ArchaeometryPub Date : 2025-02-08DOI: 10.1111/arcm.13064
Zuzanna Sarnecka, Chiara Mazzocchi, Arleta Chwalik, Elżbieta Musialik, Małgorzata Pisulińska, Ewa Katarzyna Świetlicka, Jerzy Tarasiuk, Mirosław Wachowiak, Letizia Bonizzoni
{"title":"Technical changes in the glaze composition of tin-glazed sculptures by Benedetto Buglioni c. 1490–1510","authors":"Zuzanna Sarnecka, Chiara Mazzocchi, Arleta Chwalik, Elżbieta Musialik, Małgorzata Pisulińska, Ewa Katarzyna Świetlicka, Jerzy Tarasiuk, Mirosław Wachowiak, Letizia Bonizzoni","doi":"10.1111/arcm.13064","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/arcm.13064","url":null,"abstract":"<p>During the 15th and into the mid-16th centuries, tin-glazed terracotta sculptures were celebrated for their luminous colours, perceived durability, and technical ingenuity of the novel medium. Although in high demand, the supply of these pieces was restricted because of the secrecy of the recipes used by the pioneers of the technique on the Italian peninsula, namely the Della Robbia family. As the Della Robbia workshop procedures did not come down to us in a written form, art historical scholarship has focused on retrieving the original recipes through scientific analyses of surviving pieces. Building on those investigations, this article addresses the technique of another master of tin-glazed terracotta sculpture, namely Benedetto Buglioni (1459/1460–1521). Buglioni likely experienced the Della Robbia production first hand as he trained in Andrea della Robbia's (1435–1525) workshop. He began his independent sculptural activity in the 1480s. For the present study, two of his figures, now in Polish collections, dated to the most prolific period of his artistic career, have been examined using X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF). The interpretation of the results is informed by previous examinations of the Della Robbia glazes, as well as by contemporary written sources, including an early 16th-century recipe book from Montelupo, Tuscany. The present study reconsiders the understanding of the Buglioni glazes as merely derivative and inferior to the surfaces of the Della Robbia sculptures. The physical examination of Benedetto Buglioni's works reveals a high degree of experimentation in his approach to the medium of tin-glazed terracotta.</p>","PeriodicalId":8254,"journal":{"name":"Archaeometry","volume":"67 4","pages":"984-1000"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-02-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/arcm.13064","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144551322","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ArchaeometryPub Date : 2025-01-11DOI: 10.1111/arcm.13057
Yi Gao, Siran Liu, Zhenfei Sun
{"title":"Determining firing temperature of clay-based archaeological materials with FTIR absorptivity method","authors":"Yi Gao, Siran Liu, Zhenfei Sun","doi":"10.1111/arcm.13057","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/arcm.13057","url":null,"abstract":"<p>FTIR analysis has been proven to be a useful tool in measuring the firing temperature of archaeological sediments and ceramics. A recent development of this method is the finding of a negative correlation between absorptivity of 1030 cm<sup>−1</sup> band and the firing temperatures. With potassium ferricyanide (K<sub>3</sub>[Fe (CN)<sub>6</sub>]) added as an internal standard, the 1030 cm<sup>−1</sup> absorptivity can be measured quantitatively to reflect firing temperature of samples. However, the following investigations show that the 1030 cm<sup>−1</sup> absorptivity can also be influenced by a series of other factors including homogeneity of sample, the mixing duration between sample, internal standard, and KBr, as well as grinding time of sample and internal standard. This research quantifies the influence of these factors and recommends the best practice for using this method. The heat-induced absorptivity change of characteristic bands of archaeological clay-based materials is then monitored, revealing that 1030 cm<sup>−1</sup> band was the most optimal temperature indicator. Based on a series of Kruskal-Wallis one-way analyses, it is determined that for samples fired over 400°C, the absorptivity ratio of 1030 cm<sup>−1</sup>/778 cm<sup>−1</sup> can be used to estimate its original firing temperature. However, for those fired below 400°C, K<sub>3</sub>[Fe (CN)<sub>6</sub>] has to be added and the ratio of 1030 cm<sup>−1</sup>/2117 cm<sup>−1</sup> is more proper for quantifying its original firing temperature. The sediments from two different sites were then artificially fired to varied temperatures and tested following the analytical protocol established in this research. The results demonstrate the high accuracy of this method and its great potential in future study of ancient pyrotechnologies.</p>","PeriodicalId":8254,"journal":{"name":"Archaeometry","volume":"67 4","pages":"950-965"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-01-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144551229","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ArchaeometryPub Date : 2025-01-11DOI: 10.1111/arcm.13059
