Archaeometric Study of Pottery Finds Obtained From the Surface Survey of Naderi Tepe (Southeast of Mashhad)

Abstract Naderi Tepe is located in the southeast of Mashhad and is located next to a communication route. According to the typology, the wares of this site include the variety of species and the quantity of pottery pieces from the Chalcolithic to the historical period. During the study of this site, based on the obtained wares, 10 pieces of the sherds and two pieces of stone quern were analyzed by petrography and their thin sections were examined in order to find the minerals in them. The purpose of this experiment was to identify the components of each sherd, the difference in composition and materials between samples, determine the percentage of each composition, determine the temperature of pottery firing according to the available minerals, and investigate the origin of the raw materials that make up wares. In the laboratory, a thin section was prepared from the pottery and then studied with an optical microscope. The results of the studies show that the mineralogy of the sherds from the site shows the better quality and purer paste of the sherds produced from the middle Bronze Age to the end of this period, which shows the high skill of the potter in making and knowing the raw materials in the production of pottery. The results of this research can be the basis for the comparison of ware types in terms of construction techniques and compounds used in them in the surrounding areas, especially in the Mashhad Plain.