Insight from Innovation: new light on archaeological ceramics (Papers presented in honour of Professor David Peacock) (Southampton Monographs in Archaeology New Series 6). Edited by Emilie Sibbeson, Ben Jervis and Sara Coxon. 234mm. Pp xvi + 277, 86 b&w and col ills, 13 tables. The Highfield Press, St Andrews, 2016. ISBN9780992633646. £65 (hbk).

2018 ◽  
Vol 98 ◽  
pp. 322-323
Author(s):  
Michael D Brace
Author(s):  
Marija Avramovska ◽  
Christian Chmelik ◽  
Arkadiusz Derkowski ◽  
Alexander Fantalkin ◽  
Dieter Freude ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
Vera D. TABANAKOVA ◽  
Julia G. Kokorina

This article studies the formalized lexicographic description of the archaeological terminology and aims to develop its basis — the universal dictionary entry structure. The authors prove the need for the unified description of an archaeological term in dictionaries and terminological databases. The comparative analysis of the dictionary entry structures of contemporary archaeological dictionaries and term databases has shown that the unified principles for the formalized description of an archaeological object have not yet been developed. Thus, the archaeological dictionaries, as well as the term databases, do not have the unified structure of the dictionary entry. This paper describes the systematic development of the universal structure of the dictionary entry for the archaeological term. The source of the term material was the most complete contemporary terminological dictionary — “The Dictionary of Archaeological Ceramics” by Yu. G. Kokorina (2017). As a result of the logical-conceptual and definitional analysis of the archaeological term descriptions, the authors have proposed 15 linguistic and conceptual parameters: etymology, synonyms, pragmatic parameter, shape, function, constructive parameter, obligatory structural elements, metric parameter, degree of the metric parameter manifestation, proportions, quantitative parameter, cultural-geographical parameter, and construction material. The universal character of these parameters is supposed to ensure the development of the formalized dictionary entry structure of the archaeological term. The proposed all inclusive dictionary entry structure of the archaeological term can become the foundation for the formalized lexicographic description of archaeological terminology both in dictionaries and in automated databases.


1988 ◽  
Vol 42 (8) ◽  
pp. 1482-1487 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. J. Labrecque ◽  
J. E. Vaz ◽  
K. Tarble ◽  
P. A. Rosales

Radioisotope x-ray fluorescence analysis was performed to determine normalized elemental intensities for pre-Columbian sherds and roller stamps from different archaeological sites in the Middle Orinoco region of Venezuela. These normalized intensities were used to construct three-component (Triangle) graphs separating the sherds into three groups based on their known origin. The three-component graphs were: (Zn, Sr, Zr), (Rb, Sr, Zr), and ( A, Sr, Zr), where A = Cu + Zn + Pb normalized intensities. The total precision was shown to be better than 5% absolute for all cases studied. It was concluded that two of the roller stamps found at one site were probably manufactured in a different source area. This lends support to the notion that the roller stamps were a trade item in late pre-Columbian times (1000–1400 A.D.). The method applied in this study using a 109Cd (2 mCi) source seems to be appropriate for provenance studies of archaeological ceramics where many samples are processed, because it has the inherent advantages of being simple, economical, and rapid.


Author(s):  
Ian Whitbread

Fabric description is fundamental to the characterization, technological analysis and provenance determination of archaeological ceramics. It encompasses description of the arrangement, size, shape, frequency and composition of ceramic material constituents. These properties are used to identify the raw materials, their processing, vessel construction methods, and firing conditions. The process of description should, so far as possible, be an objective record of observed fabric properties that is independent of interpretations concerning technology and provenance. Fabric descriptions are made of ceramics in hand specimen and of samples prepared as thin sections for examination under a polarizing microscope. Rapid evaluation of fabric properties in the field is achieved by studying hand specimens using a magnifying glass or stereomicroscope. Laboratory-based analysis of thin sections provides more accurate and comprehensive identification of fabric properties, especially mineral and rock fragments in coarse fabrics, in terms of qualitative and quantitative data.


Author(s):  
Ian Wilkinson ◽  
Patrick Quinn ◽  
Mark Williams ◽  
Jeremy Taylor ◽  
Ian Whitbread

Microfossils found in archaeological ceramics include representatives of kingdoms Fungi, Protista, Plantae, and Animalia and are composed of calcite, silica, or resistant organic compounds capable of withstanding firing. Methods by which microfossils are isolated for study vary considerably, but the best results involve the disaggregation of potsherds into their individual grains or by cutting petrological thin sections. Microfossils can be related directly to the age and depositional environment of the source materials (clays, temper, and slip) used in the manufacturing process, although the introduction of contaminants at the time of construction must also be recognized. When incorporated into an integrated analysis, the microfossils may demonstrate provenance; contribute to a better understanding of the local environment and landscape; identify transportation routes; contribute to an understanding of the technology used, including construction methods and firing; and elucidate the use to which the vessels were put.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Berna Kavaz Kındığılı ◽  
Esra Kavaz ◽  
Nurettin Öztürk

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document