Historical materials from the post-Cistercian abbey in Kamieniec Ząbkowicki (southwestern Poland)—application of mineralogical methods for identification of source of raw materials

Petrography has developed into an indispensable tool for ceramic fabric analysis, specifically studying the mineralogical and textural composition of ceramic objects. Petrography is a technique commonly used in geology to describe and classify rocks. Ceramic petrography studies clay-based archaeological or historical materials. Using a polarizing light microscope (PLM) in ceramic studies, the different raw materials used to make a ceramic object can be identified, ranging from clays and other minerals to rock fragments and inorganic or organic temper. The technique moreover feeds into the study of raw material provenance and origin, and is able to discern the different technological procedures followed to make the ceramic object (from shaping to firing), next to providing clues on the function of the object. This information not only helps reconstruct trade and exchange of raw materials and ceramics, but aids in reconstructing society behind the pot.

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In-between Solidity and Fluidity: The Reclaimed Marshlands of Agro Pontino

Theory Culture & Society ◽

10.1177/02632764211038669 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 026327642110386

Author(s):

Paolo Gruppuso

Keyword(s):

Built Environment ◽

Solid Surface ◽

Raw Materials ◽

Forested Wetlands ◽

New Towns ◽

Historical Materials ◽

Nature And Culture ◽

Ecological Relations ◽

Solid Form

During the 1930s the fascist government launched a programme for the reclamation of the Pontine Marshes, one of the largest forested wetlands in Italy. In less than a few years the muddy and uneven ground of the forest was transformed into flat land to be cultivated and into solid surface where three new towns were built. Hegemonic narratives describe the fascist reclamation as a process that imposed a solid form upon the raw materials of nature, thereby establishing an unbridgeable divide between nature and culture, natural and built environment. The article challenges this dualism, drawing on ethnographic and historical materials to explore spatial and temporal zones in-between fluidity and solidity. It suggests an approach in which fluidity and solidity are understood as patterns of social and ecological relations rather than mutually exclusive properties of matter, thus exposing the continuity between them.

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Kamienie zrodzone z pioruna. O nietypowej formie recyklingu w średniowieczu i czasach nowożytnych

Przegląd Archeologiczny ◽

10.23858/pa69.2021.2344 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 69 ◽

pp. 5-62

Author(s):

Tomasz Kurasiński

Keyword(s):

Middle Ages ◽

Raw Materials ◽

Cultural Significance ◽

Original Function ◽

Historical Materials ◽

Remedial Actions ◽

Ethnographic Data ◽

Almost All ◽

The Middle Ages

The article is an attempt to determine to what extent the folkloric and ethnographic data concerning the cultural significance and functions performed by re-used stone products hailing from prehistoric times (mainly various types of axes, hammers, adzes, and hammers axes, usually from the Neolithic, less often from other periods), are reflected in medieval and modern historical materials. Finds from almost all over Europe were taken into account. In the Middle Ages and later, thunderstones gained a great deal of importance, because there were few items that, after their original function had disappeared,remained in such wide use, far beyond traditionally understood recycling, which is usually limited to the re-use of raw materials and remedial actions. As objects of great sacred importance, they found a permanent place in the rituals and imaginations of ancient communities.

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Microstructural characterization of laser-melted/roller-quenched dicalcium silicate

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100104972 ◽

1988 ◽

Vol 46 ◽

pp. 582-583

Author(s):

C. J. Chan ◽

K. R. Venkatachari ◽

W. M. Kriven ◽

J. F. Young

Keyword(s):

Particle Size ◽

Raw Materials ◽

Shape Change ◽

Microstructural Characterization ◽

Particle Size Effect ◽

Dicalcium Silicate ◽

Laser Melting ◽

Uniform Size ◽

Cell Shape Change ◽

Wide Range

Dicalcium silicate (Ca2SiO4) is a major component of Portland cement. It has also been investigated as a potential transformation toughener alternative to zirconia. It has five polymorphs: α, α'H, α'L, β and γ. Of interest is the β-to-γ transformation on cooling at about 490°C. This transformation, accompanied by a 12% volume increase and a 4.6° unit cell shape change, is analogous to the tetragonal-to-monoclinic transformation in zirconia. Due to the processing methods used, previous studies into the particle size effect were limited by a wide range of particle size distribution. In an attempt to obtain a more uniform size, a fast quench rate involving a laser-melting/roller-quenching technique was investigated.The laser-melting/roller-quenching experiment used precompacted bars of stoichiometric γ-Ca2SiO4 powder, which were synthesized from AR grade CaCO3 and SiO2xH2O. The raw materials were mixed by conventional ceramic processing techniques, and sintered at 1450°C. The dusted γ-Ca2SiO4 powder was uniaxially pressed into 0.4 cm x 0.4 cm x 4 cm bars under 34 MPa and cold isostatically pressed under 172 MPa. The γ-Ca2SiO4 bars were melted by a 10 KW-CO2 laser.

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Crystallization of barium hexaferrite

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100122216 ◽

1992 ◽

Vol 50 (1) ◽

pp. 362-363

Author(s):

Chung-kook Lee ◽

Yolande Berta ◽

Robert F. Speyer

Keyword(s):

Size Distribution ◽

Raw Materials ◽

Barium Hexaferrite ◽

Recording Media ◽

Magnetic Recording Media ◽

Promising Candidate ◽

Crystallization Method ◽

Temperature Heat ◽

High Density Magnetic Recording ◽

Temperature Heat Treatment

Barium hexaferrite (BaFe12O19) is a promising candidate for high density magnetic recording media due to its superior magnetic properties. For particulate recording media, nano-sized single crystalline powders with a narrow size distribution are a primary application requirement. The glass-crystallization method is preferred because of the controllability of crystallization kinetics, hence, particle size and size distribution. A disadvantage of this method is the need to melt raw materials at high temperatures with non-reactive crucibles, e.g. platinum. However, in this work, we have shown that crystal growth of barium hexaferrite occurred during low temperature heat treatment of raw batches.

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