Characterization of Ancient Burial Pottery of Ban Muang Bua Archaeological Site (Northeastern Thailand) Using X-ray Spectroscopies

Abstract

Ancient potteries found at Ban Muang Bua, located in northeastern Thailand, associate with Thung Kula Ronghai culture. Most of them are products used in daily life and grave goods. The potsherds were examined using techniques based on X-ray spectroscopy. Elemental composition and morphology were analyzed using proton-induced X-ray emission spectroscopy (PIXE) and scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS). Three-dimensional analysis was performed using X-ray tomographic microscopy based on synchrotron radiation (SR XTM). Irregular plate-like particles of composites with a wide range of size distribution were found in the potsherds. The major (O, Si, and Al), minor (C, Fe, Ca, and K), and trace elements (P, S, Ti, Na, Mg, and Zn) which were observed can provide the information about raw materials and production of pottery. The 3D tomographic images show the internal feature of these samples. The combination of SEM-EDS, PIXE, and SR XTM is a powerful tool for archaeological research especially in terms of composition and internal structure. The results imply that the raw materials of pottery were sandy soil derived from marine sands, clays, and salt deposits that were mostly iron-rich-kaolin clay. The production was carried out with low firing temperatures (~600–900 °C) in open-air kilns.