Studying the production technology of a set of archaeological ceramic sherds through magnetic and spectrometric measurements

An interdisciplinary approach is applied to study a set of 50 archeological ceramic sherds dated to a broad period, from the Early Bronze Age to the Late Medieval in Bulgaria. The sherds originate from a single archeological site in the northwest part of the country, situated near the village of Tаrnyane, Vidin District, and can be characterized both as local and import production. Using laboratory magnetic susceptibility measurements, as well as X-ray fluorescence, the elemental composition and maximum firing temperatures of the specimens are characterized. The results obtained are taken into account to draw conclusions about the clay used as well as the high-temperature technology applied for the production of the ceramic vessels referred to different periods and purposes (mainly kitchenware and tableware). This allows for shedding light on the technological skills of the societies that produced the studied specimens, especially for the earlier ages.