Investigating the Ancient Craftsmanship: Comprehensive Analysis of Composition and Sintering Techniques in Jiangzhai Painted Pottery
Source abstract
Abstract
Delving into the past through the study of pottery, this research employs scientific techniques to explore Jiangzhai pottery from circa 3000–4000 BCE. The investigation revealed that the red and grey pottery, despite their color differences, have similar elemental compositions, suggesting that these variations are not due to elemental differences but likely due to a higher concentration of Fe3+ in the red pottery. Analysis of the pigments using elemental analysis, polarized light microscopy, and XRD showed that the red pigment contains ochre, the black is a mix of pyrolusite and magnetite, and the white is composed of calcite. Additionally, thermal expansion analysis determined that the firing temperature of Jiangzhai colored pottery is around 1050 °C, with similar temperatures for both red and grey pottery, suggesting that kiln operations like stacking or overlapping are likely causes of the color variations. This study not only broadens our understanding of ancient pottery-making techniques and cultural practices but also emphasizes the critical role of scientific analysis in preserving and interpreting the rich artistic and technological legacy of ancient cultures.
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Research context
OpenAlex topics: Cultural Heritage Materials Analysis · Conservation Techniques and Studies · Building materials and conservation
SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.
Affiliations
Engineering Research Center of Historical Cultural Heritage Conservation, Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an 710062, China
Xi’an Banpo Museum, Xi’an 710038, China
Funding
National Science Foundation of China (NSFC) · Natural Science Basic Research Plan in Shaanxi Province of China · Young Talent Fund of the University Association for Science and Technology in Shaanxi, China · Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities · School of Materials Science and Engineering at Shaanxi Normal University
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