Comprehensive structural and compositional investigation of Maya pottery sherds from Lake Petén Itzá, Guatemala, Central America

Abstract Maya pottery samples collected from various sites in Guatemala were investigated for their elemental composition, mineral crystalline phases, particle size, and thermogravimetric properties. The samples were analyzed by using scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM/EDX), FT-IR, ICP-OES, and powder X-ray diffraction (XRD). Investigations showed the presence of aliphatic C H, C C, and C O functional groups in samples. The SEM/EDX results revealed samples contain approximate %w/wt elemental concentrations C (3.4), O (54.8), Mg (0.45), Al (7.25), Si (11.2), K (0.3), Ca (21.3 w/w %), and trace amounts of Mn, Cu, S, Na, Ti. The ICP-OES examination further confirmed the composition and concentrations of macro-elements Al, Ca, Fe, K, Mg, Na, P, S and microelements Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Se, Zn, and V. Powder XRD analysis determined that the major mineral crystalline phases in the samples were bassanite, quartz, aluminite, alunogen, andalusite, borax, gypsum, hexahydrite, hornblende, laumontite, mirabilite, palygorskite M, talc, and vermiculite. This investigation revealed the conservative nature of the technology and materials used in the preparation of pottery among the Maya people.