Application of heavy mineral analysis for ceramic provenance research by the micromineralogical collection of the Mining and Geological Survey of Hungary – a case study

This study introduces a possible archaeometric application of the micromineralogical collection belonging to the Mining and Geological Survey of Hungary. Micromineralogical (heavy mineral) assemblage of natural clastic sediments (clay, silt, sand) can characterize the plastic ceramic raw materials typical for a delimited region (i.e. a river catchment area or a geological subunit). Heavy mineral investigation is a useful method which can complete conventional ceramic provenance studies applying microscopic petrography and instrumental chemical analyses, especially in cases of very fine-grained pottery or mature, less characteristic ceramic compositions. Using the 10th c. pottery of Edelény-Borsod (NE Hungary) as an example, we present the application of the micromineralogical collection. The study points out the difficulties with the evaluation, i.e. different sample preparation and data collecting strategy for archaeological and geological samples. Finally, the benefits of the results are formulated as conclusions on the ceramic provenance.