BSc., and MSc (Diploma Mineralogy-Petrology) at the Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz by Prof. Ingo KeesmannDr. rer. nat., at the University of Siegen, by Prof. Reinhard Trettin Supervisors: Prof. Dr. Reinhard Trettin
This research presents the effects of sintering process and clay composition on the physico-mecha... more This research presents the effects of sintering process and clay composition on the physico-mechanical properties of ceramics from the fifth and fourth millennium BC (6950 ± 280 to 5040 ± 220 TL dating). The combined multiscale mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) revealed the increase of round cryptopores and ultramicropores in a range of 0.01-0.1 μm and 0.1-5 μm respectively, closely linked to vitrified glassy connections and bonding between particles and the partial melting of phyllosilicates with different sizes of bubbles at 950 • C. Cold crushing strength (CCS) of the ceramics, containing high calcite and phyllosilicate mineral exhibited a lower strength value from 6.24 to 6.31 MPa at ~750-800 • C due to the increase in crack porosity area with high interconnectivity and internal stresses. However, the ceramics with a well glassy network show a higher strength value of 16.5Mpa, contributing to sustainable ceramic materials with a uniform cross-section >900 • C and minimal shrinkage for conservation treatment.
Shahdad is located on the western side of the Lut desert in the central Iranian Plateau. Shahdad ... more Shahdad is located on the western side of the Lut desert in the central Iranian Plateau. Shahdad has been a major focus of archaeological and archaeometallurgical research in the region due to extensive metallurgical activities documented at the site during the Bronze Age and for having the most abundant remains of copper metallurgy in southeastern Iran. The metallurgical developments at Shahdad have been well documented due to the previous studies by researchers working on the vast peripherial area of Shahdad dating to the period when the settlement was a permanently occupied city during the 3rd millennium BCE. Our latest surveys at the site have identified copper extraction metallurgy across a very large area based on significant amounts of ancient metallurgical remains on the surface including copper ores, moulds, crucibles, furnaces and complete metal tools. Pottery and slag have been observed macroscopically and microscopically in order to find particular traces of the metallurgical processes used during the EBA of Shahdad. Preliminary observations supply a new synopsis by retracing the ancient metallurgy at Shahdad. This research has revealed that the metalworkers of Shahdad mainly used copper sulphide (covellite) as their primary Cu-bearing ores. Three different slag types were identified according to their color, external texture and fabrication. Pottery samples were associated with copper metallurgy based on their phase characterizations, which were interpreted as the artefact of a distinct step in the metallurgical production process. This pottery is very porous and rough-textured due to the particular additives, leading to the formation of copper carbonate and copper oxide enrichments in the voids of the ceramic fabric.
Ceramiche da scavo e ceramiche antiche di solito sono sature di sali all’interno della loro strut... more Ceramiche da scavo e ceramiche antiche di solito sono sature di sali all’interno della loro struttura porosa. La desalinizzazione e una delle fasi principali per il restauro di materiali porosi storici. Poiche la salinita puo causare danni significativi ai manufatti in ceramica, questi devono essere esposti ad un attento processo di desalinizzazione. Siccome le ceramiche sono sensibili all’acqua e potrebbero deteriorarsi o collassare durante di lungo periodo di contatto con essa, un metodo di desalinizzazione alternativa dovrebbe essere identificato per ridurre al minimo il danno potenziale alle ceramiche. Nuovi metodi come l’aumento della temperatura dell’acqua di lavaggio e / o l’impiego di tensioattivi sono stati suggeriti come tecniche alternative per il processo di dissalazione per evitare il lungo periodo di tempo del contatto. In questa attivita, l’accelerazione del processo di dissalazione, basato su una formulazione teorica unificata, e stata discussa ed e stato dimostrato ...
As salt crystallization is one of the most serious damages in historical porous materials (e.g. p... more As salt crystallization is one of the most serious damages in historical porous materials (e.g. potteries, bricks, etc.), desalination is highly important process in conservation. Since this process is irreversible, and object has direct vicinity with water, preventing the misrepresentation of valuable archaeological and archaeometrical data of historic object will be substantial. On the other hand, a considerable amount of water is used in this process because of a huge number of excavated potteries in archaeological sites, therefore, controlling the amount of rinse water consumption is extremely desirable. As this process is a multivariable system, a new approach based on a mathematical design of experiment, response surface methodology (RSM), was used as an aid in determining the significance of the various parameters and optimization of this process. The input (independent) variables in the experimental design were immersing time, agitation rate, firing temperature (as void frac...
