Book Review: Thin Section Petrography Geochemistry and Scanning Electron Microscopy of Archaeological Ceramics

Charles C. Kolb, Honorary Associate Editor for Archaeological Ceramics

Thin Section Petrography Geochemistry & Scanning Electron Microscopy of Archaeological Ceramics. Patrick Sean Quinn (2022) Archaeopress Archaeology. Oxford: Archaeopress. ISBN Paperback: 9781803272702; Digital: 9781803272719; DOI 10.32028/9781803272702. Weight 2.6 pounds. £35.00 / $49.00 paperback, £16.00 PDF personal use eBook, £35.00 PDF institutional use eBook. 

Patrick Sean Quinn, Principal Research Fellow in Ceramic Petrography at University College London, is both well-known and highly-regarded by his peers as an archaeological scientist who specializes in the analysis and interpretation of ceramics, plaster and stone. He was trained as a geologist (Keele University, UK) and micropalaeontologist (UCL), before applying his skills to archaeometry and ancient ceramics (University of Sheffield, UK). Quinn edited Interpreting Silent Artefacts: Petrographic Approaches to Archaeological Ceramics, Oxford: Archaeopress (2010), reviewed in SAS Bulletin 33(3):5-9 (2010). The 16 contributions are preceded by a “Forward” (pp. v-viii) written by Ian K. Whitbread (University of Leicester) and inspired by the international meeting on “Petrography of Archaeological Material” held at the University of Sheffield, 15-17 February 2008. The chapters cover a wide range of archaeological periods and geographic regions and examine key themes such as trade and exchange, the organization of production, craft technology, culture, and tradition. Issues of trade and exchange are considered by Ixer and Vince, Montana et al., Boileau and colleagues, Ownby and Bourriau, Heidke, and Kelly and colleagues.

More recently, Quinn wrote Ceramic Petrography: The Interpretation of Archaeological Pottery & Related Artefacts in Thin Section, Oxford: Archaeopress (2013) also reviewed in SAS Bulletin 36(3):7-10 (2013). This book is structured according to the main steps involved in the analysis and interpretation of archaeological ceramic thin sections, including classification, characterization, provenance determination, and the reconstruction of manufacturing technology. His book was organized into seven chapters, each of which has its own set of references titled “Further Reading” (hence, there is no common bibliography); there are no in notes or endnotes. In addition to his own research, Quinn cites relevant examples from around the globe: France, Sweden, Spain, Romania, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Palestine, Israel, Iran, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, China, South Korea, Togo, Belize, Venezuela, and Peru.

His newly published 2022 book, Thin Section Petrography Geochemistry & Scanning Electron Microscopy of Archaeological Ceramics ([xix] + 441 pp., 487 figures (color throughout), further reading at the end of each chapter, 310 total entries) is a welcomed, updated, and greatly expanded version of the 2013 textbook, Ceramic Petrography: The Interpretation of Archaeological Pottery & Related Artefacts in Thin Section (v + 254 pp., 246 figures (nearly all in color), further reading at the ends of each chapter). The new volume utilizes the compositional and microstructural signatures of ceramics from pre-contact California, the Bronze Age Aegean, Qin period China and prehistoric and Roman Britain to investigate a variety of archaeological topics including trade and exchange, migration, cultural interaction, craft technology, organization of production, tradition and identity. Using nearly 500 color figures of a diverse range of artifact types and archaeological periods from fifty countries worldwide, this book outlines the mineralogical, chemical, and microstructural composition of ancient ceramics and provides comprehensive guidelines for their scientific study within archaeology. The presentations on thin-section petrography (Chapters 2-7) are updated, while bulk instrumental geochemistry (Chapter 8) is a newly added up-to-date rendition, and Chapter 9 provides the latest information on scanning electron microscopy and X-Ray Diffraction.

In his “Preface” (p. 1) Quinn states that his book is dedicated to the scientific analysis of ancient ceramics particularly on ceramic petrography, detailing the primary steps in the preparation of archaeological thin sections, petrographic characterization and classification, and interpretation in terms of provenance and technology of ceramics. In the main, the focus is on utilitarian, coarse, earthenware, and terracotta pottery but also ceramic building materials, refractories, high-fired glazes ceramics, (porcelain and fritware), and cementitious materials. He writes: “It is assumed that the reader has a basic knowledge of optical mineralogy and the thin section petrography of rocks” and should be used in conjunction with standard geological texts and identification guides. Ceramic geochemistry is detailed in a dedicated chapter and the application of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-Ray diffraction (XRD) are presented as supplementary methods of ceramic compositional analysis used to address specific archaeological topics. The “Further Readings” accompanying each chapter are expanded and updated (the most recent is 2021). The nine individual chapters have from four to 23 parts each, supplemented by “Acknowledgments” (3 p.) and a valuable, highly detailed 11-page double-column “Index.” The chapters follow the same basic format as his 2013 text. The “Contents” (4 pp.), “Preface,” “Acknowledgments,” and “Index” are all unpaginated. The color photomicrographs, almost always are a half-page, are crisp and clear and have measurement scales separate from the images although no color bars are included; and several spread sheets are difficult to read but are included by Quinn to show formats. The color renditions are exceedingly important, and as good as or better than the older standbys of Adams and MacKenzie 1998, and MacKenzie and Guilford 1980.

