Choice of Raw Material in Pottery Making: A Case Study of the Late Neolithic Site of Tianwentai, Taipei Basin.
Date Issued
2009
Date
2009
Author(s)
Lin, Yi-Ling
Abstract
Scholars have different ideas about the relationships between the Yuanshan Culture and Zhiwuyuan Culture in the late Neolithic Taipei basin. Recently, archaeologists find some differences of mineral components in pottery between these two cultures. In this thesis, I sample fifty-two pottery sherds from the Yusnshan and Zhiwuyuan Culture at the Tianwentai Site, and apply petrographic analyses and X-ray diffraction analyses to learn the mineral components and source of raw materials.ccording to the results of petrographic analyses and X-ray diffraction analyses, I find that the major minerals in the Yuanshan Culture pottery are from igneous rocks (75.8%) and sedimentary rocks (21.2%). However, the major minerals in the Zhiwuyuan Culture pottery are from metamorphic rocks (68.4%) and sedimentary rocks (31.6%). The Tianwentai Site is located in the northeast part of Taipei Basin, and this area is covered by igneous rocks. On the contrary, metamorphic rocks are located in the southwest part of Taipei Basin. Compared with the results from scientific analyses of pottery and the geological distribution of Taipei basin, we will find the people who live in different time periods use different raw materials for pottery making at the Tianwentai Site. The Yuanshan Culture people usually choose raw materials for pottery manufacture around their settlement, and the the Zhiwuyuan Culture people gathered their raw materials from southwest area of Taipei basin. believe that the Yuanshan Culture people at the Tianwentai Site use the raw material around their settlement not only for the location convenience, but also with cultural infleunces. The Zhiwuyuan Culture people might bring their preference on metamorphic rocks when they moved from the southwest to northeast part of Taipei Basin.
Subjects
Yuanshan Culture
Zhiwuyuan Culture
Technological choice
Pottery making
Taipei Basin
Petrographic Analysis (Thin Section Analysis)
X-ray Diffraction Analysis (XRD)
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