Archaeological Ceramics

Abstract
This paper presents preliminary results of field recording of ceramic material from Jām, Ghūr province, Afghanistan, a site which has been associated with Fīrūzkūh, the summer capital of the Ghurid dynasty. A fabric series and catalogue of forms is presented, in addition to the results of some initial scientific analyses. Comparisons have been drawn with corpora from other sites in Afghanistan, Iran and Central Asia, and the significance of the material is discussed in light of the regional and chronological significance of assemblages from this area.
Keywords
Jām; ceramics; Ghurids; petrology; Afghanistan

A B S T R A C T This paper seeks to contribute to the growing knowledge of iron production in ancient Sudan by examining the technology and craft organisation involved in the production of technical ceramics, which were integral to the iron smelting process. The focus of this study are the technical ceramics including tuyères, furnace linings, and furnace bricks, recovered from various slag heaps located at the archaeological sites of the Royal City of Meroe and the Meroitic town site of Hamadab. We used macroscopic examination and thin-section petrography to identify the source of raw materials and methods used in preparing the raw materials, to characterise the level of craft specialisation, and to infer the broader socio-political developments that might have influenced how the production of technical ceramics was organised. The resulting data reveal that changes occurred within the production of technical ceramics throughout different periods of Kushite history (traditionally divided into Napatan and Meroitic) and during the post-Meroitic period, and we argue that the observed changes might have been related to the rise and fall of the Kingdom of Kush. The production of technical ceramics was marked by clear distinction in raw materials and paste preparation methods used for different types of technical ceramics, and a high degree of compositional and technological homogeneity within each type of technical ceramic during the Napatan and earlier Meroitic periods, coinciding with the time when Kush rose to and was at the height of its power. The production of technical ceramics appears to have exhibited more diversity in terms of the raw materials and paste preparation methods and lower degree of homogeneity during the later and post-Meroitic periods when the economic and political influence and power of the Kingdom of Kush is described as declining and ultimately ceasing to exist. Perhaps the most drastic change in the production of technical ceramics took place in the post-Meroitic period, which was characterised by lower level of specialisation, as well as the possibility of using a different technological approach to iron smelting.

This article presents the results of the analysis of the pottery from the recently excavated site at Mahurjhari in central India. In doing so, it also proposes a new way of looking at archaeological ceramics in South Asia. Here, archaeological ceramics are traditionally defined on the basis of their visual appearance (their colour and texture), which results in a great deal of ambiguity, limits intra-and interregional comparison, and impedes a more material culture-based approach to their study. Indeed, there is no established pottery typology for the region in which this site is located, and despite the fact that ceramics invariably account for the majority of excavated assemblages they frequently remain unreported. Addressing this, we suggest that recording and analysing archaeological ceramics on the basis of how they were made (essentially, implementing a chaîne opératoire approach) might be a useful way to proceed. Given that such approaches are new in this area, we explain what this entails, and then present the results of the analysis of this pottery assemblage using these methods-defining classes of pottery an on the basis of traces left by the ways they were made. With a typology thus defined on the basis on the practice of pottery manufacture, we then seriate the assemblage with reference to recent AMS dates obtained from the site and suggest a chronological sequence for the pots from this site. These results are then framed within a wider discussion of the potential value of the application of new ways of looking at archaeological ceramics in South Asia.

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The influence of environmental conditions, in particular temperature, on the performance of adhesives joining different archaeological ceramic fabrics is assessed in laboratory conditions. Different types of model ceramic fabrics were manufactured and joined with commercially available adhesives, which are commonly employed in the conservation of archaeological ceramics, and a series of systematic tests on the various adhesive–ceramic systems was conducted. The response of joins to static mechanical stress was assessed in controlled loading tests. Results of those tests as well as failure mechanisms observed are discussed.

In this paper, a science-based study of ceramic wares discovered in the Old Doha Rescue Excavations (ODRE) is presented. The ODRE project, run by Qatar Museums and UCL Qatar, discovered a stratigraphic sequence running from the earliest occupation of Doha in the early nineteenth century until the most recent archaeological levels. A strategic selection of ceramic wares from this sequence was studied to shed light on the technological background and provenance of the pottery utilized in Doha between the late nineteenth and the mid-twentieth century. The petrographic study of these wares has provided insight into
their mineralogical and petrological composition and their textural characteristics. The textural elements have been used to understand the technology of production of the ceramics, which come from different places around the Gulf. The identification
of components has moved us a step closer to the location of places of production by matching compositions and geological backgrounds. The study of glazes with hhXRF, SEM-EDS, and optical microscopy has given us further insight on technological
processes in the application of glaze. Finally, a comparison between the macroscopic and microscopic analyses carried out has been produced to shed some light on the inherent difficulties associated with the identification of wares in Gulf ceramics.

