MÖSSBAUER STUDIES OF ANCIENT POTTERY

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Abstract
The provenance, manufacturing techniques and trade of pottery in the ancient world are a subject of great archaeological interest as indices of the artistic and technological level of various cultures and their influence. Mössbauer spectroscopy can be readily applied to the study of pottery objects which are fired clays containing between 5 and 10 % natural iron. Studies of unfired clay have shown that iron is present in either of two fornis (a) as small particles of iron oxides exhibiting typical superparamagnetic behaviour (b) as divalent or trivalent iron ions incorporated into the structure of the clay minerals. Upon firing at various temperatures up to 800 °C a transformation of oxides occurs and at least partial aggregation of particles. The results of these studies have been applied to the interpretation of Mossbauer spectra of ancient Greek pottery. A systematic study of a large number of Mycenean and Minoan samples of well authenticated origin has shown that parameters extracted from Mössbauer spectra can be used for characterization of the two types of pottery on a statistical basis. Such results are relevant for archaeological questions related to the trade of Mycenean pottery in the eastern Mediterranean. The potential and limitations of Mössbauer spectroscopy as compared with other physical analytical methods currently used in archaeology are discussed

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