Maura Fugazzotto, Maria Cristina Caggiani, Marilisa Yolanda Spironello, Germana Barone, Paolo Mazzoleni
{"title":"First insight into gemstones on historical ecclesiastical artefacts in Sicily (17th-19th centuries): A non-invasive survey","authors":"Maura Fugazzotto, Maria Cristina Caggiani, Marilisa Yolanda Spironello, Germana Barone, Paolo Mazzoleni","doi":"10.1111/arcm.13059","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/arcm.13059","url":null,"abstract":"<p>A wide production of ecclesiastical artefacts is traceable in Sicily between the 17th and 19th centuries, admirable in many diocesan museums. Nevertheless, these artefacts were never studied from an archaeometric point of view: Beyond their historical value, it is time to understand whether the information concerning the decorating gemstones is reliable. In situ investigations through portable instrumentations (Raman spectroscopy and portable X-ray fluorescence) were performed on the gems decorating monstrances, a reliquary, and an archbishop's <i>insignia</i>, kept in two museums at Caltagirone (Sicily). The analyses in some cases confirmed the identification, whereas in others they contradicted the pre-existing information.</p>","PeriodicalId":8254,"journal":{"name":"Archaeometry","volume":"67 4","pages":"966-983"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-01-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/arcm.13059","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144551230","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ArchaeometryPub Date : 2025-01-05DOI: 10.1111/arcm.13056
Mark Pollard, Ruiliang Liu, Yun Zhang
{"title":"Investigation of the recycling of Han Chinese bronze mirrors into Japanese imitation mirrors","authors":"Mark Pollard, Ruiliang Liu, Yun Zhang","doi":"10.1111/arcm.13056","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/arcm.13056","url":null,"abstract":"<p>We revisit the chemical data on imitation Japanese bronze mirrors of the Kofun period (c. 300–538 CE), which Hisao Mabuchi (馬淵久夫) has used to suggest that these mirrors were made from broken imported Han-style mirrors diluted with additional copper. Using a different approach, we confirm that the composition of these mirrors is consistent with Mabuchi's suggestion. In addition, we can use data from our model to take this analysis further, by combining the elemental and lead isotope data, determining how much each source contributes to the lead in the mirrors, and calculating the possible isotope composition of the lead in the imported mirrors and in the added copper. This shows that both the mirrors and the added copper are unlikely to contain Japanese lead. As Mabuchi suggested, there appears to have been a trade in both Han-style mirrors and copper ingots from China to Japan in the Kofun period. Not only does this work support the previous conclusions, but it also sets out a new methodological approach that can be used to further such research.</p>","PeriodicalId":8254,"journal":{"name":"Archaeometry","volume":"67 4","pages":"937-949"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-01-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/arcm.13056","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144550958","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ArchaeometryPub Date : 2024-12-31DOI: 10.1111/arcm.13061
Ding Ma, Lin Xi, Wugan Luo, Bo Zhang, Na Zhang, Shargan Wangdue
{"title":"Study on the glazed tiles of the Wenjiangduo site, Tibet, China (7th–9th centuries CE)","authors":"Ding Ma, Lin Xi, Wugan Luo, Bo Zhang, Na Zhang, Shargan Wangdue","doi":"10.1111/arcm.13061","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/arcm.13061","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The Central Plains of China have a long history of using glazed tiles on high-level architectural structures. This architectural practice also had a profound impact on ancient Tibet. This study selected glazed tiles belonging to the Tubo period (7th–9th centuries CE), unearthed from the Wenjiangduo site, Lhasa city, Tibet Autonomous Region, China. A series of scientific analyses are presented, including X-ray fluorescence, optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy–energy-dispersive spectrometry, X-ray diffraction, dilatometry, and multicollector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The results reveal SiO<sub>2</sub>–Na<sub>2</sub>O, SiO<sub>2</sub>–PbO, SiO<sub>2</sub>–Na<sub>2</sub>O–PbO, and SiO<sub>2</sub>–CaO–Na<sub>2</sub>O systems in the glazes. The bodies can be divided into two categories: calcareous and noncalcareous. The original firing temperatures were likely between 900°C and 1000°C. The lead isotopes indicate that the provenance of lead material for glaze was in Tibet. The comparisons of glazing techniques reveal influences from the Central Plains of China and South and Southeast Asia, and provide new insights into the cultural interaction between Tibet and its surrounding regions in the Tubo period.