Deer incision on a Celtic vessel
Thank you for visiting with us. If you have any questions, remarks, comments or suggestions concerning our work please send us an e-mail.
Deer incision on a Celtic vessel
Thank you for visiting with us. If you have any questions, remarks, comments or suggestions concerning our work please send us an e-mail.
The Munich Archaeometry group belongs to the Physics Department of the Technical University of Munich and is part of the Institute E15.
A small number of archaeologists, physicists, chemists, geologists and soil scientists join in an interdisciplinary study of archaeological ceramics from the Andes and from Celtic and Roman Europe.
The scientific methods used are neutron activation analysis, thin section microscopy, X-ray diffraction and Mössbauer spectroscopy. Neutron activation analysis serves to characterise and sort the material. Thin section microscopy, X-ray diffraction and Mössbauer spectroscopy give information on the mineral content present in the pottery. Such data and similar results on appropriate clays fired under controlled conditions in the laboratory are used in an attempt to obtain information on the production techniques used in antiquity.
(See paper on Celtic coin moulds: WHAT MÖSSBAUER SPECTROSCOPY CAN TELL US ABOUT PRECIOUS METAL WORKING IN CELTIC TIMES)
Practical Course
A 1 day practical course in neutron activation analysis is held for the last time this summer term. Students participate in our routine measurements and are very welcome, but have to be aware that the dates depend on the operating schedule of the reactor.
The instructions can be downloaded as PDF file or zip compressed. Please contact the supervisor by e-mail: uwagner@physik.tu-muenchen.de
Description of the laboratory
The laboratory is located next to the research reactor FRM1 of the Technical University of Munich. Therefore conditions for neutron activation analysis are excellent. The FRM1 will operate only until August 2000. A new research reactor, the FRM2, is being built and will start operation in 2001. Additionally the group can rely on the longtime experience in Mössbauer spectroscopy existing at the Physics Department. A wide range of equipment for routine as well as special investigations is available.
Special Projects
Huaca Sialupe
A 1000-year old workshop of the Middle Sican culture was excavated in 1999 at Huaca Sialupe on the north coast of Peru. Several kilns, numerous molds, and other evidence of intense pottery making were found. Close by were a number of large urns placed with the upper rim into the ground. Some tools of metal working were also recovered. See pictures of black ware.
 |
 |
 |
 |
Batán Grande
On the invitation of Professor Izumi Shimada, one of us (URW) spent a week in Peru in 1998 to participate in a field firing experiment in an authentic kiln in the Batán Grande Archaeological Park. Replica pottery was produced by José Sosa, a local potter from Piura. He conducted four testfirings in a reducing kiln atmosphere. The field firings were carefully monitored with a number of thermocouples embedded in balls of local clays which were later studied by Mössbauer spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Presentation JoseSosa.exe (approx. 5 MB) can be downloaded here.
His PhD thesis was on Roman pottery from the Auerberg, South Germany. The Auerberg black ware was classified by neutron activation analysis, thin section microscopy and the determination of C13 and O18 stable isotope ratios on marble inclusions in the ceramics.
Christof Flügel is currently employed at the Prehistoric State Collection, Munich, and is preparing an exhibition on Roman culture in Germany, which will open this week at the "Lokschuppen" exhibition center at Rosenheim. It closes on the 5th of November. Be sure to go there.
email : christof.fluegel@extern.lrz-muenchen.de
Rupert Gebhard
is curator at the Prehistoric State Collection in Munich and gives lectures at the Institute of Prehistory at the University of Regensburg. His main field of interest is European Prehistory with special emphasis on the scientific study of early materials. He has written two books, one on glass bracelets and one on fibulae from the Celtic Oppidum of Manching. He has arranged a large exhibition on Celtic Culture and set up the Museum on Prehistory at Landau, equipped with interactive computer demonstrations.
He is currently engaged in the reconstruction of Bronze age casting techniques in a collaboration with the Institute of Casting of the Technical University of Aachen.
email : Rupert.Gebhard@extern.lrz-muenchen.de
Esther Guggenbichler
is an archaeologist from the University of Regensburg working on her PhD thesis, in which she attempts a comparison of Eastern Celtic Oppida based on the study of the respective ceramic finds. These will be classified according to their style and their material properties. Provenance and production techniques are investigated. A Celtic pottery making kiln was sampled. It was recently excavated in Schmiedorf by Karl Schmotz, curator at the Landratsamt Deggendorf (fax ++49-991-8900). The kiln, as well as the sherds found in context of the kiln are underfired, indicating that the kiln was never fully functional. The kiln might have collapsed during the first firing intended to harden its structure.
