The systematic structural studies of some Byzantine ceramic fragments from Dobrudja region of Romania: Raman spectroscopy, neutron diffraction, and imaging data

Abstract

The systematic studies of composition and spatial distribution of main phases inside volume of 25 fragments of Byzantine ceramic obtained in archeological works in the Dobrudja region, Romania, have been performed using neutron diffraction and tomography, and Raman spectroscopy. The obtained structural data on the content of phases, the presence of calcite grains and pores, and the uniformity of phase spatial distribution made it possible to systematize the studied fragments and correlate them with clay sources or pottery workshop. The experimental possibilities of neutron methods of nondestructive structural diagnostics as well as the structural markers provided by them in the studies of ceramic samples are discussed.