| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1035676 | Journal of Archaeological Science | 2012 | 12 Pages |
A new method for determining the maximum firing temperature of ceramics and burnt clay is presented. The technique relies on measuring the magnetic susceptibility on a step-wise re-fired sample. The validity of the method has been tested by determining firing temperatures of two sets of clay samples fired at temperatures ranging from 400 to 1000 °C. Aliquots of the same samples have been studied petrographically by optical microscopy on thin sections and analyzed by powder X-ray diffraction in order to monitor structural and mineralogical changes as a function of temperature. The method is demonstrated on samples from four geographically widely different sites and it is applied to a larger set of ceramics of Late (ca. AD 900–AD 1450) and Inca (ca. AD 1480–AD 1532) periods from the Northwestern Argentine region, dating to a limited period of time prior to the fall of the Inca Empire. The method is shown to be a powerful tool in revealing archaeological information about the change in firing technologies in the pre-Hispanic societies in the Andean area through time.
Graphical abstractFigure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload high-quality image (155 K)Download as PowerPoint slideHighlights► New method for experimental determination of firing temperature of pottery, brick and burnt clay. ► Validation of the method by measuring firing temperature on clay samples pre-fired in the lab. ► XRD and microscopy show which mineral changes cause the change in the magnetic susceptibility. ► Method tested on samples from 4 sites around the world with different geology. ► Method tested on a larger set of samples from closely spaced Inca sites of almost similar age.
