Characterization of pottery from the Neolithic Huadizui site, Henan province, China by using a multi-analytical approach

This paper represents the first study on the Xinzhai Culture pottery from Huadizui site, China using X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF), and petrographic. Huadizui pottery is considered to be produced locally, and the raw materials for making pottery come from the Xiaoqinling-Xiong'er Mountain and Songshan Mountain chain. There are at least two or three clay sources or workshops in the Huadizui site, which is evidenced by petrographic characteristics and the chemical composition of samples. All of the investigated samples were mainly related to quartz and feldspar pellets. The corresponding relationship between the characteristics of the matrix and pottery categories reflects potters pursuing the function of vessels at that time. The range of firing temperature of almost all vessels is between 750 and 950 degrees C.