Electron Probe Microanalysis of the Paste from Ceramics of the Far East

Electron Probe Microanalysis of the Paste from Ceramics of the Far East

T. Takeuchi, L.N. Mylnikova, S.P. Nesterov, N.A. Kulik, E.I. Derevianko, S.V. Alkin, and K. Nakamura.

Results of electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) of ceramics from various sites in the Russian Far East, Sakhalin, and Japan are discussed. The proportions of the principal chemical elements (Ca–K–SiO2, K–Ca–Na, Mg–Fe–Ti) in the clay paste are shown by means of 3-D plots. New techniques for the computer-aided evaluation of sand grains and for processing images are proposed. Advantages and drawbacks of EPMA are assessed, and methodological guidelines are suggested for using this method for the study of feldspars in the clay paste of prehistoric pottery.

Keywords: Ceramics, clay paste, Neolithic, Early Middle Ages, Amur, electron probe microanalysis.