Archaeometric characterization of pottery from the Houjiazhai site (ca. 7.3–5.7 ka BP), Anhui Province, China

Abstract

A combination of polarized light microscopy (PLM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), neutron activation analysis (NAA) and thermogravimetry (TG) was used on the pottery from the Houjiazhai site in Anhui, China. The analytical data demonstrate that the clay raw material of the Houjiazhai pottery clay was ordinary fusible clay. Phase I pottery consisted of shell-tempered pottery (with a high CaO content), plant-tempered pottery (with a high P₂O₅ content), and sand-tempered pottery. The pottery body of Houjiazhai was composed of quartz, feldspars, and minor amounts of mica. In addition, the shell-tempered pottery contains calcite. The results of the NAA analysis suggest that the samples from the two phases have the same place of production. The presence of calcite in the mixture indicates that the firing temperature for shell-tempered pottery from Phase I should not exceed 800 °C, while the thermal expansion curve shows that clay pottery from Phase II could reach 900 °C. Houjiazhai people have made progress in temperature control technology and can fire pottery with higher temperatures.