scholarly journals Spectroscopic Characterization of Iron Slags from the Archaeological Sites of Brâncoveneşti, Călugăreni and Vătava Located on the Mureş County (Romania) Sector of the Roman Limes

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (15) ◽  
pp. 5373
Author(s):  
Enikő Bitay ◽  
Irina Kacsó ◽  
Claudiu Tănăselia ◽  
Dana Toloman ◽  
Gheorghe Borodi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Raw Materials ◽  
Bulk Composition ◽  
Spectroscopic Characterization ◽  
Archaeological Sites ◽  
Slag Formation ◽  
Absorption Bands ◽  
Iron Slag ◽  
Trace Elemental ◽  
Roman Limes ◽  
Iron Working

Iron slag samples unearthed from archaeological sites lying on the Eastern limes sector of Roman Dacia (the Brâncoveneşti and Călugăreni auxiliary forts and the Vătava watchtower) were studied in order to assess the probability of local iron working (smelting and smithing) during the 2nd–3rd centuries CE. Structural-mineralogic aspects revealed by PXRD analysis and FTIR spectroscopy indicate different slag types corresponding to different iron production and processing stages allowing the supposition that refining of the bloom and processing of the refined iron took place on the sites. The FTIR absorption bands obtained in the spectral domain 2000–400 cm−1 show that mineralogically the samples are constituted mainly of silicates associated with minor quantities of aluminates and carbonates. The fayalite, haematite, and magnetite phases appearing on both the X-ray diffractograms and the FTIR spectra agree with the redox conditions of the slag formation process which result from the Fe3+/Fe2+ ratio determined using the EPR-method. The bulk macro-elemental PXRF and ICP-MS spectroscopy data support the slag typization proposed on the basis of the probable working conditions; trace-elemental bulk composition suggests that the provenance of the raw materials may be different.

scholarly journals African Iron Production and Iron-Working Technologies: Methods

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Louise Iles
Keyword(s):  
Raw Materials ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Central Component ◽  
Iron Production ◽  
Social Changes ◽  
Iron Slag ◽  
The People ◽  
Ceramic Fuel ◽  
Iron Working ◽  
Analytical Approaches

Iron production was a particularly important precolonial African technology, with iron becoming a central component of socioeconomic life in many societies across the continent. Iron-bearing ores are much more abundant in the earth’s crust than those of copper, and in Africa, iron was recovered from these ores using the bloomery process, until the importation of European iron in the later second millennium eventually undermined local production. Although smelting was most intensively focused in regions where all the necessary components of a smelt were plentiful—iron ore, ceramic, fuel, and water—frequent occurrences of small-scale, local iron production mean that iron slag and associated remains are common finds on archaeological sites across Africa. The archaeological remains found on iron production and iron-working sites can provide detailed information about the past processes that were undertaken at these sites, as well as the people involved with the technologies both as practitioners and consumers. A variety of analytical approaches are commonly used by archaeometallurgists to learn more about past iron technologies, particularly those methods that explore the chemistry and mineralogy of archaeological samples. By interpreting the results of these analyses in conjunction with ethnographic, historical, and experimental data, it is possible to reconstruct the techniques and ingredients that past smelters and smiths employed in their crafts, and address important questions concerning the organization of production, the acquisition of raw materials, innovations and changes in technological approach, and the environmental and social changes that accompanied these technologies.

scholarly journals Experimental analysis of lime putty and pozzolan-based mortar for interventions in archaeological sites

2021 ◽  
Vol 54 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesca Autiero ◽  
Meera Ramesh ◽  
Miguel Azenha ◽  
Marco Di Ludovico ◽  
Andrea Prota ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Raw Materials ◽  
Load Capacity ◽  
Ultrasonic Pulse Velocity ◽  
Ultrasonic Pulse ◽  
Pulse Velocity ◽  
Archaeological Sites ◽  
Volcanic Area ◽  
Masonry Structures ◽  
Natural Pozzolan ◽  
Complementary Method

