Production of glazed ceramics across Mawarannahr: A compositional analysis

Islamic glazed ceramics, especially the intricately decorated slipwares produced in the eastern Islamic world during the Samanid period (9 th -10 th c. CE), represent a key expression of technological skill, innovation, and economic connectivity. While previous scholarship into these iconic glazed ceramics has largely focused on production in the well-known centers of Nishapur and Samarkand, the scale, organization, and diversity of production across the broader region remain underexplored. This study presents the first large-scale compositional and microstructural analysis of early Islamic glazed ceramics from two other major urban centers in Mawarannahr (the regions beyond the Oxus/Amu-Darya River): Bukhara and Tashkent. It offers new insights into local production, technological practices, and regional exchange during the Samanid and Qarakhanid periods (9 th -early 13 th c. CE). Analysis of major, minor, and trace elements in the ceramic pastes by neutron activation analysis (NAA) indicates the likely production of Samanid slipwares in both Bukhara and Tashkent. Through the integration of legacy data, we identified the import of glazed wares from Samarkand, Tashkent, and regions outside of Mawarannahr into Bukhara, which supports the existence of active interregional trade. Glazes were characterized using scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) to assess the technological homogeneity. Despite widespread, consistent slipware technologies, production strategies differed between Bukhara and Tashkent. Bukhara, the Samanid capital, shows limited technological variation with production focused on slipwares and the presence of imported “prestige” ceramics, suggesting centralized production and control. Tashkent, by contrast, reveals a more diverse and experimental ceramic tradition, including opaque wares, suggesting looser production structures and greater freedom in production. These findings significantly expand our understanding of early Islamic ceramic production and offer a more nuanced view of craft organization in the eastern Islamic world. This study provides a regional baseline for Mawarannahr that allows for the evaluation of long-distance exchange and technological transmission using directly comparable compositional and microstructural evidence, especially for widely circulated objects.