PIXE study on ancient pottery from Chinese Sanxia area

Thirty-nine pieces of Neolithic pottery, made about 4500 years ago, were collected from Maliutuo, Maliuwan and Suheping village sites in Chinese Sanxia area. Nine pieces of pottery in the Shang Dynasty (1600-1100 BC) and ten pieces of pottery in the Eastern Zhou Dynasty (770-256 BC) were also collected from Maliutuo. PIXE and factor analysis were used to study interchange of the Neolithic pottery between these three sites. The source of raw material of pottery from Maliutuo was simultaneously studied. The major and trace element contents in pottery were determined by PIXE. Factor analysis was employed to classify these pieces of pottery. The results showed that the trace element contents were more useful to distinguish these pieces of pottery than the major element contents. In about 2500 BC, no interchange of pottery occurred between the three villages. Although Maliutuo was close to Maliuwan, the pottery products used in daily life in the two villages were independently made and not exchanged. In the source of raw material, the Neolithic pottery samples from Maliutuo were identical with those in the Shang Dynasty, but different from those in the Eastern Zhou Dynasty