Esther Guggenbichler had a stipend from the Bund der Freunde der Technischen Universität München. She now takes part in the newly introduced graduation program at the University of Regensburg.
email : Esther.Guggenbicher@geschichte.uni-regensburg.de
Werner Haeusler
from the Institute of Soil Science of the Technical University of München at Weihenstephan has recently joined our group. He analyses clays and ceramics by X-ray diffraction. Firing series are followed by X-ray analysis. The transformations of clays and other minerals depending on temperature and kiln atmosphere are determined, often after appropriate separations and chemical extractions. This information is extremely valuable in identifying the different components observed in the Mössbauer spectra.
email : haeusler@weihenstephan.de
Thomas Hutzelmann
has participated in our practical course on neutron activation analysis and stayed on afterwards. His diploma thesis was a contribution to the investigation of firing techniques of Formative ceramic finds from the Archaeological Park at Batán Grande, Perú, as well as later middle Sicán (900-1100 A.C.) and Chimú ceramics (1200-1500 A.C.).
He is still around to service this webpage, helps with poster production and keeps our small network running. He is trying to adapt our Mössbauer fitting procedures to the special requirements of the complicated spectra observed in fired clays and ceramic materials.
email : thutzelm@physik.tu-muenchen.de
Jürgen E. Punsch
is a technician in our group. He organises the neutron irradiations for the archaeometry studies.
Andreas Kyek
is a physicist who has just finished his PhD thesis. He develops conversion electron Mössbauer spectroscopy (CEMS) on 57Fe and 197Au for routine measurements. Depth selective studies of surfaces can be performed by also applying backscattering Mössbauer spectroscopy. The depletion of silver and copper from the surface of Celtic gold coins during burial is studied using Mössbauer spectroscopy on 197Au. First studies of surface treatments of Formative sherds are underway using CEMS and backscattering Mössbauer spectroscopy. The results can then be compared with transmission Mössbauer measurements of the bulk material.
email : Andreas.Kyek@physik.tu-muenchen.de
Michael Jakob
prepares his diploma thesis studying the material form the workshop at Huaca Sialupe. The combination of art, handicraft, culture and hard sciences fascinates him. He made a catalogue of all studied sherds of Sialupe balckware.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
email: Michael.Jakob@otelo-online.de
Gabriel Sieben
will start his diploma thesis this fall. He will work with the material from the Galeria de la Ofrendas. He has already finished the neutron activation analysis of 200 specimens to have the data ready before the reactor shuts down. His main task will be the statistical evaluation of the neutron activation analysis data. He will help with the creation of a CD-ROM describing our interdisciplinary approach to the study of archaeological ceramics.
email: Gabriel.Sieben@physik.tu-muenchen.de
Fritz Wagner
is professor of nuclear solid state physics. His main field of research is Mössbauer spectroscopy using 197Au, 193Ir and 99Ru for the study of complex compounds, catalysts, gold-ores and of metal hydrides. He supervises the Mössbauer experiments applied to archaeological studies and gives a lecture on physics in archaeology.
email : fwagner@physik.tu-muenchen.de
Ursel Wagner
is a senior scientist at the physics department. She works at the radiochemical laboratory of the Institute E15 at the Research Reactor Munich and coordinates the physical studies of archaeological material in our laboratory.
Cooperations
an archaeologist from the Department of Anthropology, Pennsylvania State University, joined our group with a fellowship from the NSF from September 1997 - July 1998 as a visiting scientist. Her main interest is the organisation of Andean societies before the arrival of the Spaniards. While in Munich she studied material from two Inka pottery workshops found in Lambayeque, northern Peru. Unfired pottery was found during her excavation and is a unique model material for comparative studies. She will be in Munich for occasional visits to finish her experiments.
email: fmh5@email.psu.edu
email: fhayashida@aol.com
Luis Lumbreras
is a Peruvian archaeologist who has excavated the Galeria de las Ofrendas in Chavín de Huantar, where he encountered the whole wealth of Formative Ceramics exhibiting the different styles of the Provinces. He cooperates with us on a classification of the material by neutron activation. First results already reveal a number of well-defined groups.
