Micro-Raman study of black and red decorations of Neolithic Yangshao potteries excavated from Taiyuan city, Shanxi province, China (c. 3000 BCE)

Abstract

Yangshao culture, as the most important Neolithic culture in China, is famous for its finely decorated pottery. In this work, Yangshao potteries excavated in Shanxi province, one of the core distribution areas, were studied by micro-Raman spectroscopy combined with optical microscopy, X-ray fluorescence, and scanning electron microscopy equipped with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The color of the red decor is derived from hematite and maghemite. The black decorations on the surface are more complex, which could be divided into two types according to the Mn/Fe ratios and crystalline types: (1) low MnO₂/Fe₂O₃ ratio and jacobsite and magnetite and (2) high MnO₂/Fe₂O₃ ratio and hausmannite. The former color is obviously brighter than the latter. This study also demonstrates the potential of micro-Raman microscopy in analyzing the nature of colorant crystals in Yangshao painted potteries and, therefore, better deciphering the technical details involved in the potteries of Yangshao culture.