This paper examines the production and exchange of a particular type of ceramic vase designated ‘Ahk'utu' moulded-carved’, by using thin-section petrography, INAA, and SEM-EDS. These vases were produced and circulated in the eastern Maya lowlands during a transitional period known as ‘Terminal Classic’, ca. A.D. 800–950. Significant changes, generally referred to as the Classic Maya Collapse, occurred in the socio-political order in the Maya lowlands at this time, although the pace and events leading to such changes remain poorly understood. By studying a selection of 62 Ahk'utu' moulded-carved vases from various sites across Belize, we seek to offer a new perspective on the nature of this important transitional period. Our findings reveal that two main ceramic traditions – one employing calcite and the other volcanic ash temper – are represented by the vases. These traditions guided the selection of raw materials, surface finish, and firing methods. Vases of the calcite tradition were mostly used at or around the sites where they were produced, whereas those of the volcanic ash tradition appear to have been circulated over a wider region. The co-existence of multiple production groups and distribution spheres of the Ahk'utu' vases, along with their style and decoration, is interpreted as indicating a proliferation of an ascending social segment and greater flexibility and fluidity in how the social hierarchy and political structure were maintained in the eastern Maya lowlands from the 9th century and onwards.

(Explosives from the underground parking - A remarkable find of ceramic grenades from Ingolstadt)
Introduction and preliminary report on a remarkable hoard of several hundred ceramic grenades of the 17th Century being discovered during building works near the New Castle of Ingolstadt, Germany in 1983. 

Abstract
In 1983, a hoard of several hundred ceramic grenades was discovered next to the New Castle at Ingolstadt, Germany, during construction work for an underground car park. Unfortunately, the cultural heritage service was only involved after major parts of the find were already disrupted and the opportunity for detailed documentation was lost. The grenades lay in a backfilled moat in front of the Feldkircher-Tor-Bastion (Eiskeller-Bastion), which had been razed in 1800. Based on the site's history, a deposition before the year 1723 can be assumed. Currently a more exact dating of the grenades is not possible, but an acquisition in connection with sieges of the City of Ingolstadt in the years 1546, 1632 or 1704 appears plausible.
Today the city's museum (Stadtmuseum Ingolstadt) hosts about 540 complete and an unknown number of fragmented grenades. 104 complete grenades and 30 fragments have been investigated more closely so far. The ceramic grenades are heterogeneous spherical vessels with weights between 1,275 and 4,474g (mean average 2,533g, standard deviation 750.7g). Their outer diameters range from 105 to 167mm (mean average 132mm, standard deviation 15.2mm) and wall thicknesses from 30 to 65mm. The vessels were made either free hand or wheel-thrown from clay of different qualities and tempers. The pieces are predominantly of light grey to red oxidized earthenware, some with a vitrified surface. The exterior finishing ranges from simple knife trimming up to fine smoothing. The volumes of the powder chambers of the examined pieces range from 22 to 298cc at an average of 102cc (standard deviation 49.7cc), which corresponds to an average charge of circa 137g of black powder. About 20% of the grenades contain an anthracite coloured mass, remains of the original powder load, in the chambers. The diameters of the fuse mouths range from 20 to 45mm (mean average 28mm, standard deviation 3.5mm). The fuses were made of conical-shaped wooden plugs with a length of 60 to 70mm drilled in the longitudinal axis (diameter 5 to 9mm) and filled with a slow-burning mixture of gunpowder, which is still present today in some fuses. Match cords were not observed yet. 89 of the 104 examined pieces bear stamped or incised markings in different designs, which are most probably potter's or workshop marks. Even within the individual groups bearing the same marks the grenades show a remarkably large range in quality and size.
The different marks in combination with the enormous spectrum in quality and sizes indicate a decentralized production in several workshops as well as inaccurate specifications or high acceptance thresholds of the purchaser. A production in a state of emergency under time pressure is also conceivable, since even largely deformed wasters contained residues of powder loads. The Ingolstadt ceramic grenades complex is by far the most important and substantial find of early-modern pottery grenades in Europe, if not world-wide, since it surpasses comparative finds in quantity as well as variety of shapes, sizes, processing qualities and workshop marks.

