glazing process consists of a single layer applied over the surface of the body, becoming a shiny and transparent coat after firing. The addition of pigments would result in a coloured glaze that can be translucent or even opaque. The more complicated sequence occurs in decorated glazed pottery, where opacifiers, pigments and metals are added to produce an opaque white glaze to enhance the decoration. This glaze is applied to the bisque pottery and manufactured, usually, in a second or third firing. To deepen our knowledge of the glazing technique, we have studied glazes from coarse pottery, cooking ware, polychrome coarse pottery and majolica from Barcelona (13th to 18th centuries AD). The application of the glaze, the thickness, and the composition of glazes (including opacifiers, pigments and/or metals) have been examined, through Scanning Electronic Microscopy (SEM). This study has revealed the high diversity in the glazing technique

The case of Black and green tin glazed pottery from Barcelona between 13th and 14th century: analysing its production and its decorations

Black and green tin-glazed pottery is known to be one of the true majolica manufactures at Barcelona during the end of the medieval period. This pottery means the evolution of a production process for achieving opacified decorated tableware, started one century before, with the elaboration of what is known as archaic majolica. Black and green implies a new high variety of decorative motifs made in black, or in black and green, on a white opacified glaze prepared following a recipe adapted by potters to prepare the base glaze and to applicate the pigments for attaining the decorative patterns, characteristics of this period. Originally thought as imported from Valencia workshops, the development of different archaeometric projects conducted in the core of the ARQUB team, allows verifying an origin in Barcelona. Besides, recent excavations dated back to the 14th century provided a great number of Black and green sherds with new decorative motifs unknown up to now, allowing the specialists to create a new corpus of decorative patterns, which is still in progress. Based on insights obtained from those first archaeometric studies and considering the advances on the classification of decorations based on archaeological arguments, a new sample of Black and green sherds was selected for this study. The aim was to observe whether decoration and technique of manufacture could in some way be related, understanding the technical process as the selection and application of raw materials and the firing temperature at which this pottery was made. To achieve these objectives, X-ray fluorescence (XRF), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Scanning Electronic Microscopy (SEM-EDX) have been performed. The results allow verifying the groups previously defined and to identify a new chemical group, probably related to a recipe for the body-paste different from the others. On the other hand, the study enabled us to observe differences also in know-how in firing, which in some cases seem to be connected with differences in the decorative motives, suggesting, perhaps, the discrimination of artisans

Central Mediterranean Phoenician pottery imports in the Northeastern Iberian Peninsula

Over recent years, there has been a growing interest in the analytical investigation of Phoenician pottery recovered from sites in Catalonia (NE Iberian Peninsula). Studies which integrate mineralogical, chemical and microstructural analysis have been carried out at seven sites in the Ilercavonia and Cossetania areas, analysing a total of 123 ceramic samples. The characterization of these samples has confirmed the presence of Phoenician Central Mediterranean pottery, all in the form of tableware. Themain objectives of this paper are to determine the provenance of these products, to study theirmineralogical characteristics and to understand the consumption of this Phoenician Central Mediterranean pottery in the context of the sites of Ilercavonia and Cossetania. All individuals have been analysed by means of X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and X-ray diffraction (XRD), with selected samples analysed by means of thin-section petrography and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results of this study demonstrate the presence of Sicilian, Sardinian and Tunisian products, allowing us to see preferences of vessel types according to source

Technological change and cultural resistance among southeast Iberian potters: analytical characterisation of Early Iron Age pottery from Castellar de Librilla

The beginning of relationships between autochthonous communities and Phoenicians from the earliest contacts in the 8th century BC made possible the exchange of ideas, technologies and people. This work analyses the development of the Early Iron Age potteries of the Iberian Southeast, the impact of the Phoenician presence and the agency that these local groups exercised on their ceramic assemblages until the 5th century BC. The incorporation of new archaeometric data from Castellar de Librilla, one of the region's main autochthonous settlements, has been essential to improve our approach to these cultural encounters. A total of 63 representative individuals have been analysed through X‐ray fluorescence (XRF), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), thin-section petrography and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results point to the local production of ceramics previously considered as Western Phoenician pottery, and to the degree of specialisation of the potters established in the autochthonous settlements, combining traditional and new techniques from early in the period of contact