email: lumbrera@amauta.rcp.net.pe
Enver Murad
is the director of the Bavarian Geological State Office in Marktredwitz. His special field of interest is the study of clays, clay minerals and associated phases. He is editor of "Clays and Clay Minerals". Together with our group he has conducted extensive studies on the processes occurring on firing of clays in different atmospheres. In these studies we are concerned with the reconstruction of ancient production technologies of ceramics, while he is mainly interested in the mineralogical changes during firing.
email : Enver.Murad@gla.bayern.de
Josef Riederer
is director of the Rathgen Research Laboratory in Berlin. He works mainly on material conservation projects. He interprets the thin sections routinely studied in our investigations. He has great experience with material from Manching.
email : RF.SMB@snafu.de
email: rf@smb.spk-berlin.de
Izumi Shimada
is director of the Sican Archaeological Project and professor at the Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. His spectacular finds of the Sicán elite tombs at Batán Grande Archaeological Park in northern Peru recently attracted public attention. He has put the evaluation of these finds on a broad basis using all available methods to investigate them. We are studying ceramic material from Batán Grande and recently also from the newly excavated 1000-years old workshop at Huaca Sialupe. Professor Shimada is greatly interested in experimental archaeology. He made possible the field firing experiments in a Formative kiln at Batán Grande. This was a unique opportunity for us to compare the behaviour of clay fired in the laboratory with that of the same clay fired in an authentic kiln and with the actual sherds excavated in settlements near the production site.
Photo: Y.Yoshii/PAS
Funeral mask from the tomb of the Lord of Sicán
University of Erlangen: Institute of Paleontology and Institute of Geology
Main interests:
Erik Flügel, professor of paleontology email : efluegel@pal.pal.uni-erlangen.de
Michael Joachimski, research collaborator email : joachimski@geol.uni-erlangen.de
If interested in the Erlangen Archaeometry Group, please visit :
(Thin Section: Marble inclusion in Roman coarse ware)
http://www.geol.uni-erlangen.de/pal/projects/research/archaeo.htm
finished his diploma thesis in physics. He studied Celtic graphite ware by neutron activation analysis in an effort to characterise graphite ware from different Celtic sites. In this work he had to deal with a two phase system, which cannot be treated by conventional dilution procedures in the statistical analysis of the element concentrations, since graphite is admixed to the clay and contributes appreciable amounts of trace elements.
email : ndistler@physik.tu-muenchen.de
Gerhard Grosse
has written the program for the evaluation of our Mössbauer spectra and designed our data base. After he has finished his PhD on a study of hydrogen in metals, he joined our group for some time. He studied heat transfer in early ceramic material. He is now a member of the group of professor G.M. Kalvius, working on muon spin rotation spectroscopy. He is still available for discussions and help.
email : grosse@physik.tu- muenchen.de
Hartmut Tschauner
is finishing his PhD thesis at Harvard University. It deals with the study of the Chimu culture in Northern Peru. He has excavated a ceramic workshop and is comparing material from this workshop with sherds found at Chimu and other sites using neutron activation analysis. Moreover a reconstruction of production procedures is attempted studying the firing behaviour of a recent clay from the region in the laboratory.
Related literature
WHAT MÖSSBAUER SPECTROSCOPY CAN TELL US ABOUT PRECIOUS METAL WORKING IN CELTIC TIMES
R. Gebhard, G. Grosse, G. Lehrberger, J. Riederer, F.E. Wagner, U. Wagner.
Conference Proceedings Vol.50, ICAME-95, I. Ortalli, Ed., SIF, Bologna, 1996, p.781-784.
THE USE OF MÖSSBAUER SPECTROSCOPY IN ARCHAEOMETRIC STUDIES
U. Wagner, F.E. Wagner, J. Riederer
In: Proc. of the 1984 International Symposium on Archaeometry, edts.: J.S. Olin and M.J. Blackmann, Washington D.C., Smithsonian Institution Press, (1986)129-142.
COLOURATION OF CELTIC GLASS FROM MANCHING
R. Gebhard, J. Riederer, R. Schwabe, U. Wagner, G. Kossack
In: Archeometry, Procceedings of the 25th International Symopsium. Edt.: Y. Maniatis, Elsevier, Amsterdam 1989, p.207-215.