New excavations at Espidej at the Kerman province of the Halil Basin corridor in Iran offer a uni... more New excavations at Espidej at the Kerman province of the Halil Basin corridor in Iran offer a unique opportunity to re-consider the 3th millennium BC (i.e. Bronze Age) metallurgical practices related particularly to arsenical copper (Cu-As) alloying and to explore arsenic bearing raw materials. This paper presents results of optical microscopy and environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM) on a selected group of copper-based artefacts from Espidej. Additionally, we have benefited from synchrotron light for further investigations on a dagger sample. The scientific examinations on metal corpora adds new information regarding the microchemistry and production techniques of metals of the south-eastern cultural zone of Iran. Synchrotron micro X-ray diffraction (SR-μXRD) data of the sample demonstrates traces of arsenic-bearing minerals in the corrosion products indicative of types of ores used in alloying processes. Preliminary research on copper ores indicates possible extraction of local ore deposits which were outcropped along the south east Makran orogeny zone of Iran. This area is part of hydrothermal mineralization zone consisting of arsenopyrite (FeAsS), sinnerite (Cu6As4S9), bornite (Cu5FeS4) and algodonite (Cu6As). Noticeable arsenic bearing phases within the metallic core of the sample were frequently characterised as sinnerite and algodonite.
Schwerpunkt dieser Arbeit ist die Charakterisierung keramischer Werkstoffe, die im Altertum des h... more Schwerpunkt dieser Arbeit ist die Charakterisierung keramischer Werkstoffe, die im Altertum des heutigen Irans (14. Jh. v. Chr.) hergestellt und genutzt wurden. Aus den Erkenntnissen sollen Ruckschlusse auf die historischen Technologien, die verwendeten Rohstoffe und die Herkunft der Keramiken abgeleitet werden. Materialwissenschaftliche Untersuchungen sind bei den antiken Keramiken unerlasslich, da sich anhand ihrer chemisch-mineralogischen Zusammensetzung Aufschlusse uber ihren jeweiligen Entstehungsprozess ergeben. Rontgenfluoreszenzanalysen zeigen, dass die untersuchten Keramiken als kalkreiche Keramiken klassifiziert werden konnen, die sich im System SiO2-Al2O3-(CaO+MgO) im Bereich Diopsid-Gehlenit-Anorthit-Quarz befinden. Die Bestimmung des kristallinen Phasenbestands wurde mit Hilfe der quantitativen Rietveld-Analyse durchgefuhrt und die Ergebnisse zeigen Variationen je nach Lokalitat und Verfahrenstechnik der entsprechenden Epoche. Durch mikroskopische Untersuchungen werden ...
The history of metals and metallurgy is rooted in the history of civilizations as the" Archa... more The history of metals and metallurgy is rooted in the history of civilizations as the" Archaeometallurgy" and has been a subject of great interest for over a century. Due to the relatively good preservation of metallic goods and the modern values related to metals, metal artefact typologies often served as the very basis for prehistoric sequences during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In many ways, it was V. Gordon Childe who placed metallurgical technology at the front, arguing as he did for the roles of" itinerant metal ...
This research presents the effects of sintering process and clay composition on the physico-mecha... more This research presents the effects of sintering process and clay composition on the physico-mechanical properties of ceramics from the fifth and fourth millennium BC (6950 ± 280 to 5040 ± 220 TL dating). The combined multiscale mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) revealed the increase of round cryptopores and ultramicropores in a range of 0.01-0.1 μm and 0.1-5 μm respectively, closely linked to vitrified glassy connections and bonding between particles and the partial melting of phyllosilicates with different sizes of bubbles at 950 • C. Cold crushing strength (CCS) of the ceramics, containing high calcite and phyllosilicate mineral exhibited a lower strength value from 6.24 to 6.31 MPa at ~750-800 • C due to the increase in crack porosity area with high interconnectivity and internal stresses. However, the ceramics with a well glassy network show a higher strength value of 16.5Mpa, contributing to sustainable ceramic materials with a uniform cross-section >900 • C and minimal shrinkage for conservation treatment.
