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The Missing Step of Pottery chaîne opératoire: Considering Post-firing Treatments on Ceramic Vessels Using Macro- and Microscopic Observation and Molecular Analysis
The Missing Step of Pottery chaîne opératoire: Considering Post-firing Treatments on Ceramic Vessels Using Macro- and Microscopic Observation and Molecular Analysis
- Source :
- Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory, Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory, Springer Verlag, 2020, 27 (2), pp.302-326. ⟨10.1007/s10816-019-09428-8⟩, Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory, Springer Verlag, 2019, ⟨10.1007/s10816-019-09428-8⟩
- Publication Year :
- 2020
- Publisher :
- HAL CCSD, 2020.
-
Abstract
- Post-firing treatments, produced by the interaction of an organic material with the hot surface of a ceramic, are frequently described in ethnographic literature, but have rarely been identified in archaeological ceramic assemblages. In order to address this question, this paper describes a methodology that combines macro- and microscopic observation and molecular analysis. The study of experimental ceramic vessels provided diagnostic tools to identify the type of substances, their liquid or solid state, and their mode of application and attested that the post-firing treatments do not completely waterproof the ceramics. The difficulty to observe macro- and microscopic evidence of post-firing treatments when pots are fired in reducing atmosphere suggests that these processes are probably underestimated in archaeological assemblages. Furthermore, the identification of molecular thermal transformation markers, such as ketones, calls into question their classical interpretation as markers for the cooking of fatty content. This pioneering work highlights the complexity of studying post-firing treatments, which leave small traces that are easily missed or misinterpreted. In order to address this issue, we propose a multi-analytical approach, which can serve as a basis for future studies to explore the full diversity of post-firing treatments mentioned in ethnoarchaeological literature.
- Subjects :
- 010506 paleontology
Archeology
[SHS.ARCHEO]Humanities and Social Sciences/Archaeology and Prehistory
Computer science
Chaîne opératoire
Thermal transformation
Diagnostic tools
01 natural sciences
[CHIM.ANAL]Chemical Sciences/Analytical chemistry
0601 history and archaeology
Ceramic
Macro
Process engineering
ComputingMilieux_MISCELLANEOUS
0105 earth and related environmental sciences
060102 archaeology
business.industry
[CHIM.ORGA]Chemical Sciences/Organic chemistry
06 humanities and the arts
[CHIM.MATE]Chemical Sciences/Material chemistry
[SDE.ES]Environmental Sciences/Environmental and Society
Microscopic observation
Molecular analysis
visual_art
visual_art.visual_art_medium
Pottery
business
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 10725369 and 15737764
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory, Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory, Springer Verlag, 2020, 27 (2), pp.302-326. ⟨10.1007/s10816-019-09428-8⟩, Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory, Springer Verlag, 2019, ⟨10.1007/s10816-019-09428-8⟩
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....cdb9feb5008e6de48f39d9f2b46bf458
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1007/s10816-019-09428-8⟩