Identifying spathic calcite recipe in archaeological ceramics: possibilities and limitations

Abstract

In this paper we approach the study of a ceramic recipe based on the addition of crushed spathic calcite as temper. We first briefly discuss the anthropological significance underlying the identification of technological paste recipes, as well as the spatial distribution of the spathic calcite recipe in the Mediterranean basin. Subsequently, we focus on the possibilities of identifying this recipe using several analytical methods, including binocular microscopy, image analysis, petrology, X-ray powder diffraction and X-ray fluorescence. Thus, the complementarity existing between different methods commonly applied in pottery analysis is considered in order to know the potential of these various techniques to identify spathic calcite recipe and classify the ceramic record to maximize the social archaeological interpretation of the data. The final objective is to know the feasibility and limitations that certain analytical procedures - such as the binocular microscopy- have for extrapolating the identification of this recipe to a larger series of ceramics from only certain features of the paste.