Tracing the tin-opacified yellow glazed ceramics in the western Islamic world: the findings at Madinat al-Zahra’

A small group of opaque yellow glazed sherds has recently been identified among the ceramics excavated at the Islamic city of Madinat al-Zahra’ near Cordoba, in al-Andalus (southern Spain), which was founded in 936 AD as the seat of the Umayyad Caliphate power. A small group of sherds from Madinat al-Zahra’, which can be dated to about 960–980 AD, has been examined in polished section in a SEM with EDS attached. These analyses have established that the Madinat al-Zahra’ sherds were opacified with lead stannate, and not lead antimonate, as was being used to opacify yellow glazed ceramics in Egypt and Tunisia in the ninth and tenth centuries AD. Islamic opaque yellow glazed ceramics, with lead stannate as the opacifier, were first produced (Beiträge Zur Islamischen Kunst Und Archäologie 4:125–144, 2014) in Egypt and Syria in seventh/eighth centuries AD, and from there, the technology spread eastwards into Iraq and Iran in the ninth century AD and continued in use in Iran and Central Asia into the tenth century AD and beyond. However, the question of where these opaque yellow glazed ceramics were produced has not been fully resolved. Because such ceramics are extremely rare in al-Andalus, it seems most likely that they were either imported from Iran or Central Asia or produced locally by potters arriving from these areas. The study adds one further, yet not fully understood chapter to the story of a persistent glaze technology which has been widely ignored.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Islamic pottery workshops in the Ollerias area (Cordoba): dispersion, chronology and typology

En este trabajo se realiza una aproximación a los hornos y alfares islámicos cordobeses, especialmente a raíz de los hallazgos de los últimos años. Se han analizado aspectos como la distinta tipología de los hornos cordobeses, su evolución a través de los siglos islámicos –desde época emiral a almohade-, la ubicación de las distintas áreas alfareras en Madīnat Qurtuba, principalmente la zona de las Ollerías, y los elementos necesarios en un alfar.This paper presents a summary of the Islamic pottery craft areas and kilns in the medieval Cordoba, especially in the light of the recent findings. For this study, different types of kilns, its evolution through the Middle Ages -from the Emiral to the Almohad periods-, the location of the different pottery craft areas of Madīnat Qurtuba -mainly the Ollerías area- and the elements needed have been analysed

The transition from lead transparent to tin-opacified glaze productions in the western Islamic lands: al-Andalus, c. 875 – 929 CE

The earliest glazed ware in al-Andalus is dated to the Emiral period (c. 850 – 875 CE) and is not until the Caliphate of Córdoba (929 –1031 CE) that a distinctive polychrome tin glaze started being produced. A short transition period (c. 875 – 925 CE) in which elaborate monochrome and bichrome transparent glazes wares co- exist with polychrome transparent and tin opaque glazed wares has been identi fied. The existence of a poly- chrome lead transparent glaze production in al-Andalus wares is demonstrated; it has distinctive composition and methods of production from monochrome and bichrome wares, and shares a distinctive absence of foot and overglaze application of the decorations with the tin-opacified wares. With regard to the possible routes of the introduction of the polychrome lead and tin glazes into the western Mediterranean the Tunisian connection seems completely discarded. Moreover, and although some similarities between the Cordoba and the Abbasid productions such as similar tin glaze recipe and decorative patterns and use of lead glazes, can be traced, the dissimilarities, such as, the use of overglaze decorations, absence of alkali transparent glazes, variances in the tableware shapes and absence of foot, are still more important, and do not support a clear link between them.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Tackling early medieval circulation of glazed ware in Sharq al-Andalus using a multidisciplinary approach: El Tolmo de Minateda (Spain)

This paper offers an analysis of a group of glazed ceramics that comes from El Tolmo de Minateda site and have been dated in the second half of the ninth century and beginning of the tenth century, before the proclamation of the Umayyad Caliphate by Abderraman III (929 CE). Three technological groups have been distinguished: transparent glazes of one or two colours, transparent polychrome glazes (represented by two pieces) and opaque polychrome glazes (represented by two ceramics) studied by SEM-EDS analysis. After the study, different al-Andalus glaze workshops have been identified as providers of glazed ware to El Tolmo de Minateda site. The initial hypothesis was that the ware consumed in El Tolmo was manufactured in Pechina, the closest early production centre. However, after the archaeometric analysis, it has been discarded, and all the indications of this study seem to point to Córdoba as a significant supplier. The data of this study provides a new perspective on how the internal regional distribution and marketing of goods took place in Al-Andalus during the late Emiral period (c. 875–929 CE), a subject that has yet to be explored.Open Access funding provided thanks to the CRUE-CSIC agreement with Springer Nature. This work is part of the grant RYC2021-033153-I funded by Ministry of Science and Innovation of Spain MICIN/AEI/https://doi.org/10.13039/501100011033 and the European Union “NextGenerationEU”/PRTR. Work carried out within the framework of the research projects: ‘El contexto como herramienta: escalas de aplicación en los procesos de cambio en la Alta Edad Media (CONTEXT)’ PID2019-108192 GB-I00 funded by the Ministry of Science and Innovation and the European Union; ‘Proyecto Tolmo de Minateda’ funded by Consejería de Cultura de Castilla La-Mancha and the University of Alicante; and ProyExcel_00990 funded by Junta de Andalucía

Revisando las primeras producciones vidriadas islámicas cordobesas a la luz de la arqueometría

