Painting technique of red post-firing painted pottery from the Nanzuo Neolithic site in Qingyang, Gansu Province

Post-firing painted (POFP) pottery stands as a testament to the creativity and craftsmanship of ancient potters within the prehistoric craft-working industry. This study offers a comprehensive examination of the painting techniques employed on POFP pottery sherds from the Neolithic site of Nanzuo (circa 3100–2700 BC), located in Qingyang, Gansu province, China. A variety of analytical methods, including Optical Microscopy (OM), X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometry (XRF), Scanning Electron Microscopy with Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) are utilized for this analysis. The technological investigation reconstructs the process involved in creating post-fired paints: Initially, the surface of the fired pottery is roughened; subsequently, a layer of black binding medium is applied; finally, a layer of cinnabar is applied. These findings significantly enhance our understanding of the painting techniques utilized in POFP pottery during ancient China.