AbstractThe study aims at defining and characterizing a specific restoration mortar for archaeological masonry structures made with traditional materials and to assess the suitability of the mixture compared to other mortars; such a goal is crucial to develop and define interventions in the archaeological sites. The mixture was defined to ensure compatibility with ancient materials and following frequently adopted recommendations at the site, specifically by using: (1) raw materials as similar as possible to the ancient ones; (2) traditional mix design. Therefore, the mixture was made with commercial lime putty CL 90-S type and natural Phlegrean pozzolan, i.e. volcanoclastic material collected from the volcanic area located in the West of Naples in Italy. The precious and limitedly available natural pozzolan used in the experiments resulted in an exclusive mortar which is very similar to the archaeological ones. The mortar has a binder to aggregate ratio 1:3 by volume, according to traditional techniques typically encountered in the ancient Roman city of Pompeii and Vesuvius surrounding area. The evolution of the flexural and compressive strength, elastic modulus, bulk density, open porosity and ultrasonic pulse velocity has been monitored for up to 200 days, based on standard procedures. Moreover, the hardening process was monitored with Differential Thermal Analysis up to 90 days, through the evaluation of phase transitions associated with dehydroxylation and decarboxylation, considering different depths from the external surface of the mortar. The achieved mechanical properties were compatible with those of lime-based mixtures for repair interventions of ancient masonry structures. Moreover, the mortar was found to be well-suited to mitigate cracking, showing a low ratio between its stiffness and load capacity compared to other typologies of mortars used for masonry restoration. Ultrasonic pulse velocity test proved to be a reasonable complementary method to monitor the evolution of the hardened properties of the mortar. Carbonation was found to be still progressing at 90 days. The data presented provide useful and reliable information to approach the complex process of restoration in archeological sites.

scholarly journals A ocupação humana antiga (11-7 mil anos atrás) do Planalto Meridional Brasileiro: caracterização geomorfológica, geológica, paleoambiental e tecnológica de sítios arqueológicos relacionados a três distintas indústrias líticas

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 2553
Author(s):  
Pedro Michelutti Cheliz ◽  
João Carlos Moreno de Sousa ◽  
Gabriela Sartori Mingatos ◽  
Mercedes Okumura ◽  
Astolfo Gomes de Mello Araujo
Keyword(s):  
Significant Variation ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Archaeological Sites ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Human Settlement ◽  
Human Occupation ◽  
Natural Landscapes ◽  
Lithic Artifacts ◽  
The Relationship

