Multi-analytical Investigation of Early Bronze Age Cooking Pot (Tilbaşar, Turkey)

Authors : Osman Ekinci, Murat Bayazit, Elif Genc

Pages : 1425-1436

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Publication Date : 2020-09-26

Article Type : Research

Abstract :Archaeometric studies, which covers the investigation of archaeological findings by analytical analyses, are in a great demand particularly in last decades. This type of works represent a convenient and directive data basis in terms of achieving substantial knowledge regarding the characteristic ceramics of different civilizations. Being parallel to this, it was aimed to investigate the cooking pot (Early Bronze Age) from Tilbaşar Höyük (Gaziantep, Turkey) in an archaeometric way using multi-analytical methods within the present study. For that purpose, 14 representative samples of cooking pot were characterized by means of scanning electron microscopy together with energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (SEM-EDS), petrography (optical microscopy), Fourier transformed infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, thermogravimetric-differential thermal analysis (TG-DTA) and X-ray diffraction techniques. It was intended to identify the raw material contents and production features (e.g. firing temperature range, micro structural/chemical characteristics) of the ceramics. Considering the whole results, it was seen that the evident presence of primary calcite, and also the absence (or very limited degree) of vitrification in the micro structure suggested a firing temperature range of 700-800oC for the potsherds. Additionally, determination of the carbonates through the multi analytical techniques implied that the ceramics should have been produced by calcareous clays. In this context, it was predicted that the potsherds likely belong to a local and/or regional production (considering the geological formations of the region).
Keywords : Archaeometry, Materials Characterization