Investigation of Pottery from Different Neolithic Sites in Southeast Albania Using Various Analytical Techniques

Abstract

In this paper we will consider the results of the investigation of ceramic shards from four Neolithic sites located in the south-east of Albania using different analytical methods. The sites of Vashtëmi, Podgori, Dunavec and Maliq, situated at the plateau of Korça, represent the Neolithic culture at the different stages from Early Neolithic to Eneolithic. The application of EDXRF, micro-XRF, XRD and Optical Microscopy (OM) allowed us to collect data on the mineralogical and elemental composition of the ceramics and the materials used for the external decorations. The results indicate that coarse to medium coarse, non-calcareous clays were used for the ceramic manufacture in all the sites. Mineral inclusions rich in Si, Ca, K, and Fe were identified, some of which could have been intentionally added to the clays during the production process. The similarities of the elemental composition of the shards indicate that the ceramics in each site were prepared from different clay deposits that should have been close to each site. Minerals rich in Ca, Fe and Mn have been used respectively for the white, red and dark brown surface decorations, while bitumen has been applied after the firing in a black decoration.

Spectroscopic Study of White Pigments in the Decoration of Neolithic Pottery in the Region of the Thracian Valley, Bulgaria

“…Serving as a primary raw material, the knowledge of its use remains unaffected by trade and cultural traditions. The utilization of calcite-based white decoration has been observed all over the Balkan Neolithic [16,18,19,21,24,42].…”

“…In the remaining Balkan countries, studies are rather sporadic, focusing on a limited number of ceramic fragments. Nonetheless, a discernible dependency in the use of various raw materials can be traced across different epochs [17][18][19][20]. In Bulgaria, the archaeometric analysis of pigments used for decorating Neolithic pottery is still in its early stages and exhibits a sporadic nature [6,[21][22][23][24].…”