Kathy Hall wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> We have an interesting ceramic phenomenon, and were wondering if anyone has
> seen anything similar.
>
> A pithos raised intact from a marine site where it had spent the past 3000+
> years was broken in an accident in the Bodrum Museum. The ceramic walls are
> on average at least 2cm thick and the fabric is fairly high fired, dense
> and non-porous.
>
> Looking at the break edges, running parallel to the surfaces, roughly in
> the middle of each sherd is an almost continuous layer of white, opaque
> mineral deposit approx 1mm thick. A sample of this deposit reacts strongly
> with dilute HCl.
>
> The deposit has caused many of the sherds to delaminate into separate
> exterior and interior surface fragments.
>
> My question is, has anyone seen such a phenomenon before in a ceramic?
> What would you ascribe it to?
> We are wondering about manufacturing processes or factors relating to
> burial and recovery.
>
> Apologies for cross posting,
>
> Kathy Hall
>
> Conservator
> Institute of Nautical Archaeology
> Bodrum, Turkey.
--
_____________________
Ian Oxley MSc MIFA FSA Scot,
Centre for Environmental Resource Management
Dept of Civil & Offshore Engineering,
Heriot-Watt University,
Edinburgh EH14 4AS
Tel. +44 (0)131 449 5111 x4438
mobile 0785 559 9251
Fax. +44 (0)131 451 5078
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