Com o objetivo de ponderar conexões entre quadros naturais e a ocupação humana pré-colonial, caracterizou-se os artefatos e a contextualização geomorfológica e ambiental de quatro sítios líticos vinculados a antigos registros de grupos caçadores-coletores do sul e sudeste do Brasil, associados a três distintas indústrias líticas. Elencou-se associação dos sítios com terrenos de baixos declives e altimetrias em seus respectivos contextos (terrenos mais estáveis para fixação humana), adjacentes a córregos e próximos de faixas do terreno que registram maiores inclinações e desníveis verticais, mais propensas a apresentarem afloramentos rochosos (fontes potenciais de matérias-primas para a confecção de ferramentas lascadas). Elencou-se fontes de matérias-primas nos entornos de cada sítio e as matérias-primas associadas aos artefatos, e ponderou-se a correlação entre os dois conjuntos de dados. Analisou-se a relação dos padrões tecnológicos de artefatos líticos com a caracterização petrográfica das matérias-primas, verificando-se quais silcretes semelhantes foram usadas para produção de artefatos distintos. Ainda, verificou-se que alguns dos produtos líticos de um dos sítios analisados mostram padrões tecnológicos semelhantes, mesmo quando obtidos a partir de silcretes distintos. Caracterizou-se ausência de variação significativa dos atributos tecnológicos dos artefatos registrados em diferentes posicionamentos verticais nos perfis das unidades de escavação nas quais foram registrados, mesmo quando mostram-se associados a registros paleoambientais distintos (alternâncias entre climas mais secos que os atuais e condições caracterizadas por incrementos de umidade no intervalo de 11 a 7 mil anos atrás).Palavras chave: sítios arqueológicos líticos; Holoceno Inicial, paleoclimas, ameríndios, geoarqueologia The ancient human occupation (11-7 thousand years ago) of the Southern Brazilian Plateau: geomorphological, geological, paleoenvironmental and technological characterization of archaeological sites related to three distinct lithic industries A B S T R A C T In order to discuss connections between the natural landscapes and pre-colonial human occupation, were characterized the artifacts and the geomorphological and environmental contextualization of four lithic sites linked to ancient records of hunter-gatherer groups from the south and southeast of Brazil, associated with three distinct lithic industries. The association of sites with low slopes and altimetry in their respective contexts (more stable terrains for human settlement), adjacent to rivers and close to terrains that register greater inclinations and vertical unevenness, more likely to present rocky outcrops (potential sources of raw materials for making chipped tools) was listed. Were characterized sources of raw materials in the surroundings of each site, the raw materials associated with the artifacts, and the correlation between the two data sets was considered. The relationship between the technological standards of lithic artifacts and the petrographic characterization of the raw materials was analyzed, verifying which similar raw materials were used to produce different artifacts. Also, it was found that some of the lithic products from one of the analyzed sites show similar technological patterns, even when obtained from different raw materials. There was a lack of significant variation in the technological attributes of the artifacts recorded in different vertical positions in the profiles of the excavation units in which they were recorded, even when they are associated with different paleoenvironmental records (alternations between drier climates than current and others characterized by increments in the moisture between 11 to 7 thousand years ago).Keywords: lithic archaeological sites; Initial Holocene, paleoclimates, amerindians, geoarchaeology 

Experimental implement manufacture and use; a case study from Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania

1981 ◽  
Vol 292 (1057) ◽  
pp. 189-195 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Raw Materials ◽  
Stone Tools ◽  
Technical Level ◽  
Archaeological Sites ◽  
Olduvai Gorge

Experiments involving the manufacture and use of stone tools are described. The original tools that served as models came from two sites in upper bed IV at Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania. The following conclusions are drawn. Widespread use of terms such as ‘crude’ or ‘refined’ in describing stone tools tells us nothing of the technical level achieved by the makers of the assemblages. The different qualities of the available raw materials, the forms in which they occur and how they function when used may have influenced the tool maker’s designs and the morphology of the tools. The experiments suggest uses for the tools that are relevant to our understanding of what is found on some archaeological sites.

Ground Stone Tools from Serra Orlando (Morgantina) and Stone Axe Studies in Sicily and Southern Italy

1989 ◽  
Vol 55 (1) ◽  
pp. 135-159 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Leighton ◽  
J. E. Dixon ◽  
A. M. Duncan
Keyword(s):  
Bronze Age ◽  
Southern Italy ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Preliminary Investigation ◽  
Archaeological Sites ◽  
Hellenistic Period ◽  
Thin Sections ◽  
Ground Stone ◽  
Metal Tools ◽  
Polished Stone Axes

Ground and polished stone axes in southern Italy received little attention after a period of lively interest in the late 19th century. The great number of axes from archaeological sites and collections suggests widespread manufacture and exchange on a considerable scale. In eastern Sicily the production of basalt axes was long-lived, beginning in the Neolithic (Stentinello phase) and reaching a peak in the Copper and Early Bronze Ages. Greenstone axes are also found throughout these periods. By the Middle or Late Bronze Age, stone axes were probably little used, having been largely replaced by metal tools.The axes from Serra Orlando (where the historical site of Morgantina is located) form one of the largest collections in Sicily from a single site, where they were found in multi-period contexts, dating from the third millennium BC until the Hellenistic period. Petrological analysis suggests that basalt from the Iblean hills was frequently used for their manufacture, while the serpentinites, tremolite-bearing rocks and pyroxenite probably originate in the Calabro-Peloritani Arc. The results of the analysis of thin sections are presented in appendixes. Raw materials, distribution and manufacture of axes are discussed and a preliminary investigation of their typology is presented. Multiple functions for Sicilian axes, related to morphology and raw materials, are suggested by their archaeological contexts.

