X-ray microtomography scans (μ-CT) of neolithic ceramics –The reconstruction of the matrixes in comparison with XRF spectroscopy, portable XRF spectroscopy and petrographic thin sections on diagnostic pottery finds

X-ray microtomography scans (μ-CT) of neolithic ceramics –The reconstruction of the matrixes in comparison with XRF spectroscopy, portable XRF spectroscopy and petrographic thin sections on diagnostic pottery finds

The aim is to determine the individual components of the temper and the associated porosity non-destructively. This approach provides the opportunity to verify and extend the proven methods and to find new areas of application.

Methods: The investigation of ceramics with regard to their material composition allows insights into the material composition, production techniques and manufacturing processes. In addition to conventional petrographic thin sections, XRF spectroscopy analysis (XRF) and portable XRF spectroscopy (pXRF), the finds have also been examined by X-ray microtomography (µ-CT). The link between these methods is less common in order to obtain the necessary comparison of the methods to verify the reliability of the results. The aim is to develop a tool for cost-effective, fast, non-destructive and reliable material analysis of ceramics in addition to XRF.

Samples: The following investigation comprises 15 ceramic samples from three megalithic tombs of the neolithic Funnelbeaker-Westgroup in Lower Saxony and have been examined using the above mentioned methods.

Results and Objectives: The preliminary results show that the temper can be defined by comparing standard, reference and thin sections. For example, biotite is recognizable by its typical hexagonal shape (see right). The reconstructed pores indicate the manufacturing process. With the volumes of the individual phases it is possible to determine their quantity, which is tested by XRF in the following step.