EARLY CERAMICS FROM CANAPOTE, COLOMBIA, STUDIED BY PHYSICAL METHODS
R. Gebhard, H. Bischof, Y. El-Hage, J. Riederer, U. Wagner, F.E. Wagner, A.M. Wippern
Paleoetnologica Buenos Aires 5 (1988/1989) S. 17-34.
RECENT CERAMIC FINDS FROM MONTEGRANDE, PERU, STUDIED BY PHYSICAL METHODS
U. Wagner, F.E. Wagner, J. Riederer, C. Ulbert, M. Tellenbach, H. Müller-Karpe
Paleoetnologica Buenos Aires 5 (1988/89) S. 1-15.
WASTE IN OPEN SETTLEMENTS: THE EVIDENCE FROM THE CELTIC OPPIDUM OF MANCHING
R. Gebhard, G. Grosse, U. Wagner
Archaeometry '90, International Symposium on Archaeometry, eds., E. Pernicka, G.A. Wagner, 2-6 April 1990, Heidelberg, Birkhäuser Verlag, Basel-Boston-Berlin, 1991, p.385-394. ISBN 3-7643-2522-4
MÖSSBAUER SPECTRA OF KAOLINITE; HALLOYSITE AND THE FIRING PRODUCTS OF KAOLINITE; NEW RESULTS AND A REAPPRAISAL OF PUBLISHED WORK
E. Murad, U. Wagner
Neues Jahrbuch für Mineralogie, Abhandlungen, 162(1991)281-300.
THERMOLUMINESZENZDATIERUNGEN UND NEUTRONENAKTIVERUNGSANALYSEN VON URNENGEFÄSSEN AUS OAXACA
C. Goedicke, S. Henschel, U. Wagner
Baessler-Archiv, Neue Folge, XL(1992)65-86.
MIT KERNPHYSIK AUF DEN SPUREN DER KELTEN
R. Gebhard, U. Wagner
Archäologie in Deutschland, 1(1992)6-11.
THE ROLE OF SMALL PARTICLES IN THE STUDY OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL CERAMICS
U. Wagner, R. Gebhard, E. Murad, I. Shimada, F.E. Wagner
In: Proceedings of the International Workshop on Studies of Magnetic Properties of Fine Particles and their Relevance to Materials Science, Rom, Italy, Nov. 4-9, 1991, Rom, eds.: J.L. Dorman, D. Fiorani, Elsevier Science Publishers, 1992, p.381-392.
KILN FIRING AT BATÁN GRANDE: TODAY AND IN FORMATIVE TIMES
U. Wagner, R. Gebhard, E. Murad, J. Riederer, I. Shimada, F.E. Wagner
In: Archaeometry of Pre-Columbian Sites and Artefacts, Proc. of a Symposium organised by the UCLA Institute of Archaeology and the Getty Conservation Institute Los Angeles, California March 23-27,1992. D.A. Scott and P. Meyers, edts., Getty Institution Press, (1994)67-84.
MÖSSBAUER STUDY OF PURE ILLITE AND ITS FIRING PRODUCTS
E. Murad, U. Wagner
Hyperfine Interactions, 91(1994)685-688.
MÖSSBAUER STUDY OF GRAPHITE WARE FROM THE CELTIC OPPIDUM OF MANCHING
R.D. Bott, R. Gebhard, F.E. Wagner, U. Wagner
Hyperfine Interactions, 91(1994)639-644.
THE MÖSSBAUER SPECTRUM OF ILLITE
E. Murad, U. Wagner
Clay Minerals 29(1994)1-10.
THE OPPIDUM OF MANCHING: A P OF CELTIC CULTURE IN EARLY EUROPE
R.D. Bott, R. Gebhard, G. Grosse, J. Riederer, F.E. Wagner, U. Wagner
Naturwissensch., 81(1994)560-562.
CONDICIONES DE COCCION Y CARACTERISTICAS DE COMPOSICION DE LA CERAMICA FORMATIVA: PERSPECTIVA ARQUEOMETRICA
U. Wagner, R. Gebhard, E. Murad, J. Riederer, I. Shimada, C. Ulbert, F.E. Wagner, A.M. Wippern
In: Tecnologia y Organizacion de la Produccion Ceramica Prehispanica en los Andes, edt., I. Shimada, Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Peru, 1994 p.121-156.