Shahdad is located on the western side of the Lut desert in the central Iranian Plateau. Shahdad ... more Shahdad is located on the western side of the Lut desert in the central Iranian Plateau. Shahdad has been a major focus of archaeological and archaeometallurgical research in the region due to extensive metallurgical activities documented at the site during the Bronze Age and for having the most abundant remains of copper metallurgy in southeastern Iran. The metallurgical developments at Shahdad have been well documented due to the previous studies by researchers working on the vast peripherial area of Shahdad dating to the period when the settlement was a permanently occupied city during the 3rd millennium BCE. Our latest surveys at the site have identified copper extraction metallurgy across a very large area based on significant amounts of ancient metallurgical remains on the surface including copper ores, moulds, crucibles, furnaces and complete metal tools. Pottery and slag have been observed macroscopically and microscopically in order to find particular traces of the metallurgical processes used during the EBA of Shahdad. Preliminary observations supply a new synopsis by retracing the ancient metallurgy at Shahdad. This research has revealed that the metalworkers of Shahdad mainly used copper sulphide (covellite) as their primary Cu-bearing ores. Three different slag types were identified according to their color, external texture and fabrication. Pottery samples were associated with copper metallurgy based on their phase characterizations, which were interpreted as the artefact of a distinct step in the metallurgical production process. This pottery is very porous and rough-textured due to the particular additives, leading to the formation of copper carbonate and copper oxide enrichments in the voids of the ceramic fabric.
Ceramiche da scavo e ceramiche antiche di solito sono sature di sali all’interno della loro strut... more Ceramiche da scavo e ceramiche antiche di solito sono sature di sali all’interno della loro struttura porosa. La desalinizzazione e una delle fasi principali per il restauro di materiali porosi storici. Poiche la salinita puo causare danni significativi ai manufatti in ceramica, questi devono essere esposti ad un attento processo di desalinizzazione. Siccome le ceramiche sono sensibili all’acqua e potrebbero deteriorarsi o collassare durante di lungo periodo di contatto con essa, un metodo di desalinizzazione alternativa dovrebbe essere identificato per ridurre al minimo il danno potenziale alle ceramiche. Nuovi metodi come l’aumento della temperatura dell’acqua di lavaggio e / o l’impiego di tensioattivi sono stati suggeriti come tecniche alternative per il processo di dissalazione per evitare il lungo periodo di tempo del contatto. In questa attivita, l’accelerazione del processo di dissalazione, basato su una formulazione teorica unificata, e stata discussa ed e stato dimostrato ...
As salt crystallization is one of the most serious damages in historical porous materials (e.g. p... more As salt crystallization is one of the most serious damages in historical porous materials (e.g. potteries, bricks, etc.), desalination is highly important process in conservation. Since this process is irreversible, and object has direct vicinity with water, preventing the misrepresentation of valuable archaeological and archaeometrical data of historic object will be substantial. On the other hand, a considerable amount of water is used in this process because of a huge number of excavated potteries in archaeological sites, therefore, controlling the amount of rinse water consumption is extremely desirable. As this process is a multivariable system, a new approach based on a mathematical design of experiment, response surface methodology (RSM), was used as an aid in determining the significance of the various parameters and optimization of this process. The input (independent) variables in the experimental design were immersing time, agitation rate, firing temperature (as void frac...
New excavations at Espidej at the Kerman province of the Halil Basin corridor in Iran offer a uni... more New excavations at Espidej at the Kerman province of the Halil Basin corridor in Iran offer a unique opportunity to re-consider the 3th millennium BC (i.e. Bronze Age) metallurgical practices related particularly to arsenical copper (Cu-As) alloying and to explore arsenic bearing raw materials. This paper presents results of optical microscopy and environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM) on a selected group of copper-based artefacts from Espidej. Additionally, we have benefited from synchrotron light for further investigations on a dagger sample. The scientific examinations on metal corpora adds new information regarding the microchemistry and production techniques of metals of the south-eastern cultural zone of Iran. Synchrotron micro X-ray diffraction (SR-μXRD) data of the sample demonstrates traces of arsenic-bearing minerals in the corrosion products indicative of types of ores used in alloying processes. Preliminary research on copper ores indicates possible extraction of local ore deposits which were outcropped along the south east Makran orogeny zone of Iran. This area is part of hydrothermal mineralization zone consisting of arsenopyrite (FeAsS), sinnerite (Cu6As4S9), bornite (Cu5FeS4) and algodonite (Cu6As). Noticeable arsenic bearing phases within the metallic core of the sample were frequently characterised as sinnerite and algodonite.
