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UNIVERSITY OF BUCHAREST
FACULTY OF PHYSICS Guest
2024-11-22 1:53 |
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Conference: Bucharest University Faculty of Physics 2024 Meeting
Section: Solid State Physics and Materials Science
Title:
Computed tomography and heritage studies: the inner view of prehistoric pottery
Authors:
Oana Daniela CALANCEA(1), Corina Anca SIMION(1), Adina BORONEANȚ(2)
*
Affiliation:
1) Horia Hulubei National Institute for Research-Development in Physics and Nuclear Engineering, 30 Reactorului St, P.O. Box MG 6, 077125, Magurele-Ilfov, Romania
2) Vasile Parvan Institute of Archaeology, 11 Henri Coanda St, 010667, Bucharest, Romania
E-mail
calancea.od.nipne@gmail.com
Keywords:
archaeology, computed tomography, ceramics, radiocarbon dating, heritage objects
Abstract:
The understanding and conservation of cultural heritage and archaeological material culture are significantly impacted today by the use of archaeometric studies. Our presentation focuses on the use of computed tomography to understand the manufacturing techniques and pottery fabrics from the Cuina Turcului rockshelter archaeological site in the Romanian Iron Gates of the Danube. Studies relating to pottery primary forming techniques are relatively scarce in the field of prehistoric ceramic studies although isolated attempts exist for ancient pottery (Classical Greek and Roman periods). As a non-destructive methodology, CT allows the precise visual and computable detection of clay fabric microstructures and inclusions, which are determinant in classifying prehistoric pottery. Our CT images (on an assemblage of over 150 pot sherds and various other clay objects, so far) clearly indicate forming techniques in the specific texture of the ceramic matrix, as suggested by the orientation of the voids and the inclusions in the clay. Also, by comparing experimentally manufactured pots to archaeological samples we were able to determine the nature, density and size of the various types of clay inclusions used by the prehistoric potters. We determined that clay recipes varied greatly during the ages, from the Early Neolithic to the Bronze Age. as indicated by our studies. A significant number of 14C obtained at the AMS facility at IFIN-HH allowed us to precisely link pottery types to the archaeological cultural layers. Our results clearly show the invaluable potential of micro-CT in the study of pottery forming techniques of archaeological vessels. As prehistoric vessels and figurines are heritage objects, the method is also invaluable in assisting restoration and conservation techniques. Our project reinforces the importance of interdisciplinary studies in academic and museum research.
References:
[1] Fuchs et al. 2023, Ten years of experience in digitization of cultural heritage by means of industrial x-ray computed tomography: A summary, Proceedings of the 13th European Conference on Non-Destructive Testing (ECNDT), 3 to 7 of July 2023, Lisbon, Portugal (ECNDT 2023*), Vol. 1(1), https://doi.org/10.58286/28090.
[2] Anal. Methods, 2020, 12, 4496, DOI: 10.1039/d0ay90112a
[3] Stan-Sion et al. 2015, A new and compact system at the AMS laboratory in Bucharest, Nuclear Instruments & Methods in Physics Research Section B - Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms, Vol. 361, pp. 105–109.
[4] Sava et al. 2019, Status Report on the Sample Preparation Laboratory for Radiocarbon Dating at the New Bucharest Roams Center, Radiocarbon, Vol. 61(2), pp. 649-658.
Acknowledgement:
The radiocarbon dating was carried out within the NUCLEU project, project PN 23210201 and PN 23210102, financed by the Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digitization Romania. The experiments were carried out at Tandetron™ 1MV accelerator from Horia Hulubei National Institute for R&D in Physics and Nuclear Engineering (IFIN-HH), and were supported by the Romanian Government Program through National Program for Infrastructure of National Interest (IOSIN funds).
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