{"title":"Petrological characterization for material provenance of haniwa earthenware from mounded tombs in the Kibi region, Japan","authors":"Toshio Nozaka , Naoya Ohbayashi , Yuki Toda , Kanako Sugiura , Takahiro Nozaki , Osamu Kimura , Naoko Matsumoto , Akira Seike","doi":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2024.104813","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>To determine the provenance of the materials used in the production of <em>haniwa</em> earthenware unearthed from mounded tombs (<em>kofun</em>) in the Kibi region (modern Okayama Prefecture) during the Kofun period (late 3rd – 6th century CE) of Japan, we carried out petrological analyses of <em>haniwa</em> sherds, including optical microscopy, X-ray diffractometry, X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, and electron-probe analysis. The 25 <em>haniwa</em> sherds analyzed from 12 representative mounded tombs are composed of mineral and rock inclusions with variable grain size set in a clay matrix. The dominant inclusions are quartz, K-feldspar, and plagioclase, associated with minor amounts of amphibole, volcanic glass, and granitic rocks in all the <em>haniwa</em> sherds, and small amounts of hornfels, quartz rock, and accessory minerals, including mica, ilmenite, and chromite, in some of the sherds. Amphibole and plagioclase have compositional variations indicative of the mixing of tephra and granitic components. The compositions of volcanic glass inclusions are similar to those of the Aira-Tanzawa and Kikai-Akahoya tephras widely distributed in southwestern Japan. Bulk chemical compositions show magmatic differentiation trends, which are variable between individual tombs. From these results, it is concluded that the paste materials of <em>haniwa</em> in the Kibi region were commonly derived from weathered granitic rocks mixed with minor amounts of three widespread tephras. The variations of chemical and mineralogical compositions are probably the reflection of local geologic settings, suggesting the presence of specific mining sites of paste materials around each tomb. The mining sites could be located at the bases of hills of granitic rocks covered by widespread tephras and in some cases, near the flood plain of big river systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48150,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science-Reports","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.5000,"publicationDate":"2024-10-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of Archaeological Science-Reports","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352409X24004413","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"0","JCRName":"ARCHAEOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
To determine the provenance of the materials used in the production of haniwa earthenware unearthed from mounded tombs (kofun) in the Kibi region (modern Okayama Prefecture) during the Kofun period (late 3rd – 6th century CE) of Japan, we carried out petrological analyses of haniwa sherds, including optical microscopy, X-ray diffractometry, X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, and electron-probe analysis. The 25 haniwa sherds analyzed from 12 representative mounded tombs are composed of mineral and rock inclusions with variable grain size set in a clay matrix. The dominant inclusions are quartz, K-feldspar, and plagioclase, associated with minor amounts of amphibole, volcanic glass, and granitic rocks in all the haniwa sherds, and small amounts of hornfels, quartz rock, and accessory minerals, including mica, ilmenite, and chromite, in some of the sherds. Amphibole and plagioclase have compositional variations indicative of the mixing of tephra and granitic components. The compositions of volcanic glass inclusions are similar to those of the Aira-Tanzawa and Kikai-Akahoya tephras widely distributed in southwestern Japan. Bulk chemical compositions show magmatic differentiation trends, which are variable between individual tombs. From these results, it is concluded that the paste materials of haniwa in the Kibi region were commonly derived from weathered granitic rocks mixed with minor amounts of three widespread tephras. The variations of chemical and mineralogical compositions are probably the reflection of local geologic settings, suggesting the presence of specific mining sites of paste materials around each tomb. The mining sites could be located at the bases of hills of granitic rocks covered by widespread tephras and in some cases, near the flood plain of big river systems.
期刊介绍:
Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports is aimed at archaeologists and scientists engaged with the application of scientific techniques and methodologies to all areas of archaeology. The journal focuses on the results of the application of scientific methods to archaeological problems and debates. It will provide a forum for reviews and scientific debate of issues in scientific archaeology and their impact in the wider subject. Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports will publish papers of excellent archaeological science, with regional or wider interest. This will include case studies, reviews and short papers where an established scientific technique sheds light on archaeological questions and debates.