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The petrographic, XRF and XRD Analyses of the Neolithic Pottery from Maroslele-Pana

319 KREITER ET AL. • MAROSLELE-PANÁRÓL SZÁRMAZÓ NEOLITIKUS KERÁMIA TÖREDÉKEK VIZSGÁLATA production in the Carpathian Basin: manufacturing traditions of the Early Neolithic, Körös Culture ceramics. Archaeometriai Műhely 2 (2007) 5-19. SZAKMÁNY-GHERDÁN-STARNINI 2004 Szakmány Gy. - Gherdán K. - Starnini E.: Kora neolitikus kerámia készítés Magyarországon: a Körös és a Starcevo kultúra kerámiáinak összehasonlító archeometriai vizsgálata. Archeometriai Műhely 1 (2004)28-31. SZAKMANY-STARNINI-RAUCSIK 2005 Szakmány, Gy. - Starnini, E. - Raucsik, B.: A preliminaty archaeometric investigation of Early-Neolithic pottery from the Körös culture (S. Hungary). In: Proceedings of the 33rd International Symposium on Archaeometry, 22-26 April, 2002, Amsterdam, Geoarchaeological and Bioarchaeological Studies 3. Eds.: Kars, H. - Burke, E. Amsterdam 2005,269-272. SZILÁGYI-SZAKMÁNY 2007 Szilágyi, V. - Szakmány, Gy.: Petrographic and geochemical study of ceramics of Neolithic settlements on the northern boundary of the Great Hungarian Plain-Tiszaszőlös-Domaháza (Körös culture) and Füzesabony-Gubakút (ALP culture, Szatmár group). Archeometriai Műhely 3 (2007) 31 —4-6. TAUBALD-BÍRÓ 2007 Taubald, H. - Bíró, T. K.: Archeometrical analysis of neolithic pottery and comparison to potential sources of raw materials in immediate environment of the settlements - a first summary of the MÖB-DAAD exchange program. Archeometriai Műhely 3 (2007) 1^4. TAYLOR-MCLENNAN 1995 Taylor, S. R. McLennan, S. M.: The geochemical evolution of the continental crust. Reviews of Geophysics 33 (1995) 241-265. THISSEN 2005 Thissen, L.: The role of pottery in agropastoralist communities in early Neolithic southern Romania. In: (un)settling the Neolithic. Eds.: Bailey, D.-Whittle, A.-Cummings, V. Oxford 2005, 71-78. TOBERT 1984 Tobert, N.: Potters of El-Fas her: one technique practiced by two ethnic groups. In: Earthenware in Asia and Africa. Ed.: Picton, J. London 1984,219-237. ZSÓK-SZAKMÁNY-KREITER-MARTON s.a.: A balatonszárszói neolit korú kerámia leletegyüttes archeometriai vizsgálata. In: Környezet-Ember-Kultúra: az alkalmazott természettudományok és a régészet párbeszéde. Szerk.: Kreiter A. - Pető Á. - Tugya B. Budapest, s. a. THE PETROGRAPHIC, XRF AND XRD ANALYSES OF THE NEOLITHIC POTTERY FROM MAROSLELE-PANA Attila KREITER - Izabella AZBEJ HA VANCSÁK - Péter SIPOS - Mária TÓTH Orsolya VIKTORIK Twenty-one pieces of pottery have been subjected to macroscopic and petrographic examination, of which five ALP and five Vinca fragments have been investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) techniques. The aim of this short report is to identify the similarities and differences between the primary paste and the tempering material of the Vinca and the ALP pottery fragments by the means of a petrographic analysis. X-ray diffraction (XRD) was used in order to describe the material used as well as the technology applied in ceramics production, especially the means and estimated temperature of firing. The major and trace elements in the ceramics have been analysed with the X-ray fluorescence method (XRF). On the grounds of the petrographic analysis five composition groups could be distinguished. ALP and Vinca pottery made of extra-fine granular raw material represents the first group. The ALP fragments of this group were tempered with organic material while there was no trace of tempering on the Vinca fragments. Vinca pottery tempered with sand belongs to the second group. The third group is formed by ALP pottery tempered with sand of different grain sizes than those Vinca fragments in the second group; organic tempering was also used in the production of two pieces of this third category. The fourth group is represented by ALP pottery tempered with organic material as well as sand, whose composition differed from the sand used in the other groups. ALP pottery fragments of the fifth group were made of "pure" raw material that scarcely contains any petrographically visible non-plastic compounds. As indicated by the XRF analysis, the major and trace element compositions of the Vinca and ALP pottery are almost identical, that is, they were made of a similar raw material. A matching similarity has been proven by the XRD analysis showing that both ALP and Vinca pottery was fired at a temperature of 650-850 °C. Concerning the relations between pottery type and composition groups, a clear connection between type and material composition is not evident as different types of pottery were produced from raw materials of similar compounds. Vinca pottery was presumably made locally. Besides observing the formal character of the fragments, technological features can also be of help in distinguishing Vinca and ALP pottery. Although they were made of a similar raw paste, Vinca pottery was not tempered with organic material and so it is more compact. This resulted in a characteristic Vinca quality of these pottery fragments, and thus Vinca pottery differs from ALP ceramics also from a technological point of view. The sandy Vinca ceramics in group two are also distinct from the sandy ALP pottery. Ceramics analysis of finds from other Vinca sites also indicates the rarity of tempering in Vinca pottery. This means that in Maroslele a local method of ceramic production can be assumed that differed from the ALP technology. This regional, distinct way of pottery production that is clearly dissimilar to ALP indicates the presence of potters with a different background and training in pottery making. This might point to a closer connection between ALP and Vinca communities stronger than occasional bartering.