scholarly journals Combined Raman spectroscopic and Rietveld analyses as a useful and nondestructive approach to studying flint raw materials at prehistoric archaeological sites

2014 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 235-243 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Capel Ferrón ◽  
L. León-Reina ◽  
S. Jorge-Villar ◽  
J. M. Compaña ◽  
M. A. G. Aranda ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Raw Materials ◽  
Archaeological Sites ◽  
Raman Spectroscopic

Diffuse Reflectance Infrared Spectroscopic Characterization of Silica Dehydroxylation

1990 ◽  
Vol 44 (1) ◽  
pp. 69-75 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert L. White ◽  
Aurobindo Nair
Keyword(s):  
Force Constant ◽  
Diffuse Reflectance ◽  
Spectroscopic Characterization ◽  
Absorption Bands ◽  
Stretching Vibration ◽  
Diffuse Reflectance Infrared ◽  
Highly Strained ◽  
Infrared Absorption Bands ◽  
Absorbance Band

Diffuse reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (DRIFTS) is employed to study the dehydroxylation of amorphous silica. Dehydroxylation results in the appearance of infrared absorption bands at 1022, 1107, and 1240 cm−1 assigned to asymmetric stretching vibrations for three different siloxane bridge types. The 1107-cm−1 absorbance band represents a siloxane bridge that is indistinguishable from bulk species. The 1022-cm−1 absorbance band represents a siloxane bridge with a bond angle that is smaller than the bulk, with little change in the stretching vibration force constant. The 1240-cm−1 absorbance band derives from a siloxane bridge characterized by a stretching force constant significantly larger than that of bulk siloxane bridges. This band may be indicative of a highly strained or broken siloxane bridge.

scholarly journals The Escalada Formation: Characterization of a potential chert supply source in the Cantabrian Mountains (NW Spain) during prehistory.

2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Natividad Fuertes-Prieto ◽  
Esperanza Fernández-Martínez ◽  
Fernando Gómez-Fernández ◽  
Eduardo Alonso-Herrero ◽  
Diego Herrero Alonso ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Raw Materials ◽  
Geographical Location ◽  
Microscopic Analysis ◽  
Major Elements ◽  
Matrix Composition ◽  
Archaeological Sites ◽  
Cantabrian Mountains ◽  
Nw Spain ◽  
Supply Source ◽  
Thin Sections

A study of the chert nodules found in the Escalada Formation (Carboniferous, Ponga region, Cantabrian Zone) was carried out as a means to characterise a number of lithic raw materials found in several prehistoric sites of the Cantabrian Mountains (NW Spain). This study comprises fieldwork aimed at locating the outcrops and obtaining samples. Some selected samples from two localities were used for both petrological (macroscopic and microscopic analyses from thin sections) and geochemical (X-ray fluorescence and powder diffraction) analysis. The macroscopic study shows a rather homogeneus coloration and a conchoidal fracture although two extreme types of cherts with a variety of intermediate forms can be differentiated according to the matrix composition. The microscopic analysis shows a high heterogeneity in carbonate versus silica percentage and gentle differences in some other features such as type of silica, origin of carbonates, occurrence of organic matter and type of skeletal components. The results of several geochemical analysis suggest that there are not geochemical features neither in the major elements nor in the traces that allows us to clearly distinguish between the analysed samples. All these studies allow us to define the main features of these chert nodules and to establish several types and varieties among them. Those varieties with high percentage of silica and with a more homogeneous matrix are the most suitable samples for knapping. These results together with the study of the geological and geographical location of archaeological sites suggest that the nodules from the Escalada Formation likely were lithic material supply sources used in knapping activitiesWhen aiming to demonstrate the use of these materials at archaeological sites the sole macroscopic analysis of the pieces does not suffice; further analyses, such as those involving thin sections, are necessary. The absence of chert from Escalada Formation in some Mesolithic sites in the area was confirmed via these additional analyses.

scholarly journals Technology of Dvaravati Pottery: A View from Petrographic Analysis.

