Scientific study of late Neolithic post-firing painted pottery from Dawenkou culture at Jiaojia site, in China

Abstract

During the late Neolithic period, post-firing painted pottery witnessed a gradual transformation becoming an exclusively sought-after item by high-ranking social groups in China, symbolizing wealth or social status. With inter-regional cultural exchanges intensifying, post-firing painted pottery, originally popular in the Songze culture, extended to other regions. A route for post-firing painted pottery was established between the Yangtze River and Yellow River basins, encompassing the Songze, Dawenkou, Taosi and Shimao cultures. The Dawenkou culture played a significant role, serving as an intermediate link, as is evident. From recent excavations at the Jiaojia site, the earliest known urban settlement in Dawenkou culture, which yielded a significant volume of post-firing painted pottery. This paper presents a scientific and technical analysis of the body and pigments of post-firing painted pottery at the site. The study demonstrated that the clay used for making the ceramic body came from fusible clay available in the vicinity; red ochre was used for red pigmentation, yellow ochre for yellow, green earth for green, while the mineral for the white pigment was likely a mixture of lime white or chalk with shell white. The findings indicate that the mineral composition of the diverse pigment types at the Jiaojia and Shimao sites was relatively similar. Notably, both sites employed the rare green earth pigment, providing compelling scientific and technological evidence of a close association between the post-firing painted pottery in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River.