Identifying Wheel-Thrown Vases in Middle Minoan Crete? Preliminary Analysis of Experimental Replicas of Plain Handleless Conical Cups from Protopalatial Phaistos

Recent work in Middle Bronze Age Crete has revealed that most Protopalatial or First Palace period pottery is produced through the use of a combination of coil-building and the wheel, i.e., wheelcoiling. Experimental work conducted on pottery from Minoan sites of Northern and Eastern Crete (e.g., Knossos, Myrtos Pyrgos, Palaikastro) has indeed determined that Minoan potters did not develop the skills required to adopt the wheel-throwing technique. However, my recent technological study of Protopalatial ceramic material from Middle Minoan IIA (19th century BC) deposits from the First Palace at Phaistos, in Southern Crete, has revealed that though pottery was produced by the wheelcoiling techniques, yet other forming techniques were practised too. In this paper I present a preliminary analysis of experimental replicas of MM IIA Phaistian plain handleless conical cups, manufactured on the potter’s wheel using three different forming techniques: wheel-pinching, wheel-coiling, and throwing-off-the-hump. This analysis will proffer answers to several questions on the use of the potter’s wheel in Middle Bronze Age Crete and opens the possibility that at MM IIA Phaistos there co-existed potters who had developed skills to employ different forming techniques on the wheel, including possibly that of throwing-off-the-hump.

Wczesnośredniowieczne grodzisko w Dusinie, pow. gostyński, woj. wielkopolskie w świetle ponownej analizy archeologicznej

The article presents the results of another archaeological analysis carried out on materials from an early medieval settlement in Dusina in southern Greater Poland. The data obtained during the excavations, during the millennium research, prompted the recognition of the settlement as the oldest motte-type object in Poland. During the verification of the old findings, the ceramic material and the stratigraphic situation were re-analyzed, radiocarbon dating was made, and historical and cartographic data were used to confirm the chronology of the stronghold as well as the course of events that led to severe damage and disturbance of the original appearance of the stronghold. A contour plan and a model of the terrain were also prepared.

Building Ceramics of the Ancient Settlement of Akchakhan-Kala

The Akshakhan-kala is located on the right bank of the Amu Darya, in the Biruni district of the Republic of Karakalpakstan. Over the years of archaeological study of the site, a large ceramic material was collected, dating back to the 3rd cent. BCE - 5th cent. AC. In the archaeological collection of the site, a group of finds is distinguished, attributed to the category of building ceramics. The article is devoted to the analysis of this collection and an attempt to determine the field of application of certain types of building ceramics. Among the building ceramics of the Akshakhan settlement stand out spillway pipes and ceramic tiles. The use of fragments of ceramic vessels in the construction was also recorded. The obtained analysis results suggest that in ancient Khwarezm, ceramic building materials were used to solve such problems as protecting structures from atmospheric precipitation, improving settlements and increasing the strength of adobe structures.

Low-temperature ceramics of the 3Y-TZP-Al2O3 system, containing sintering additives

In this work, we studied the effect of complex additives containing Na2Si2O5 and Ni, Zn oxides on the properties and sintering temperature of a ceramic material 3Y-TZP- Al2O3 with an aluminum oxide (Al2O3) content of 5 wt %. It was shown that the introduction of complex additives promoted an increase in the flexural strength of ceramic materials. The greatest strength (445±22 МПа) was achieved by sintering at 1250 °C on the composition with 5 wt % Na2Si2O5 and 0.33 mol % Zn.

Ceramic Restorations Based on Zirconium Dioxide for Orthopedic Dentistry

Currently, ceramics based on solid solutions of zirconium dioxide tetragonal structure are common biomedical materials. In commercially common ceramics of orthopedic dentistry based on zirconium dioxide, the stabilization of the tetragonal shape is achieved by the introduction of yttrium or cerium cations. As a result of this scientific work, a ceramic material based on nanopowders of a system of zirconium dioxide and ytterbium oxide with high strength parameters has been developed. The results of the conducted research allow us to recommend the new Yb–TZP ceramics as an alternative to Y–TZP ceramic materials for restorations in orthopedic dentistry.