2012 ◽  
Vol 31 ◽  
pp. 4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Duangkamol Aussavamas
Keyword(s):  
Raw Materials ◽  
Distribution Patterns ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Archaeological Sites ◽  
Petrographic Analysis ◽  
Material Distribution ◽  
Material Source ◽  
Period Analysis ◽  
Production Techniques ◽  
Central Thailand

This study focuses on the examination of aspects of the carinated pottery of the Dvaravati period. This type of pottery is one of the most prominent types found in a large number of Dvaravati sites in Thailand. Samples used for this study were collected from excavations at archaeological sites located in several regions of Thailand including Northern, Northeastern and Central Thailand. The carinated potteries were analyzed using petrographic analysis. The objective of this work was to examine the pottery fabric. This method is used to establish sources of raw materials, and whether production techniques, decorations, and firing temperature show patterns associated with the raw material source distributions. It is also possible to reconstruct the production technology of the vessels. Knowing the source of raw materials (source of clay and temper) and understanding the patterns of manufacturing and decorative processes help better understand material distribution patterns of the Dvaravati period. Analysis shows that Dvaravati earthenware pottery raw materials include both primary and secondary clays, and that temper used was both organic matter (rice chaff) and grogs (fired clay mixed with iron oxide). Evidence for wheel-thrown production was associated with all decoration styles, and finishing techniques included plain, polishing, incising, cord marking, red slip and black burnishing. The firing temperatures were as low as 400-550° C. These samples indicate there was general homogeneity over a wide area, but also the presence of regional groups of pottery. This suggests the widespread circulation of pottery styles among various production centers during the Dvaravati period.

scholarly journals The exploitation of obsidian in the Central Plateau of Santa Cruz, Argentina: Results from La María and Cerro Tres Tetas and a regional perspective

2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Manuel Enrique Cueto ◽  
Ariel David Frank ◽  
Fabiana Skarbun
Keyword(s):  
Late Holocene ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Archaeological Sites ◽  
Santa Cruz ◽  
Central Plateau ◽  
Argentine Patagonia ◽  
Relevant Role ◽  
Historical Times ◽  
Obsidian Source

La María and Cerro Tres Tetas archaeological localities are located in the Central Plateau, in the province of Santa Cruz, Argentine Patagonia. This area presents abundant lithic raw materials of very good quality for knapping including flint, chalcedony and silicified wood. These raw materials were used by the inhabitants of the region since the end of the Pleistocene until recent historical times. Besides, we have recorded the exploitation of exotic stones in low proportions at the archaeological sites. Among these, the most abundant is obsidian which probably comes from sources located more than125 kmaway. In this context, the use of this type of raw material should be evaluated in terms of social and symbolic issues.In this paper, we examine the strategies of acquisition and reduction of the obsidian found at the archaeological sites Cerro Tres Tetas 1, Casa del Minero 1, Cueva de La Ventana, La Mesada and Cueva Túnel. We carry out a technomorphological analysis of the obsidian remains from these sites.Results from this work strengthen the idea that the groups which lived in the Central Plateau knew about and exploited an obsidian source known as Pampa del Asador. A raise in the use of this raw material throughout time is recorded, reaching its peak in the late Holocene. We identified two different moments in the exploitation of obsidian at the regional level. During the final Pleistocene and early Holocene, obsidian would not have played a relevant role in the organization of technology. Production sequences indicate that tools probably were entered to the sites already manufactured. During the middle and late Holocene nodules and cores could have been brought into the sites. The strategies involved in their reduction are in broad terms similar to those implemented with local raw materials; there is no evidence that obsidian had more value in any way. On the other hand, it is also not possible to state that there was just an eventual exploitation of this raw material. We believe that obsidian was acquired during mobility circuits which enabled the contact between different groups.

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