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The archaeometry study of the chemical and mineral composition of pottery from Brazil’s Northeast

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Abstract

Chemical and mineralogical analysis was performed on ceramics and clay samples from Barracão archaeological site located in Baixo São Francisco River by means of instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) and by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The data set was studied by means of cluster analysis (CA) and discriminant analysis (DA). The results showed that the raw material used in ceramics is not local. By using DSC it was possible to discover that the principal minerals in the samples are quartz, feldspars, mica and kaolinite.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq, Process 155373/2006-4) for the financial support. Special thanks to Museu Arqueológico de Xingó (MAX/SE) for providing access to their collection.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centro Federal de Educação Tecnológica de Sergipe, Av. Engº. Gentil Tavares da Motta, 1166, Bairro Getúlio Vargas, Aracaju, SE, 49055-260, Brazil

    J. O. Santos

  2. Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares (IPEN/CNEN-SP), Avenida Professor Lineu Prestes, 2242, Cidade Universitária, São Paulo, SP, 05508-000, Brazil

    J. O. Santos, C. S. Munita, R. G. Toyota & P. M. S. Oliveira

  3. Museu de Arqueologia de Xingó (MAX), Rodovia Canindé-Piranhas, TrechoUHE—Xingó, Canindé, SE, 43200-000, Brazil

    C. Vergne & R. S. Silva

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  1. J. O. Santos
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  2. C. S. Munita
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  3. R. G. Toyota
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  4. C. Vergne
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  5. R. S. Silva
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  6. P. M. S. Oliveira
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Correspondence to J. O. Santos.

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Santos, J.O., Munita, C.S., Toyota, R.G. et al. The archaeometry study of the chemical and mineral composition of pottery from Brazil’s Northeast. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 281, 189–192 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-009-0119-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-009-0119-2

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