Archaeometric Analyses of Medieval (Byzantine) Period Ceramics From Murat Höyük

Murat Höyük is located in Murat village, Solhan district of Bingöl province in the Eastern Anatolia region. This study includes the archaeometric analyses of the medieval (Byzantine) period ceramic finds obtained as a result of the rescue excavations carried out at Murat Höyük in 2019. Murat Höyük has four cultural phases (I-IV). The medieval ceramics (Phase I), which are the subject of this study and subjected to archaeometric analyses, are dated to between the 9th and 10th centuries AD. It was understood that medieval ceramics were made by hand and on the wheel, and were unglazed and locally produced. Within the scope of archaeometric analyses, the samples were first evaluated visually, then photographed, documented, and coded. As part of the documentation studies of the samples, the paste colors of the samples were determined with a digital colorimeter (chromometer), and the thicknesses of the ceramics were determined with a digital thicknessmeter. Within the scope of archaeometric studies, the petrographic properties of the samples were examined by optical microscope analysis on thin sections, and their chemical compositions were examined by Polarized Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence (PED-XRF) analysis.