Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
3.9
2.5
Journals
Minerals
Special Issues
Archaeological Ceramic Diagenesis
share announcement

Archaeological Ceramic Diagenesis

A special issue of Minerals (ISSN 2075-163X). This special issue belongs to the section "Crystallography and Physical Chemistry of Minerals & Nanominerals".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (5 February 2021) | Viewed by 16038

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Mark Golitko

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Anthropology, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
Interests: Pacific and European prehistory; social networks; archaeochemistry; obsidian; ceramics

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The potential for post-burial conditions to alter the mineralogical and elemental composition of archaeological ceramics was noted in some of the earliest compositional analyses by petrography and chemistry. Yet, many such studies still do not address this potential, assuming that observed and measured composition reflects that which was present at the time of production. Several decades of research have examined in detail the potential for elemental leaching, recrystallization of mineral phases, and the impacts of initial composition and firing temperature and different burial environments on the environmental stability of archaeological ceramics. This Special Issue brings together experts in both elemental and mineralogical studies of ancient pottery to provide an up-to-date overview of the processes of post-burial alteration that archaeological ceramicists should take into account during their compositional studies.

Dr. Mark Golitko
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Minerals is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • ceramics
  • post-depositional alteration
  • diagenesis
  • elemental chemistry
  • mineralogy
  • sourcing
  • burial environment
  • petrography
  • firing

Published Papers (6 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Editorial

Jump to: Research

4 pages, 183 KiB  
Editorial
Editorial for Special Issue “Archaeological Ceramic Diagenesis”
by Mark Golitko
Minerals 2021, 11(10), 1034; https://doi.org/10.3390/min11101034 - 24 Sep 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1320
Abstract
In their seminal publication on neutron activation analysis of archaeological ceramics, Sayre, Dodson, and Burr Thompson [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Archaeological Ceramic Diagenesis)

Research

Jump to: Editorial

25 pages, 10840 KiB  
Article
Alterations and Contaminations in Ceramics Deposited in Underwater Environments: An Experimental Approach
by Uxue Sanchez-Garmendia, Javier G. Iñañez and Gorka Arana
Minerals 2021, 11(7), 766; https://doi.org/10.3390/min11070766 - 15 Jul 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2406
Abstract
Ancient ceramics recovered after a long burial period have probably undergone several alterations and contaminations, introducing a chemical variability, affecting the ceramic’s natural variability. That is, the chemical and the mineralogical compositions of the ceramic pastes after their deposition will not be the [...] Read more.
Ancient ceramics recovered after a long burial period have probably undergone several alterations and contaminations, introducing a chemical variability, affecting the ceramic’s natural variability. That is, the chemical and the mineralogical compositions of the ceramic pastes after their deposition will not be the same as they originally were. Therefore, it is known that the alteration and contamination processes, and the discrimination of some elements, should be considered when studying the ceramics to avoid incorrect interpretations about their provenance, technology and the use of the artefact, as well as its proper preservation. In the present work, the authors performed an experimental approach in order to study the alterations and contaminations that occurred in 60 ceramic cylinders buried in two different underwater environments. Once the pieces were taken out from the water environments, they were characterized by a multi-analytical approach. For this purpose, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy–energy dispersive spectrometry (SEM–EDS) and Raman spectroscopy were used. Newly formed minerals of different forms have been identified, with different crystallization grades. Some examples are the needles, flakes, sponges and long and short prisms composed of several elements such as Ca, F, S and O. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Archaeological Ceramic Diagenesis)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

33 pages, 10040 KiB  
Article
Post-Depositional Alteration of Calcium Carbonate Phases in Archaeological Ceramics: Depletion and Redistribution Effects
by William D. Gilstrap, Jennifer L. Meanwell, Elizabeth H. Paris, Roberto López Bravo and Peter M. Day
Minerals 2021, 11(7), 749; https://doi.org/10.3390/min11070749 - 09 Jul 2021
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3821
Abstract
The final stage in the life history of prehistoric pottery prior to archaeological recovery is usually the longest, and frequently the most dynamic. The remains of archaeological ceramics spend hundreds to thousands of years deposited within the upper layers of the earth’s crust [...] Read more.
The final stage in the life history of prehistoric pottery prior to archaeological recovery is usually the longest, and frequently the most dynamic. The remains of archaeological ceramics spend hundreds to thousands of years deposited within the upper layers of the earth’s crust where they encounter the same diagenetic environmental processes as the surrounding natural materials. Harsh conditions of subterranean environments induce physical stresses and chemical reactions, causing alterations of ceramic structure and composition. This is especially true of carbonate-rich ceramics, as carbonate phases are soluble when deposited within acidic environments. This paper examines common carbonate depletion and accretion effects of post-depositional environments on ancient ceramics from two rather different geological and archaeological contexts: Mesoamerica and the Mediterranean. Potters in both regions produce vessels with carbonate-rich materials—clays, calcite, limestone—that alter due to long exposure to low-pH sediments and continual water table fluctuations. Ceramic petrography is employed to identify traces of carbonate alterations within ceramic microstructure and to characterize fabrics. Elemental compositions of the same sherds are characterized through either scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive spectrometry (SEM-EDS), inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and optical emission spectrometry (ICP-MS/OES) or neutron activation analysis (NAA). This method enabled comparison of the differing effects of post-depositional alteration of carbonate phases on bulk composition signatures commonly used to determine provenance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Archaeological Ceramic Diagenesis)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

