Provenance research by INAA on ancient Chinese white porcelain excavated from the Maojiawan site of Beijing

More than one million shards of ancient Chinese porcelain were excavated at the Maojiawan pit in Beijing in September 2005. Among these shards, four types of ancient Chinese white porcelain were identified. The ages and provenances of three of these types of porcelain were accurately determined by a...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of archaeological science 2013-03, Vol.40 (3), p.1449-1453
Main Authors: Li, Li, Xie, Guoxi, Feng, Songlin, Feng, Xiangqian, Yan, Lingtong, Zhu, Jihao, Li, Yongqiang, Han, Hongye
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Ancient Chinese white porcelain
Art and archaeology
Asia
China
Generalities
INAA
Laboratory technics
Maojiawan
Methods
Ming dynasty
Provenance
Research principies
Synthesis
Typology and technology
Yuan epoch
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Summary:More than one million shards of ancient Chinese porcelain were excavated at the Maojiawan pit in Beijing in September 2005. Among these shards, four types of ancient Chinese white porcelain were identified. The ages and provenances of three of these types of porcelain were accurately determined by archaeologists based on typology. However, different archaeologists interpreted the other/fourth type differently. According to the colour of the porcelain body, it was easily identified as the product of the Jingdezhen kilns of the Ming dynasty (1368–1644 AD). However, based on the vessel shape, this fourth type of porcelain was also identified as the product of the Cizhou kilns of the Yuan dynasty (1271–1368 AD). In order to determine the provenance of this type of ancient Chinese white porcelain, 131 shards comprising the four types of white porcelain identified at the site were selected as experimental specimens and analysed by Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA). After the processing of experimental data by principal component analysis and geochemical analysis, the results show that the provenance of this type of ancient Chinese white porcelain is the Jingdezhen, not the Cizhou kiln. ► The provenance of a type of ancient Chinese white porcelain is determined by INAA. ► The identification of the type of white porcelain is unclear based on typology. ► The elemental characteristic of white porcelain at Cizhou kiln is displayed. ► The products of the type of white porcelain are from Jingdezhen not Cizhou kiln.
ISSN:0305-4403
1095-9238
DOI:10.1016/j.jas.2012.10.030