Schwerpunkt dieser Arbeit ist die Charakterisierung keramischer Werkstoffe, die im Altertum des h... more Schwerpunkt dieser Arbeit ist die Charakterisierung keramischer Werkstoffe, die im Altertum des heutigen Irans (14. Jh. v. Chr.) hergestellt und genutzt wurden. Aus den Erkenntnissen sollen Ruckschlusse auf die historischen Technologien, die verwendeten Rohstoffe und die Herkunft der Keramiken abgeleitet werden. Materialwissenschaftliche Untersuchungen sind bei den antiken Keramiken unerlasslich, da sich anhand ihrer chemisch-mineralogischen Zusammensetzung Aufschlusse uber ihren jeweiligen Entstehungsprozess ergeben. Rontgenfluoreszenzanalysen zeigen, dass die untersuchten Keramiken als kalkreiche Keramiken klassifiziert werden konnen, die sich im System SiO2-Al2O3-(CaO+MgO) im Bereich Diopsid-Gehlenit-Anorthit-Quarz befinden. Die Bestimmung des kristallinen Phasenbestands wurde mit Hilfe der quantitativen Rietveld-Analyse durchgefuhrt und die Ergebnisse zeigen Variationen je nach Lokalitat und Verfahrenstechnik der entsprechenden Epoche. Durch mikroskopische Untersuchungen werden ...
The history of metals and metallurgy is rooted in the history of civilizations as the" Archa... more The history of metals and metallurgy is rooted in the history of civilizations as the" Archaeometallurgy" and has been a subject of great interest for over a century. Due to the relatively good preservation of metallic goods and the modern values related to metals, metal artefact typologies often served as the very basis for prehistoric sequences during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In many ways, it was V. Gordon Childe who placed metallurgical technology at the front, arguing as he did for the roles of" itinerant metal ...
Unique Glass tubes obtained wires from the temple of Chogha-Zanbil classified as the early glasse... more Unique Glass tubes obtained wires from the temple of Chogha-Zanbil classified as the early glasses discovered in Iran (2rd Millennium BC). In the current investigation, the chemical mineralogical composition of the glassy part has been focused on. This was achieved through the use of high energy synchrotron light, and environmental scanning electron microscope to characterise the presence of microstructures and the distribution of elements within the matrix. In order to accurately determine the crystalline phase constituents of the glasses, micro X-ray Diffraction was carried out at the CELLS-ALBA Synchrotron International Centre in Barcelona, Spain. The samples of glass are comprised of silica glass and contain calcite, quartz, gehlenite as the major phases. The presence of argentotenantite as the Ag-bearing mineral within the amorphous part of glasses highlights the first use of Ag in ancient glass from the Iranian plateau.
In this article, the chemical and mineralogical composition of a unique glass cylinder obtained f... more In this article, the chemical and mineralogical composition of a unique glass cylinder obtained from the temple of Chogha-Zanbil and classified as the earliest glass discovered in Iran (2nd millennium BC) has been studied. This was achieved through the use of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, environmental scanning electron microscope and synchrotron X-ray micro-diffraction to characterize the presence of microstructures and the distribution of elements within their matrices. In order to accurately determine the characteristic crystalline phase constituents, micro-X-ray diffraction experiments were carried out at the CELLS-ALBA Synchrotron. Results reveal that the glass samples are comprised of silica glass and contain calcite, quartz and gehlenite as the major phases. The presence of argentojarosite as the Ag-bearing mineral within the amorphous part of glasses highlights the first use of Ag (Late Bronze Age) in Iran. The novelty of the results includes the identification of specific minerals (i.e., silver-containing minerals) used in the production of glass cylinders to obtain better luster and produce iridescence effects.
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY
The production of pottery represented a significant pyro-technological progress in the ancient wo... more The production of pottery represented a significant pyro-technological progress in the ancient world. Two types of characteristics pottery from the transitional period (Neolithic to Chalcolithic) found at the Tappeh Zaghe in northern Iran were analyzed in order to investigate newly formed phases produced during the firing stage of pottery. This might have been a sign of technological evaluation through transitional period. Petrographic analysis, coupled with multi-image analysis, X-ray powder diffraction and environmental scanning electron microscope with energy-dispersive X-rays (ESEM-EDX) provided information on the compassion and microstructure of ceramic samples. Synchrotron micro-XRD beamline allowed the spatial mapping of crystalline phases from near surface (at the surface) into the matrix of potteries and the detection of minute, major and minor phases. The mineralogical interaction between various primary phases and decomposition regard carbonate reaction within the potteries fabrication in the as-received. New phases were followed across the wall thickness which were achieved by sintering (partial or total) and show a clear transition from outer side to the core of the pottery. a emails: m.
