Non-invasive scientific studies on the provenance and technology of early Islamic ceramics from Afrasiyab and Nishapur

Abstract Non-invasive methods including micro-Raman spectroscopy (μ-Raman), micro X-ray fluorescence (μ-XRF), fibre optics reflectance spectroscopy (FORS) and environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM) were used to study thirty-five ceramic shards from Afrasiyab and forty-seven potshards from Nishapur. These shards are dated from the ninth to the tenth century AD and include various types of underglaze and inglaze decoration. Non-invasive scientific studies indicated that tin oxide was employed as a white opacifier in both sites while silicates including quartz, olivine, diopside and feldspar served as opacifier in Afrasiyab shards thus demonstrating a technological connection with the pre-Islamic tradition of glaze opacification. The white slip of most of the wares excavated at Nishapur contained dehydrated pyrophyllite which may be indicative of local production. Furthermore, while a dense distribution of chromite was found in the black underglaze decoration of the so-called yellow staining black ware from Nishapur, a diluted chromite probably obtained from a different source was used in the imitated lustre wares from Afrasiyab. Mixtures with different proportions of manganese oxide and black haematite were utilised as the black colouring agents. Taking all of these findings into account, it is proposed that a consistent ceramic technology and production is represented by the entire set of the shards from Afrasiyab while different materials and technologies are evinced in the Nishapur ceramics.