Study of the Argillaceous Soil and Late Stone Age Ceramics Made of It

The phase composition and structural state of a red pigment (ceramics) related to the late Stone Age, found in the archaeological excavation Kfar HaHoresh (Izrael), have been investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis and Mössbauer spectroscopy. A clay sample from this excavation was also analyzed to understand the nature of the structural and phase transformations leading to the formation of this ceramics. The phase transformation processes occurring upon heating clay have been modeled, and some conclusions about possible manufacturing technology conditions for the ancient ceramics are drawn.