Lusterware ceramics and tiles were essentially produced in some focal centers of the ancient worl... more Lusterware ceramics and tiles were essentially produced in some focal centers of the ancient world such as Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Iran. In Iran, there only exist evidences of their widespread production mostly in Kashan and Ray. However, limited production of this ware in Gorgan, Takht-e-Soleiman and Jiroft were also reported. Forty-four pieces of luster tiles from Qal'eh Dokhtar disposal project in Kerman were discovered and considered in this study. The goal of the research focuses on the chemical characterization and structural features of this unique ware from Qal'eh Dokhtar. Moreover, it is of further interest to know about their possible center of production as well as about the know-how on polychromic constituents. Based on the characteristics of the luster and motifs, eleven tile fragments have been chosen for analysis. Chemical-mineralogical compositions of the crystalline phase composition of the paste and glaze as phase-interphase structural charactbeamer studied via SEM-EDX in microscopic scales, XRD and micro-PIXE. The results indicated that there are typical chemical distributions within the glaze and body of the samples from Qal'eh Dokhtar. High amount of magnesium and calcium in the samples of Qal'eh Dokhtar can be considered as geochemical fingerprint of these materials. Mineralogical chemical characterizations suggest that the common elements in the luster tiles of Qal'eh Dokhtar are dissimilar to the other areas. Therefore, it seems that the raw materials of the luster tiles of Qal'eh Dokhtar have been provided from someplace else in the Kerman periphery. Probably, the craftsmen of Jiroft immigrated to Kerman after decline of Jiroft due to the political and social events during the 1203-1299 CE.
Following the discovery of the Achaemenid palace of Charkhab of Borazjan in southwestern of Iran,... more Following the discovery of the Achaemenid palace of Charkhab of Borazjan in southwestern of Iran, an extensive survey was conducted to identify and introduce the other possible Achaemenid palaces in this region, which then results to the discovery of two other palaces, called Bardak-Siah and Sangh-Siah. In order to determine the source of the peony white stones used in the plinths of these palaces, physical and chemical characterization techniques including Polarized light microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and X-ray florescence spectro-scopy were used and then, the results obtained were compared to that of the samples of ancient quarries in the eastern mountains of Borazjan region. Among the ancient quarries of this region, the samples of Tangh-Ghir and Puzeh-Palangi quarries were selected and studied to match to the stones used at the historic palaces of the region. Based on the results of petrography analysis, peony white stone samples of Charkhab, Bardak-Siah and Sangh-Siah palaces, consisted of micrite groundmass along with sparitic and quartz inclusions, were identified as identical with the samples of Puzeh-Palangi quarry samples. However, samples of Tangh-Ghir ancient quarry, which had a micrite groundmass along with many microfossils, did not match to samples of the palaces. The palaces samples have a layered structure of sparitic groundmass along with the small amount of micrite. The results of XRD analysis showed that the peony white stones of the Achaemenid palaces are identical to those of Puzeh-Palangi quarry, where the main component is calcite with low contents of dolomite and quartz. Moreover, elemental analysis of the samples by XRF technique confirmed that the source of the peony white stones used at these palaces is Puzeh-Palangi quarry.
In this article, the chemical and mineralogical composition of a unique glass cylinder obtained f... more In this article, the chemical and mineralogical composition of a unique glass cylinder obtained from the temple of Chogha-Zanbil and classified as the earliest glass discovered in Iran (2nd millennium BC) has been studied. This was achieved through the use of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, environmental scanning electron microscope and synchrotron X-ray micro-diffraction to characterize the presence of microstructures and the distribution of elements within their matrices. In order to accurately determine the characteristic crystalline phase constituents, micro-X-ray diffraction experiments were carried out at the CELLS-ALBA Synchrotron. Results reveal that the glass samples are comprised of silica glass and contain calcite, quartz and gehlenite as the major phases. The presence of argentojarosite as the Ag-bearing mineral within the amorphous part of glasses highlights the first use of Ag (Late Bronze Age) in Iran. The novelty of the results includes the identification of specific minerals (i.e., silver-containing minerals) used in the production of glass cylinders to obtain better luster and produce iridescence effects.
In the last decade, increasing and develop of the scientific discipline such as science, engineer... more In the last decade, increasing and develop of the scientific discipline such as science, engineering and medicine was considerable. With respect to this point of view, nowadays, comparative and interdisciplinary disciplines are also collaborated to each other. Archaeological investigations followed by related scientific methods would try to get answer to the problems which were mentioned by archaeologists due to the know-how in antiquity. Archaeometry means, the use of new instrumental, statistical methods for interpreting the technology based on collected archaeological data. In another word, archaeometry is a methodology for data management which has been collected via different expertise of each scientific discipline. Archaeometrical studies focus mostly on generate and development of common language for linking human science with another discipline such as science, engineering and medicine.
Uploads
Papers by Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Mohammadamin Emami