Sommaire / Résumé
Un dépôt de plusieurs centaines de grenades a été extrait derrière le Nouveau Château d’Ingolstadt lors de la construction d’un parking souterrain en 1983. Les autorités de protection du patrimoine ont été prévenues tardivement. Partiellement détruites, les trouvailles n’ont pas fait objet d’une documentation exacte. Les grenades se trouvaient dans un fossé comblé devant le bastion du Feldkircher-Tor cédé en 1800. On peut supposer un dépôt des grenades avant l’an 1723 en raison de l’histoire architecturale du lieu de fouille. La définition plus précise de la date n’est actuellement pas possible, mais leur acquisition dans le cadre des sièges de la forteresse d’Ingolstadt en 1546, 1632 ou 1704 semble plausible.
Environ 540 grenades et un nombre inconnu de grenades fragmentées ont été inventarisées dont 104 grenades et 30 fragments ont pu être analysées jusqu’à présent. Les boules creuses ont un diamètre extérieur de 105 à 167 mm (moyenne 132 mm, écart type 15,2 mm), un poids de 1275 à 4474 g (moyenne 2533 g, écart type 750,7 g) et leurs coquilles ont une épaisseur de 30 à 65 mm. Les grenades sont constituées d’argiles gris à rouge de qualités et compositions différentes. Certaines ont été fabriquées sur un tour de potier, d’autres à la main sans tour. La cuisson oxydante de la majorité des pièces s’approche de la cuisson dure de briques. Certaines pièces ont des surfaces vitrifiées. Les finitions varient entre un traitement grossier et un fin lissage. Le volume des chambres à poudre noir fait de 22 à 298 ccm (moyenne 102 ccm, écart type 49,7 ccm), ce qui correspond à un chargement d’environ 137 g de poudre noir. Environ 20 % des grenades trouvées contiennent des restes de poudre sous forme d’une masse friable très fine de couleur anthracite. Les lumières ont un diamètre de 20 à 45 mm (moyenne 28 mm, écart type 3,5 mm). Des morceaux de bois tronconiques servaient de retardateur de détonation. Ils avaient une longueur de 60 à 70 mm, avec un perçage dans l’axe longitudinal de 5 à 9 mm, ils étaient remplis d’un mélange de poudre brûlant lentement dont des restes ont été trouvés dans les canaux de certains détonateurs. 89 des 104 grenades analysées portent des marquages estampillés ou gravés. Les neuf motifs identifiés jusqu’à présent représentent très probablement des marques de potier ou d’atelier. Mêmes les grenades d’une même marque d’atelier montrent des grandes variations de qualité. L’existence de différentes marques en lien avec les énormes divergences de qualité et de forme suggère la fabrication dans différents ateliers ainsi que des instructions vagues ou une grande tolérance des donneurs d’ordre. On peut également imaginer une fabrication sous courts délais dans des situations d’urgence car même des grenades à cuisson ratée ont été retrouvées avec des restes de chargement.
Les grenades d’argile d’Ingolstadt sont la découverte la plus importante de grenades céramiques de l’époque moderne en Europe sinon au monde. Elles se distinguent de toutes les découvertes comparables en raison de leur nombre, de la diversité de formes et de tailles, des différentes qualités de fabrication et des marques de potiers.

A colina do Castelo de Gaia é um dos locais mais emblemáticos da ocupação humana
na foz do rio Douro. Numa das intervenções arqueológicas ali realizadas, em 2008, motivada pela necessidade de avaliação prévia de um projeto imobiliário, encontraram-se restos de estruturas da época romana e significativo espólio cerâmico. Observaram-se as cerâmicas de importação procedentes desta intervenção a m de analisar a
circulação e consumo de recipientes em diferentes momentos da ocupação romana na região. Nas produções mais antigas destacam-se formas do séc. I a.C., como ânforas vinárias provenientes da zona campana. Muito significativas são também as produções tardo-antigas, representadas por ânforas orientais, a par de sigillata e cerâmicas comuns.