</p>","PeriodicalId":8254,"journal":{"name":"Archaeometry","volume":"67 4","pages":"917-936"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144551372","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Scientific research on white potteries from the Nanzuo site in Qingyang, Gansu province","authors":"Hanjun Wu, Jianye Han, Xiaoning Zhang, Jianfeng Cui, Guoke Chen","doi":"10.1111/arcm.13051","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/arcm.13051","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Located in Qingyang, Gansu province, China, the Nanzuo site on the Loess Plateau is a large-scale, high-ranking central settlement of the late Yangshao period with capital city characteristics. We used a thermal dilatometer, energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF), optical microscope, scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectrometer to analyse the firing temperature, composition, microstructure and phase composition of the white potteries in the Nanzuo site. The results indicate that kaolin, china stone and local fusible white clay are the raw materials of the body. The surface coatings of white potteries are formed from shells. The main constituents that make up the internal surface coating are aragonite and calcite, which are derived from the prismatic and nacreous layers of shells. The external surface coating is composed of CaCO<sub>3</sub> nanoparticles that arrange themselves as aragonite tablets within the nacreous layer. This exceptional pottery-making technique is exclusive to Nanzuo and has not been reported at any other site in the world. This technique is significant for researchers to deepen our understanding of pottery-making technology history in China.</p>","PeriodicalId":8254,"journal":{"name":"Archaeometry","volume":"67 4","pages":"902-916"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-12-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144551296","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Metallurgical study of copper objects from the Varanasi region, India (1200 BCE to 400 CE)","authors":"Prabhakar Upadhyay, Rajalakshmi Sivarajan, Vibha Tripathi, Chandan Upadhyay","doi":"10.1111/arcm.13054","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/arcm.13054","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This study aims to investigate ancient Indian copper metallurgy based on selected copper artifacts recovered from India. The collected objects belong to the period c. 1200 BCE to 400 CE. The paper discusses the analysis of seven artifacts from two archaeological sites (Agiabir and Raipura) around the Varanasi region in Northern India. The study explores the manufacturing techniques and alloying practices applied to the artifacts by analyzing the excavated objects using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy. The microstructure of the artifacts revealed the practice of annealing, casting, and forging. Elemental analysis of these objects shows that most of the artifacts are copper–tin alloys, having varying amounts of tin. This study indicates that the tin amount has been varied according to the object's functionality.</p>","PeriodicalId":8254,"journal":{"name":"Archaeometry","volume":"67 4","pages":"892-901"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-12-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144551382","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ArchaeometryPub Date : 2024-12-23DOI: 10.1111/arcm.13050
Giovanni Cavallo, Maria Pia Riccardi, Roberto Zorzin
