Calculation of the Concentration of Chamotte in Ceramics: New Experimental Data

The historical and cultural approach is currently being actively used by archaeologists to study ceramic products. The approach developed by A. A. Bobrinsky is still being improved nowadays, the article presents the stages and results of an experiment to create scales of concentration of uncalibrated chamotte. The purpose of the experiment is to create scales to identify the concentration of uncalibrated chamotte in archaeological ceramics. In the course of the work, it was determined that the average amount of chamotte in samples using as a feedstock in a dry crushed state is higher than in a recipe using raw materials in a naturally moistened state. Concentrations of 1:6, 1:7 can be divided only conditionally, since the average amount of chamotte per 1 cm2 is almost the same for the initial plastic raw mate rials in any state. Chamotte of the largest fractions is found in a maximum of 5 % of the samples studied. It is worth noting that when studying the concentration of coarse chamotte 2.0–5.0 mm, experimental samples were found on chips that did not contain chamotte inclusions. When using scales developed by A. A. Bobrinsky, it is necessary to apply a calculation formula and focus on the size of fractions, which complicates the process of determining the concentration of mineral impurities. The use of scales presented in the article to determine the concentration of uncalibrated chamotte is the most convenient to use when working with archaeological ceramics.