I next provide summaries of the key points made in each chapter before a comparison with other texts and conclusion. The summaries include headings and major topics within, and lists of suggested readings. In the latter, I use D.E. Arnold to differentiate Dean E. Arnold from at least four “Arnolds” who study pottery. Chapter 1: “Introduction to Archaeological Ceramics & Compositional Analysis” (pp. 1-20, 24 figures [10 thin section photomicrophotographs], four parts). There are discussions defining Archaeological Ceramics; Ceramic Compositional Analysis; and an Introduction to Thin Section Petrography; plus Further Reading n = 33. The latter include citations to D.E. Arnold 1985, Freestone 1995, Hunt (ed.) 2016, Orton and Hughes 2013, Pollard et al. 2007, Quinn (ed.) 2009, Rice 2015, and Velde and Druc 2021. Chapter 2: “Sampling, Preparation & Analysis of Ceramic Thin Sections” (pp. 21-46, 30 figures [17 thin section photomicrophotographs], seven parts). The topics include an Introduction (noting modifications of standard techniques employed in geology); Sampling (noting that two- dimensional thin sections tend to underestimate maximal particle dimensions); Thin Section Preparation; Analytical Equipment (including polarizing light microscopes); Other Resources (geological maps, published and unpublished accounts); Curation & Access to Thin Sections (an extremely valuable section); and Further Reading: n = 17. The readings include Chandler 2001, Humphries 1992, Quinn 2018, and Reedy 2006.

Chapter 3: “Composition of Archaeological Ceramics in Thin Section” (pp. 47-87, 62 figures [all thin section photomicrophotographs], five parts). The narrative includes an Introduction (body, paste, and fabric) and discussions of The Clay Matrix (color, homogeneity, heterogeneity, and micritic calcite); Particulate Inclusions (often the most distinctive component of the paste, slag, and organics); Voids (absence of materials and a key component of ceramics); and Further Reading: n = 22. The latter include: Adams and MacKenzie 1998, Cuomo di Caprio and Vaughn 1993, Degryse and Braekmans 1993, MacKenzie and Guilford 1980, Reedy 2008, and Whitbread 1986. 

Chapter 4: “Classification & Characterisation of Archaeological Ceramics in Thin Section” (pp. 89-165, 42 figures [28 thin section photomicrographs], 23 parts). There is an Introduction (types and scales of variation) and narratives on Visual Classification & Description (grouping; description; a petrographic descriptive system: inclusions, roundness, spacing, grain size, shape, sorting, and alignment; clay matrix; voids; fabric summary examples [unimodal and bimodal fabric descriptions], and fabric summary: forming and firing technology, variation, relationship to other fabrics, distribution, and source); Quantitative Characterisation & Statistical Grouping (textural analysis modal analysis, data collection, and statistical classification); Macroscopic Fabric Analysis (equipment and sample preparation, fabric characterization, classification/grouping, fabric description: shell temper and grog temper fabrics); and Further Reading: n = 42. The readings include: Baxter et al. 2008, Cau et al. 2004, Folk 1974, Hein et al. 2018, Maritan 2019, Middleton et al. 1991, Reedy 2006, Tomber and Dore 1998.

Chapter 5: “Petrographic Provenance Determination” (pp. 167-203). 36 figures [15 are thin section photomicromicrographs], eight parts). There is an Introduction (provenance is defined as the ceramic artifact production location, while provenience is the location where it was excavated or found); and details on Geological Characterisation of Ceramic Raw Materials (fabric analysis: thin section microscopy versus macroscopic, primary and secondary clay sources, sedimentary clay deposits); Provenance Resolution (petrographic composition and texture, aplastic inclusions, local and regional geology, direct evidence and comparative samples and data); Geological Literature & Fieldwork (geological maps, soil maps, clay sampling, problems of dense vegetation, primary and secondary clay deposits, fired experimental briquettes, problems of raw material prospection); Quantitative Provenance Determination (modal analysis and grain size measurements defining fine-scale petrographic and textual differences, field sampling, compositional and textural groups, and qualitative and quantitative petrographic data); Micropalaeontology (microfossils and microfossil, biostratigraphic and paleoenvironmental assemblage data), Interpreting Provenance Data (geographical indications of provenance, ceramic artifact form and function, trade and exchange, transport amphorae and other types of storage jars, mass transport, gift giving and receiving, ceramic assemblages and ritual significance, and models); plus Further Reading: n = 29. These include: D.E. Arnold 1985, Hunt 2012, Knappett et al. 2005, Kirizati 2003, Michelaki et al. 2010, Renfrew 1977, Rice 2015, and Rye 1981.