The topics of learning and cultural transmission resonate
among anthropologists. How and why behaviors, beliefs, and ideas are learned and shared among a group of people and transmit- ted from one generation to the next lies at the heart
of our discipline. It is foundational to the understanding of cultural persistence and change. What factors influence people to perpetuate or deviate from the behaviors of other group members? How are social group boundaries pro- duced, maintained, and changed by the cumulative outcome of these decisions? Archaeologists are well positioned to study the material consequences of these processes. Indeed, archaeological research in many domains—including style, artifact distributional patterning, and chronology construction—depends on understanding the mechanisms and
manifestations of cultural transmission. Therefore, three key avenues of research—the socially organized nature of learning, cultural transmission, and cultural boundaries—form the basis of this volume. The boundaries we describe, however, are not only those found within and between
societies that we study (past and present); they are also found within and between communities of scholars who study them. Our dual goals are to identify salient issues that are germane to discrete (and sometimes opposed) research programs, and to offer new ethnographically-derived case studies that offer insights to scholars who employ a range of different intellectual paradigms.

Een groot deel van het aardewerk is niet aan een periode toe te schrijven. In totaal werden 389
scherven gevonden waarvan er 252 konden worden geanalyseerd. Slechts drie scherven uit de
opgraving hebben kenmerken die passen bij het middenneolithische aardewerk van het
proefsleuvenonderzoek. Twaalf scherven dateren uit het Laat-Neolithicum. De grootste groep van
dateerbare scherven (n=53) stamt uit de periode van de Late Bronstijd tot en met de IJzertijd. De
resterende 184 scherven hebben geen kenmerken die eenduidige identificatie tot één van de
bovengenoemde groepen mogelijk maakt. Dit wijst er op dat praktisch al het middenneolitisch
aardewerk is aangetroffen bij het vooronderzoek en dat de opgraving heeft geresulteerd in slechts
drie(!) nieuwe fragmenten. Dit beeld is door de vele ondetermineerbare stukken wel enigszins
vertekend.
Een alternatieve verklaring kan zijn dat de vondsten uit de overgang dateren van de Late Steinfase
naar de Bekerperiode en dat er feitelijk geen twee neolithische fasen zijn, maar eerder sprake is
van een Steinfase met EGK60 invloeden.
Het materiaal uit de late prehistorie is matig geconserveerd (veel gruis) en kan bestempeld worden
als nederzettingsaardewerk. Er zijn geen aanwijzingen aangetroffen voor ‘grafaardewerk’ zoals
urnen. Daarnaast is residu op het materiaal waargenomen, wat wijst op kookpotten. Dit zou
beteken dat er binnen het greppelsysteem dat bij het vooronderzoek is aangetroffen wel een
nederzetting verwacht wordt. De mogelijke structuur uit put 2 is daar ook een aanwijzing voor. De
relatie tussen een erf (waaronder in dit geval een woonstalhuis met enkele bijgebouwen wordt
verstaan) en greppels is niet duidelijk en het kan niet worden uitgesloten dat het erf buiten het te
ontwikkelen plangebied ligt.
De analyse van het aardewerk laat zien dat op de vindplaats sprake is van een palimpsest; de
materiële neerslag van verschillende acties of gebruiksfasen over een lange periode. Er zijn
activiteiten te onderscheiden uit zowel het Midden- en Laat-Neolithicum, als ook de Late Bronstijd
en Vroege IJzertijd. Dit gegeven geeft in een breder kader aan dat de locatie in diverse perioden
voldeed aan specifieke voorwaarden voor landgebruik. Dat is belangrijke informatie over het
gebruik van het Maasdal in diachrone zin en levert belangrijke bouwstenen voor het begrijpen van
prehistorisch gebruik van het landschap in het algemeen en die van de Maasvallei in het bijzonder.

This paper challenges the conventional characterisation of glazed ware productions in the eastern Mediterranean, especially the ones which did not feature the use of opaque or tin-glazed technology, as technologically stagnant and unsusceptible to broader socioeconomic developments from the late medieval period onwards. Focusing on the Cypriot example, we devise a new approach that combines scientific analyses (thin-section petrography and SEM-EDS) and a full consideration of the chaîne opératoire in context to highlight the changes in technology and craft organisation of glazed ware productions concentrating in the Paphos, Famagusta and Lapithos region during the thirteenth to seventeenth centuries CE. Our results indicate that the Paphos production was short-lived, lasting from the establishment of Frankish rule in Cyprus in the thirteenth century to the aftermath of the fall of the Crusader campaigns in the fourteenth century. However, glazed ware production continued in Famagusta and Lapithos from the late thirteenth/fourteenth centuries through to the seventeenth century, using technical practices that were evidently different from the Paphos production. It is possible that these productions were set up to serve the new, local demands deriving from an intensification of commercial activities on the island. Further changes occurred to the technical practices of the Famagusta and Lapithos productions around the 16th/17th centuries, coinciding with the displacement of populations and socio-political organisation brought by the Ottoman rule.