Ceramics Definition Archaeology

Technically ceramics are those things made from materials which are permanently changed when heated.

Ceramics definition archaeology.

Ceramic artifacts have an important role in archaeology for understanding the culture technology and behavior of peoples of the past. Pottery from székely land romania on sale in budapest. The art or process of making useful and ornamental articles from clay by shaping and then hardening them by firing at high temperatures. Clay as a part of the materials used is required by some definitions of pottery but this is dubious.

In archaeology especially of ancient and prehistoric periods pottery often means vessels only and figures etc. Abstract and keywords fabric description is fundamental to the characterization technological analysis and provenance determination of archaeological ceramics. For example clay has chemically bonded water in it which will cause it to slake down disintegrate when a dried clay object is put in water. It encompasses description of the arrangement size shape frequency and composition of ceramic material constituents.

They are among the most common artifacts to be found at an archaeological site generally in the form of small fragments of broken pottery called sherds. Ceramics objects often pottery made of fired or baked clay. In antiquity chert was one of the universally preferred materials for making stone tools obsidian was another. Of the same material are called terracottas.

Chert a fine grained sedimentary rock similar to flint that is white pinkish brown gray or blue gray in color. Ceramics are generally known as pottery but the term also refers to the manufacture of any product from a nonmetallic mineral by firing at high temperatures. The scientific study of material remains such as tools pottery jewelry stone walls and monuments of past human life and activities see the full definition. Processing of collected sherds can be consistent with two main types of analysis.

A mechanically revolving vessel in which ceramic materials can be placed along with water and flint pebbles or high fired porcelain slugs.