Chapter 6: “Reconstructing Ancient Ceramic Technology in Thin Section” (pp. 205-291, 108 figures [100 are thin section photomicrographs], 17 parts). There is an Introduction (production methods, written historical records versus artifact analysis, production behaviors, the sequence of production steps, an example of the examination of the production sequence of a “typical pottery vessel); followed by narratives on Raw Material Selection & Procurement (functional properties of the clay, choice and procurement of clay and temper, and taskscapes); Raw Material Processing & Paste Preparation (reduction and refining, tempering, physical and thermal characteristics relevant to function, types of materials, heating effectiveness, physical shock, visual appearance, bone and synthetic inclusions, grog, sand temper, crushed rock, organic materials, field sampling, clay mixing and desired outcomes, hydration and aging, and working the clay); Forming Methods (interpreting construction techniques: macroscopic analysis, thin section microstructure, main forming techniques wheel-throwing, slab building, coiling, molding, and criteria of assessment); Finishing (surface modification: wiping, burnishing, polishing, incising, combing, impressing and rouletting; decorative techniques: incision, combing, impressing, and rouletting; slips and englobe, painting salt-glazing, frit and glaze mixtures); Drying (water evaporating, uneven shrinkage, flaws, and shrinkage); Firing (key physical, chemical and mineralogical changes; firing temperatures, archaeothermometry, refiring tests and SEM, firing atmospheres, color changes, soaking time, porosity, fired color and core-margin color, and firing regimes: open versus closed firings and kilns); Ceramic Use & Function (intended functions, crucibles and refractory ceramics); Post-Depositional Alteration of Archaeological Ceramics (ceramic stability, deposition of sediments and mineral precipitation, soluble mineral inclusions, secondary calcite deposits, groundwater and seawater penetration); as well as Further Reading: n = 30. Among there are: D.E. Arnold 2000, Berg, 2008, Eramo 2020, Freestone 2001, Gosselain 1991, Harry 2010, Quinn and Burton 2009. Rice 2015, Roux 2009, Santacreu 2014, and Whitbread 1996 and 2001.

Chapter 7: “Other Ceramic Materials in Thin Section” (pp. 293-329. 50 figures [all thin section photomicrographs], eight parts). The Introduction (brick and tile, metallurgical ceramics, and plaster), is followed by topics including Architectural Ceramics (ceramic building materials (CBM), potter’s stamps); Unfired Clay Structures (mud brick, adobe clay mortar, daub, plant waste and pollen, kiln furniture, crude evaporation vessels, and briquetage); Refractory Ceramics (analysis by SEM-EDS and/or XRD;, metallurgical and glass-making crucibles, and used refractory ceramics); Other Ceramic Objects (cuneiform writing tablets, seals, statues and figurines, and tobacco smoking pipes); Petrography of Cementitious Materials (plaster, mortar, concrete, hydraulic lime, and gypsum); Stoneware, Fritware, Porcelain & Faience (non- earthenware pottery characteristics and distinctions); followed by Further Reading: n = 30. These include: Davidson and Davey 1982, Ingham 2011, Reedy 2008, Ting et al. 2019, Mason 1995, and Quinn et al. 2017.