HORNOS Y PRODUCCION DE CERAMICA DURANTE EL PERIODO FORMATIVO EN BATAN GRANDE, COSTA NORTE DEL PERU
I. Shimada, C.G. Elera, V. Chang, H. Neff, M. Glascock, U. Wagner, R. Gebhard
In: Tecnologia y Organizacion de la Produccion Ceramica Prehispanica en los Andes, edt., I. Shimada, Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Peru, 1994, p.67-120.
INDUSTRY IN CELTIC OPPIDA - ASPECTS OF HIGH TEMPERATURE PROCESSES
R. Gebhard
In: NATO ASI Series, Series E: Applied Science Vol 280, Kluver, Dordrecht, 1995, p.261-272.
COIN MOULDS AND OTHER CERAMIC MATERIAL: A KEY TO CELTIC PRECIOUS METAL WORKING
R. Gebhard, G. Lehrberger, G. Morteani, Ch. Raub, F.E. Wagner, U. Wagner
In: NATO ASI Series, Series E: Applied Science Vol 280, Kluver, Dordrecht, 1995, p.261-272.
THE THERMAL BEHAVIOUR OF AN IRON-RICH ILLITE
E. Murad, U. Wagner.
Clay Minerals, 31(1996)45-52.
A 197AU CEMS STUDY OF CELTIC GOLD COINS
J. Friedl, A. Füssel, R. Gebhard, A. Kyek, G. Lehrberger, T. Kobayashi, M. Regen, F.E. Wagner
Conference Proceedings Vol.50, ICAME-95, I. Ortalli, Ed., SIF, Bologna, 1996, p.773-776.
A STUDY OF FORMATIVE CERAMICS FROM THE ANDES BY PHYSICAL METHODS
U. Wagner, W. Alva, R. Gebhard, G. Grosse, F. Kauffmann-Doig, G. Lumbreras, T. Onuki, J. Riederer, I. Shimada, C. Ulbert, J.M. Vreeland, and F.E. Wagner
In: Memorabilia: Jaques Danon. Essays on interdisciplinary topics in natural sciences. Eds. R.B. Scorzalli, I. Souza Azevedo, E. Baggio Saittovitch. Editions Frontieres, (1997)125-130. ISBN 2-86332-222-2.
MÖSSBAUER STUDY OF CERAMIC FINDS FROM THE GALERÍA DE LAS OFRENDAS, CHAVÍN DE HUÁNTAR, PERÚ
R. Gebhard, F. Kauffmann-Doig, L. G. Lumbreras, J. Riederer, F.E. Wagner, U. Wagner
Hyperfine Interactions, C(1997)6-9.
FORMATIVE CERAMICS FROM THE ANDES AND THEIR PRODUCTION: A MÖSSBAUER STUDY
U. Wagner, R. Gebhard, E. Murad, G. Grosse, J. Riederer, I. Shimada, F.E. Wagner
Hyperfine Interactions, 110(1997)165-176.
CLAY: AN IMPORTANT RAW MATERIAL FOR PREHISTORIC MAN
U. Wagner, R. Gebhard, G. Grosse, E. Murad, I. Shimada, F.E. Wagner
Invited talk: 11th International Clay Conference, Ottawa, Canada, June 15-21, 1997, ed.: D. Rancourt. Hyperfine Interactions in press
MÖSSBAUER STUDY OF A CELTIC POTTERY-MAKING KILN IN LOWER BAVARIA
R. Gebhard, E. Guggenbichler, W. Häusler, J. Riederer, K. Schmotz, F.E. Wagner, U. Wagner
Paper presented during Archaeometry’98, 26 April-1 May, Budapest, Hungary, 1998. To be published in BAR.
TECHNOLOGY AND ORGANISATION OF INKA POTTERY MAKING PRODUCTION: ARCHAEOMETRIC PERSPECTIVES
F. Hayashida, M. Glascock, W. Häusler, H. Neff, J. Riederer, U. Wagner
Paper presented during Archaeometry’98, 26 April-1 May, Budapest, Hungary, 1998. To be published in BAR.
Useful links:
Administration, 15. Mai 2000
