Phytolith analysis of plant-tempered pottery from the Sunjiacheng site
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(1. National Museum of China, Beijing 100006, China;2. School of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230051, China)

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    Abstract:

    To gain deeper insight into prehistoric pottery manufacturing techniques, phytolith analysis was applied to plant-tempered pottery excavated from the Sunjiacheng site (5800-4300 BP). Sand-tempered pottery and fine-clay pottery unearthed from the same context were used as comparative references. The research findings reveal significant differences in raw material selection and production techniques between plant-tempered pottery and both sand-tempered and clay pottery. Notably, the legs of plant-tempered pottery tripod Ding vessels exhibited distinct raw material composition and production techniques compared to other vessel parts. Further analysis revealed that plant admixtures, primarily rice husks, were incorporated into pottery production during the early phase of the early Sunjiacheng period. The use of plant temper reached its peak from the late phase of the early Sunjiacheng period to the early phase of the middle Sunjiacheng period, after which it gradually declined and was ultimately completely replaced by sand-tempered pottery during the Xuejiagang cultural period. These findings not only enhance our understanding of raw materials and technological choices in prehistoric pottery production, but also highlight the unique advantages and profound significance of archaeobotanical methods in the field of pottery analysis.

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History
  • Received:July 25,2024
  • Revised:May 15,2025
  • Adopted:
  • Online: March 12,2026
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