Chapter 8: “Instrumental Geochemistry of Archaeological Ceramics” (pp. 331-403, 62 figures [diagrams, graphs, maps, spread sheets, diffractograms, etc.], 13 parts). The text includes an Introduction with definitions: Instrumental geochemical analysis is the compositional study of archaeological ceramics in terms of the chemical elements or types of atoms they contain, as well as their relative abundance; such ceramics may contain 40 or more elements; types of apparatus for Assessment: INAA, XRF, and ICP-MS). The subsequent discussions include The Chemical Composition of Ceramics (clay minerals, inclusions, “trace” elements, and carbon-rich organic matter); Equipment & Preparation (the three most important methods are reviewed, compared, sample preparation, advantages and disadvantages, and selection of apparatus are reported: INAA or NAA, XRF, ED-XRF, pXRF and ICP-MS); Quality Control (errors, sampling, mathematical calculations, accuracy, CRM standards); Descriptive Statistics (compositional patterning, multivariate measures, statistical measures of dispersion, types of plots; mathematical skills, and descriptive statistics); Choice of Elements (erroneous or missing values, data quality assessment, bulk ceramic geochemistry, object use bias, post depositional alteration, element selections effects on classification); Normalisation, Standardisation & Transformation; Detecting Geochemical Patterning (spreadsheets, scatterplots, principal components [PCA], software packages, cluster analysis [HCA, and deciding which methods to use); Data Presentation (graphical representation, trivariate plots, and spiderplots); Reconciling Geochemical & Petrographic Data (bulk geochemical signatures; integrated analyses; element sources in ceramics; and examples of K- feldspar, Fe oxides, Mg, and trace minerals and their elements [discussion about Cr, Y, Ni, Sc, Nc, Cr Th, U. Zn, Ni, Th, Rb, Ba Cu, Sr, P, and S]); Geochemical Provenance Interpretation (thin section petrography, petrographic data, raw material prospecting, geochemical source groups, types of sources, control groups, and importance of petrography to geochemical provenance); Geochemistry & Ceramic Technology (effects of tempers, clay mixing, complex particulate tempers, and combining thin section petrography with SEM-EDS and macroscopic fabric analysis); plus Further Reading: n = 54. The citations include: D.E. Arnold et al. 1991, Baxter et al. 2008, Bishop et al. 1990, Buxeda i Garrrigos 1999 and 2003, Day et al. 1999, Golitko and Dussubieux 2007, Hein and Kilikogolu 2020, Hunt and Speakman 2015, Neff 2012, Rice 1987, Schneider 2016, and Wilke 2017.

Chapter 9: “Scanning Electron Microscopy & X-Ray Diffraction of Archaeological Ceramics” (pp. 405-442, 40 figures [24 are photomicrographs], seven parts). The Introduction reminds the reader that other methods tend to be applied less routinely to the study of low fired unglazed ceramics and that they serve as a primary analytical tool in the assessment of stoneware, porcelain, and fritware. Five related methods are detailed. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) is reviewed in terms of equipment, procedures, magnification of ceramics, refired ceramics, and fired clay briquettes, and determination of ancient firing temperatures); SEM Geochemical Characterisation (advantages and disadvantages, examination of microfossils, SEM-EDS, problems with argillaceous inclusions, analysis of finish [slips, paints, and glazes], highly fired ceramics, refractory ceramics, and cementitious artifacts); SEM Mineralogical Characterisation (automated mineral identification systems, matching spectra and/or chemical compositions with candidate minerals, and textural analysis); SEM versus Thin Section Petrography & Bulk Geochemistry (equipment requirements and expenses, ease of sample evaluation, required training, advantages and disadvantages, and LA-ICP-MS) ; and X-Ray Diffraction Analysis of Ceramics (XRD or XRPD, advantages and disadvantages, reconstructing ancient firing temperatures, and problems with chlorites, calcite, and hematite); plus Further Reading: n = 39. Among the selections are: Dorias and Shriner 2002, Freestone and Tite 1986, Heinmann 2016, Holton 2012, Pollard 2007, and Tite and Maniatis 1975a and 1975b.

Quinn’s magnum opus, published in late July 2022, is certainly the most recent and up-to-date textbook for the study of archaeological ceramics it is valuable both as a textbook for students and as a handbook for senior scholars keeping up with the fast changes that have occurred in the study of ancient pottery by thin section petrography. Fourteen years ago, I reviewed and recommended another volume, also published by Archaeopress: Thin-Section Petrography of Stone and Ceramic Cultural Materials by Chandra L. Reedy (London: Archaeopress, 2008, vi + 256 pp., 341 color figures, references, index, CD-ROM), reviewed in SAS Bulletin 31(4):18-20 (2008). This manual was a comprehensive illustrated overview of the minerals and textures seen in polarized light microscopy of cultural artifacts. She focused on the specific applications of thin-section petrography to the study of cultural materials made of stone (as found in architecture, sculpture, tools, etc.) and ceramic objects (earthenware, stoneware, porcelain, brick and tile, etc.). Readers would learn the techniques used to identify and characterize such materials; differentiate between them; monitor the extent of their deterioration; determine where they may have originated; and interpret their fabrication, decoration, and use history. She selected the “most representative” cultural materials for which thin-section petrography has been used as a major research tool and conducted a thorough survey of the literature in which she references primary publications from the past and more recent scholarship as well. The eight topical chapters are roughly equally divided between “stone” (Chapters 2 through 5) and “ceramics” (Chapters 6 through 9).

Quinn’s latest volume surpasses Reedy’s in ceramic studies but remains useful in lithic analyses.