13 pages, 1715 KiB  
Article
Lead Isotopes to Identify Underwater Ceramic Contamination: The Example of the Kyrenia Shipwreck (Cyprus)
by Virginie Renson and Michael D. Glascock
Minerals 2021, 11(6), 625; https://doi.org/10.3390/min11060625 - 12 Jun 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1849
Abstract
We present the lead isotopic composition of ceramic fragments from the Kyrenia shipwreck (Cyprus), selected from three chemical groups related to the Rhodes and Alimos regions (Greece). Fragments of the lead sheathing covering the ship’s hull and biogenic material formed on some of [...] Read more.
We present the lead isotopic composition of ceramic fragments from the Kyrenia shipwreck (Cyprus), selected from three chemical groups related to the Rhodes and Alimos regions (Greece). Fragments of the lead sheathing covering the ship’s hull and biogenic material formed on some of the ceramic sherds, were analyzed along with sherds from the Rhodes and Alimos source areas for comparison. The objective of this paper was to evaluate the impact of the seawater environment on the isotopic signature of the ceramics, and on our ability to use lead isotopes to source ceramics recovered from seawater. The results showed that the lead isotopic composition of the shipwreck ceramics was modified by its prolonged proximity to the lead hull sheathing. The lead signature of filtering marine organisms encrusted on the ceramics provided support for this hypothesis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Archaeological Ceramic Diagenesis)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

18 pages, 6377 KiB  
Article
Down to the Crust: Chemical and Mineralogical Analysis of Ceramic Surface Encrustations on Bronze Age Ceramics from Békés 103, Eastern Hungary
by Mark Golitko, Alyssa McGrath, Attila Kreiter, Ian V. Lightcap, Paul R. Duffy, Györgyi M. Parditka and Julia I. Giblin
Minerals 2021, 11(4), 436; https://doi.org/10.3390/min11040436 - 20 Apr 2021
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2592
Abstract
Békés 103, a primarily Middle Bronze Age (c. 1600–1280 calBC) cemetery and settlement on the Great Hungarian Plain, has been investigated by the BAKOTA project since 2011. Ceramics from the site are covered in dense white concretions, and it has been noted during [...] Read more.
Békés 103, a primarily Middle Bronze Age (c. 1600–1280 calBC) cemetery and settlement on the Great Hungarian Plain, has been investigated by the BAKOTA project since 2011. Ceramics from the site are covered in dense white concretions, and it has been noted during compositional analyses that these vessels exhibit elevated concentrations of several potentially mobile elements in comparison to vessels from regional tell sites. Here, we use a multimethod (optical mineralogy, FT-IR, XRD, XPS, PXRF, SEM-EDS, and LA-ICP-MS) mineralogical and chemical approach to characterize the composition of surface encrustations on ceramics samples from Békés 103. We also chemically map interior paste composition using LA-ICP-MS to identify potential leaching of mobile elements into or out of vessel bodies. We demonstrate that the surface encrustations are primarily composed of calcite but also contain a variety of other mineral and organic constituents indicative of deposition of soil carbonates, phosphates, nitrates, and other inorganic and organic components. We further document the leaching of several mobile elements into ceramic pastes as well as formation of secondary calcite along void, pore, and temper boundaries. The presence of cremated bone and possibly bone ash in close vicinity to many of the studied vessels may also have contributed to the observed patterns of diagenesis. It is likely that similar post-burial processes might affect ceramics from other sites located in low-lying, seasonally inundated contexts. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Archaeological Ceramic Diagenesis)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

28 pages, 8477 KiB  
Article
Chemical Mapping to Evaluate Post-Depositional Diagenesis among the Earliest Ceramics in the Teotihuacan Valley, Mexico
by Wesley D. Stoner and Barry J. Shaulis
Minerals 2021, 11(4), 384; https://doi.org/10.3390/min11040384 - 03 Apr 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2492
Abstract
Chemical and mineral sourcing techniques are commonly employed in archaeology to reconstruct patterns of ceramic exchange and raw material procurement practices for the past, but the effects of post-depositional diagenesis are still often ignored despite a number of key studies warning that the [...] Read more.
Chemical and mineral sourcing techniques are commonly employed in archaeology to reconstruct patterns of ceramic exchange and raw material procurement practices for the past, but the effects of post-depositional diagenesis are still often ignored despite a number of key studies warning that the composition of ceramics from archaeological deposits often diverges greatly from their original composition at the time of production. This current study on diagenesis derives from a large chemical and petrographic analysis of some of the earliest ceramics (1500–100 cal Before Common Era [BCE]) in the Basin of Mexico at a time when the development of ceramic trade networks helped to spread early stylistic canons across Mesoamerica. One important site, Altica, consistently presents ceramics that are high in barium. We use laser ablation-inductively coupled plazma—mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) to map the cross-sections of several samples from this site with the idea that post-depositional intake of mobile cations would appear as enriched at the surfaces of the pottery and around pores. Conversely, cations that leach out of the fabric would exhibit depleted concentrations in those same areas. We find that barium and a suite of other elements (e.g., copper, zinc, lead, tin, arsenic, calcium, strontium, and vanadium) have been chemically altered due to nearly 3000 years of burial in the soil. We explore the implications of those revelations for properly sourcing archaeological ceramics found at the Altica site and provide additional guidance for archaeologists and geochemists who employ ceramic compositional sourcing elsewhere. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Archaeological Ceramic Diagenesis)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-6
Back to TopTop