In this paper a review for the earliest glazed ceramics from al-Andalus is proposed. From archaeometrical analyses, the first glazes are characterised, their preservations and alteration problems are explained and the different technological traditions that coexisted during the Late Emirate period in Córdoba are identified. Moreover, technological connections are sought with other contemporary Islamic and Byzantine territories.En este artículo se propone una revisión de las primeras cerámicas vidriadas andalusíes. A partir de análisis arqueométricos se caracterizan los primeros vidriados, se tratan los problemas de conservación y alteración de estas producciones y se identifican las diferentes tradiciones tecnológicas que convivieron a finales del emirato en Córdoba. Además se buscan las conexiones tecnológicas con otros territorios islámicos y bizantinos

Epigraph with epitaph of a ‘virgin’ of the caliph al-Hakam the IInd

In the present work we deal with an epigraph, of funeral typology, which was located in secondary deposition in the course of an archaeological intervention practised in the Avda. Bishop Perez Muñoz, also known as Avda. de las Ollerías, in Cordova, during August, 2005. The textual body of the tablet, which is truncated in some of the segments, refers to the death of one ‘adra–’ or ‘virgin’ maiden belonging to the harem of the caliph al-Hakam II, represents a tablet that probably formed a part of a pantheon or mausoleum.En el presente trabajo nos ocupamos de un epígrafe, de tipología funeraria, que fue localizado en deposición secundaria en el transcurso de una intervención arqueológica practicada en la Avda. Obispo Pérez Muñoz, también conocida como Avda. de las Ollerías, en Córdoba, durante el mes de agosto del año 2005. El cuerpo textual de la lápida, que se halla truncado en algunos de sus segmentos, hace referencia al óbito de una ‘adra–’ o doncella ‘virgen’ perteneciente al harén del califa al-Hakam II, y probablemente formó parte de un panteón o mausoleo

Glaze production at an early Islamic workshop in al-Andalus

This is a pre-print of an article published in Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences. The final authenticated version is available online at: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12520-018-0666-y.The study and analysis of the materials found in one of the earliest Islamic glazed ceramics workshop in al-Andalus (Pechina) dating from the second half of the 9th century, including fritting vessels, kiln furniture, wasters and slags, and a glass chunk, have revealed the materials used and methods of production. Galena was oxidised to obtain PbO in the workshop. Fritting of the glaze involved a two-stage process for which two different types of vessels were used. The fritting process ended with a melt which was poured to obtain a high-lead glass. The ground glass was applied over the biscuit-fired ceramics, and fired to a temperature high enough to soften the glaze and adhere it onto the ceramic surface. Evidence of a similar process was found in a later workshop in San Nicolas (10th century) which demonstrates the persistence of the technique in al-Andalus during the caliphal period. There is little evidence of early Islamic glaze manufacture at kiln sites, and in contrast to the glass workshops, the glazed ceramics workshops have not been studied. Consequently, this study adds valuable information to the currently very limited knowledge about the early glaze technology in Dar al-Islam.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Introduction

La cerámica islámica ha tenido un importante papel en los estudios de arqueología e historia medieval. Su relevancia como objeto clave de la cultura material es innegable debido a sus características, entre las que destacamos su omnipresencia y su indestructibilidad, cualidades que permiten que encontremos fragmentos de cerámica en todos los yacimientos arqueológicos. Así, se ha utilizado como fósil guía para datar las fases de las excavaciones, para conocer la organización del sistema de producción y distribución, para trazar el alcance de las rutas comerciales medievales, para comprender el simbolismo político o religioso de las dinastías gobernantes, o acercarnos a la vida cotidiana de las sociedades medievales, por citar algunos ejemplos

La cerámica islámica de Madinat Qurtuba de 1031 a 1236: Cronotipología y centros de producción

Este es un estudio de cerámica de época medieval islámica procedente de diecisiete excavaciones arqueológicas de Córdoba (España). El periodo cronológico que abarca es desde el inicio de la etapa Taifa (1031) hasta la conquista de la ciudad por los cristianos (1236), con especial incidencia en la etapa almohade, por ser la que ha proporcionado un mayor volumen de material cerámico. Se ha realizado un catálogo de las piezas seleccionadas para posteriormente llevar a cabo una sistematización tipológica de los distintos grupos formales cerámicos identificados a partir de sus rasgos morfológicos, técnicos y ornamentales y teniendo en cuenta paralelos formales de piezas procedentes de otros yacimientos arqueológicos de al-Andalus. Se han individualizado un total de cuarenta y tres grupos formales, que se dividen en tipos, subtipos y variantes y que se han clasificado en diecisiete grupos funcionales. Para su presentación se han realizado tablas tipológicas. El objetivo principal ha sido tener un mejor conocimiento de los ajuares cerámicos tardoislámicos cordobeses para poder diferenciarlos en el registro arqueológico y contextualizar mejor las distintas fases históricas excavadas en las intervenciones arqueológicas llevadas a cabo en la ciudad. Además se analizaron diferentes centros productores de cerámica o alfares: la organización de los mismos, la tipología de sus hornos y las producciones con sus defectos de cocción. Todo ello para profundizar en la fabricación local cordobesa y poder compararla con otras producciones de al-Andalus y establecer sus diferencias y similitudes. Así se corroboró que Córdoba se inserta en el marco de influencias del suroeste peninsular o Garb al-Andalus. También se ha realizado una periodización de la cerámica cordobesa desde finales del periodo visigodo hasta principios de la etapa bajomedieval cristiana para examinar los cambios y pervivencias que experimenta la cerámica a través de estos siglos