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PrefaceThe application of Mössbauer spectroscopy to archaeology has come a very long way since 1980 when, at a conference in Washington DC dedicated to archaeological ceramics, Widemann (1982)1 suggested, somewhat unfairly even at that time, that the only use of Mössbauer spectroscopy was to help in distinguishing black pottery from red pottery. Now, in applying the physical sciences to the study of material culture, it is generally accepted that a more holistic approach involving a range of techniques directed towards answering real archaeological questions is essential (Tite 2001)2. The first stage in such an approach is the reconstruction of the chaine operatoire or life cycle of surviving artefacts from the procurement and processing of the raw materials, through the fabrication and decoration of the artefacts, to their distribution, use, reuse and discard. The subsequent second stage is the interpretation of the chaine operatoire in terms of the wider environmental, technological, economic, social, political and ideological contexts in which it is embedded. Thus, one hopes to obtain a better understanding of the people associated with the artefacts by attempting to explain why a particular production technology, mode of production (i.e. household, workshop or factory), pattern of trade and exchange, and function in use were chosen. Thus, in the case studies presented in the current volume, Mössbauer spectroscopy has been used in combination with the wide range of other analytical and microscopy techniques that are essential for such an holistic approach. The principal application of Mössbauer spectroscopy remains the study of archaeological ceramics with only the occasional paper in the current volume considering other materials such as glass (Stievano et al.). In the study of archaeological ceramics, the primary role of Mössbauer spectroscopy is in the investigation of the firing procedures (i.e. firing temperature, time and atmosphere) used in the production of the ceramics. The paper by Gebhard et al, in which the temperatures reached during the destruction of a Bronze Age rampart are estimated, represents an interesting and novel extension of this methodology. This volume starts with a valuable, comprehensive introduction to the methodology of Mössbauer spectroscopy. Then, following an assessment of the archaeological potential of Mössbauer spectroscopy, there are five chapters devoted to complimentary analytical methods (i.e. instrumental neutron activation analysis, x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and thin section petrography) before moving on to consider specific case studies. The emphasis of the case studies is directed towards New World ceramics and, in particular, Peruvian ceramics. As a result, the second part of this volume provides what is perhaps the definitive statement on current knowledge resulting from the scientific examination of ancient Peruvian ceramics. However, in addition to these New World studies, there are valuable case studies on Celtic and Roman pottery from Germany together with more general overviews of the application of Mössbauer spectroscopy to the study of archaeological material from Italy and China. In all the case studies, Mössbauer spectroscopy has been used in combination with other analytical techniques in order to provide comprehensive information on both the source of the raw materials used and the production technology. Of these studies that on early pottery making in Northern Coastal Peru by Shimada et al. is of particular interest, in that it includes a significant extension to the methodology normally employed in the investigation of ancient ceramic technology. Thus, in addition to the standard scientific examination of replicate ceramic samples produced in the laboratory, extensive experimental firings were undertaken in the field using not only replicas of ancient kilns built using locally available materials but also using the actual restored ancient kilns themselves. In presenting a series of comprehensive and holistic case studies and in providing an introduction to other analytical techniques, the potential readership for this volume will extend far beyond those involved in the specialist field of Mössbauer spectroscopy. Instead, it will be of interest to all postgraduates in both archaeology and archaeological science whose research involves the study of ancient ceramics. Therefore, I believe that, overall, this volume represents a very valuable addition to the archaeological science literature. Michael Tite Oxford
1Widemann, F., Why is archaeometry so boring for archaeologists? In Archaeological Ceramics, eds. J. Olin and A. D. Franklin, Washington DC, Smithsonian Institution Press, (1982) 29-36 2Tite, M. S., Overview - Materials study in archaeology, in Handbook of Archaeological Sciences, eds. D. R. Brothwell and A. M. Pollard, Wiley, Chichester, (2001) 443-448.
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