{"title":"A mineralogical and geochemical database of Fe-bearing mineral pigments from the south-eastern alpine region","authors":"Giovanni Cavallo, Maria Pia Riccardi, Roberto Zorzin","doi":"10.1111/arcm.13050","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/arcm.13050","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The provenance of yellow, red, and green Fe-bearing mineral pigments used in archaeological and artistic contexts is pivotal in archaeological science providing information on trading activities, commercial routes, and procurement of appropriate raw materials. To support these studies, mineralogical and geochemical databases are required.</p><p>The research presents a complete database of raw materials collected in the western sector of the Lessini Mountains (Venetian Pre-Alps in NE Italy) based on mineralogical (X-ray Powder Diffraction; XRPD) and geochemical (Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectroscopy; ICP-MC) data, providing a solid reference archive for provenance studies.</p>","PeriodicalId":8254,"journal":{"name":"Archaeometry","volume":"67 4","pages":"870-891"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-12-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144551333","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ArchaeometryPub Date : 2024-12-21DOI: 10.1111/arcm.13045
Alexandre Bodet, Fabien Pilon, Corinne Arvieu
{"title":"From copper-based alloys to coins—Part I: Metallurgical characterization from complex manufacturing processes of imitation coins dated to the third century CE","authors":"Alexandre Bodet, Fabien Pilon, Corinne Arvieu","doi":"10.1111/arcm.13045","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/arcm.13045","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The evidence for imitation coinage found on the Gallo-Roman site of Châteaubleau (Seine-et-Marne, France) has been attested for several years. Successive excavations and findings related to the production of imitation coins, both struck and cast, have revealed major minting activity during the second half of the third century CE. This paper presents the study of 11 archaeological samples issued from this counterfeiting workshop site, which is today considered the most important in the north-western provinces of the Roman Empire. These samples, which correspond to different stages in the production chains leading to coins, mainly radiates (<i>antoniniani</i>, double <i>sestertii</i>), were characterized by metallography, energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF), scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) and the Vickers hardness test, in order to understand the different manufacturing processes, especially the ‘rod to coin’ one. This project is divided into two parts. The first, which is the subject of this paper, focuses on the chemical and metallurgical study of the archaeological artefacts. This has enabled us to identify and characterize the manufacturing processes thanks to the highly characteristic microstructure of the samples from the rod-to-coins process. Some of the cylinders derived from this process were also silvered by plating a foil of silver or silver–copper on a flan of pure copper in order to obtain irregular radiates. As regards fake double <i>sestertii</i>, several manufacturing techniques were identified: direct moulding of coins in stacked terracotta moulds, the casting of flans to strike double <i>sestertius</i> and the cutting of flans from metal plate is also a technique used in Châteaubleau. Characteristic composition and microstructures were also observed in these samples. This paper will be followed by a second focused on two experimental archaeology sessions carried out in order to reproduce the process ‘from rod to coins’ and then to compare the reproduced samples with the archaeological samples.</p>","PeriodicalId":8254,"journal":{"name":"Archaeometry","volume":"67 4","pages":"839-869"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-12-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144551327","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ArchaeometryPub Date : 2024-12-20DOI: 10.1111/arcm.13052
Stephen D. Stead
{"title":"Representing time in documentation using the CIDOC CRM","authors":"Stephen D. Stead","doi":"10.1111/arcm.13052","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/arcm.13052","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This paper describes the evolution and use of key concepts in the CRM family of standards to document the relationship between the objects and events documented and time. It discusses the differences between phenomenological and declarative time and between absolute and relative dating and how they are implemented in the CRM. It considers the use of periods, spacetime volumes, and the concept of a presence, and finally explores the registration of dates.</p><p>It is intended as an introduction to the richness of the ontological toolset contained in the CRM and its application to recording time.</p>","PeriodicalId":8254,"journal":{"name":"Archaeometry","volume":"67 S1","pages":"74-83"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-12-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144190742","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}