Treatment of Soil Contaminated by Mining Activities to Prevent Contamination by Encapsulation in Ceramic Construction Materials

Mining is an essential activity for obtaining materials necessary for the well-being and development of society. However, this activity produces important environmental impacts that must be controlled. More specifically, there are different soils near new or abandoned mining productions that have been contaminated with potentially toxic elements, and currently represent an important environmental problem. In this research, a contaminated soil from the mining district of Linares was studied for its use as a raw material for the conforming of ceramic materials, bricks, dedicated to construction. Firstly, the contaminated soil was chemically and physically characterized in order to evaluate its suitability. Subsequently, different families of samples were conformed with different percentages of clay and contaminated soil. Finally, the conformed ceramics were physically and mechanically characterized to examine the variation produced in the ceramic material by the incorporation of the contaminated soil. In addition, in this research, leachate tests were performed according to the TCLP method determining whether encapsulation of potentially toxic elements in the soil occurs. The results showed that all families of ceramic materials have acceptable physical properties, with a soil percentage of less than 80% being acceptable to obtain adequate mechanical properties and a maximum of 70% of contaminated soil to obtain acceptable leachate according to EPA regulations. Therefore, the maximum percentage of contaminated soil that can be incorporated into the ceramic material is 70% in order to comply with all standards. Consequently, this research not only avoids the contamination that contaminated soil can produce, but also valorizes this element as a raw material for new materials, avoiding the extraction of clay and reducing the environmental impact.

Environment in the Islamic City of Termez (Uzbekistan)

The aim of this paper is to understand the ways of life for the inhabitants of Termez (Uzbekistan) and its surrounding environment through the analysis of the zooarchaeological, charcoal, and ceramic material found inside a domestic combustion structure (tannur) dated to the early Islamic period (8th and 9th centuries AD). The tannur was located in a manufacturing area outside the city walls of old Termez, discovered during the 2018–2019 archaeological campaigns of the Uzbek-Spanish team IPAEB. The analysis of the charcoal hints at an abundance of local floral taxa that was used as firewood. The faunal remains indicate the presence of birds, mammals and fish at the site. The zooarchaeological study reveals the exploitation of the fluvial resources through the presence of fish of the Cyprinidae family in the vicinity of the Amu Darya. The scarcity of cut marks on and thermoalteration of the mammalian remains inside the tannur lead us to believe that the presence of the bones inside the container is related to their disposal rather than the use of the oven for cooking. Finally, the ceramic items collected in the tannur belong to the same wares and types identified in the assemblages collected from a workshop area at the site and are typical of the early Islamic period.

Resin Nano-Ceramic Material Surface Roughness, Color Stability, and Bacterial Adhesion Evaluation After Different Scaling Methods

Objectives: The study evaluated in vitro the changes in roughness, color stability, and bacterial count of a CAD/CAM Resin Nano-Ceramic material surface treated by various scaling procedures. Material and Methods: 70 disks (5mm diameter, 0.5 mm thickness) of Resin Nano-Ceramic (Lava ™Ultimate, 3M, ESPE) material were cemented in standardized cavities prepared in bovine teeth. A custom-made scaling apparatus of a double pan balance was used for different scaling methods, simulating standard clinical conditions. The specimens were assigned to three main groups: no scaling(C), ultrasonic scaling (U), and manual scaling (M). Each group was then divided into three subgroups according to scaling tip material; stainless steel tip (St), plastic tip (P), and titanium tip (Ti). The surface texture was analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively with a tactile profilometer and atomic force microscopy. A spectrophotometer was used for color measurement. Streptococcus mutans were counted in a colony counter. All the data were tabulated and statistically analyzed. Results: Two-way ANOVA was used to study the effect while One-way ANOVA was performed to compare between study groups. The significance level was set at p 0.05. The ultrasonic titanium tip(UTi) revealed the significant highest mean value of alterations (p < 0.001). The integrity of the material surface was altered in the form of deep scratches on the ultrasonically scaled surfaces and numerous smaller scratches on the hand-scaled surfaces. Conclusion: The plastic instrument would appear to be the instrument of choice during a routine maintenance procedure for Resin Nano-Ceramic materials. Keywords Bacterial biofilm; Dental ceramics; Color stability; Scaling; Surface roughness.