The document reviews the digital image analysis (DIA) of petrographic thin sections related to archaeological ceramics from the Castel de Pedena site in northeastern Italy, integrating quantitative data on matrix, inclusions, and voids from ceramic samples. It highlights findings from various mining and archaeological studies while contrasting traditional analytical methods with modern DIA techniques, demonstrating enhanced precision and efficiency. Overall, the research categorizes pottery into distinct periods and petrographic groups, emphasizing the relationship between ceramic textures and historical trade patterns.

1. References
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1
Marta Tenconi *
1
Department of Geosciences, University of Padova, Via Giotto 1, I-35137, Padova, Italy
*email: marta.tenconi@studenti.unipd.it
5. Digital ImageAnalysis
A selection of samples characteristic of the different fabrics groups identified by the optical microscopy was
studied by DIA (Digital Image Analysis). DIA was performed on back-scattered electrons images acquired with
a scanning electron microscope (SEM) in order to extract quantitative information, particularly the different
quantity of matrix, inclusions and voids, their size and the grain-size distribution. For each sample nearly ten
images were taken.
6. Conclusions
All the studied pottery was hand-made and characterized by a coarse paste tempered with sands just collected
along the main streams located around the site.
The results obtained by the Image Analysis well match with the ones gained by the petrographic and textural
analysis by optical microscopy.
The application of image analysis system instead of the traditional point counting based on the visual
estimation represents a considerable saving in time and a great increase in the precision of the work with the
possibility to distinguish and count also the different microstructural features.
1. Introduction
The archaeological site of Castel de Pedena
(Belluno, North-East Italy), is a fortified
mountain village dated between the Early
Bronze age and the Early Iron age (XVIII-IX
Century b.C.). Many ceramic remnants have
been found during the archaeological
excavations in the last few years. Based on
variations in shapes and decorations this
pottery can be chronologically grouped into
three different periods.
Final Bronze age
Early Bronze age
Middle Bronze age/Late Bronze age
Late Bronze age
Luco vessel (Final Bronze age)
Wieselburg-Gata (Late Bronze age)
The oldest vessels belong to the Polada culture (North Italy)
dated at the Early BronzeAge, whereas a second phase can be
identified between the Middle Bronze Age and the Late Bronze
Age, and a third one to the Final Bronze Age/Early Iron Age
(Leonardi G., 2004). Only few pots are characterized by peculiar
shapes referable to the eastern Wiselburg-Gata culture
(Hungary and Adriatic area) and to the northern Luco culture
(Italian South Tyrol and Trentino, Austrian East Tyrol and Swiss
Grisons), respectively.
Textural analysis of ancient ceramic through
digital image analysis: applications on
pottery assemblages from a Bronze Age
site in north-eastern Italy
Fabric 1.1 Fabric 2
Fabric 5
4. Petrographic groups
Fabric 1: carbonate inclusions rich potshards: characterized by carbonates inclusions that arepresent with a great variability of types
(dolomite, carbonate mudstone, sparry calcite, ooid limestone, bioclast limestone). They are associated with metamorphic rock
fragments (fabric 1.4) and a quartz and carbonate sand (fabric 1.5). It has been divided into five subgroups). 44 samples.
Fabric 2: big angular chert fragments rich potshards associated with carbonate mudstone. 12 samples.
Fabric 3: quartz sand rich potshards. 4 samples.
Fabric 4: grog rich potshard. 1 sample.
Fabric 5: metamorphic rocks (mica schist, graphite schist, gneiss, quartzite) rich potshard. 1 sample.
Fabric 6: igneous rocks (mostly volcanic) rich potshard. 1 sample.
Fabric 4
Fabric 3
Fabric 6
2.Aims
- characterizing the different fabrics of the pottery
and the compositional variability in terms of
petrography
3. Materials and methods
- Sixty-three samples were studied by optical
microscopy (petrographic and textural analysis)
- A few samples were studied by image analysis on
scanning electron microscopy images: nine
samples by BSE image, five by elemental chemical
maps
Histogram showing the grain size
distribution ranging from 10 mn 1340 mn
with the largest number of them falling
between 20 and 60 mn.
Istogramma
0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 1600
MinFeret
0
200
400
600
800
frequenza
M045 - Fabric 2 M102 - Fabric 1
M003 - Fabric 2
Grains: 20% Voids: 12% Matrix: 68%
The quantitative parameters (e.g. number of grains, area percentage,
average size lenght of axes, degree of roundness, lenght of perimeter,
...) were accomplished with computerized analysis of the digital
images.
The components (grains, matrix and voids), were differentiated, or
segmented, considering the different grey tone values that dipend by the
average atomic wieght of their elements.
All the textural features of these components were separately analyzed.
Results obtained were statistically treated using Statgraphics Centurion
Inclusions, voids and matrix
distributions in the samples analized.
Ca
Mg
Si Al
K
The same approach was adopted using
multispectral information obtained by
elemental chemical maps: X ray maps
acquired with the energy disperse
spectrometry SEM-EDS).
Ca-Mg
Si – -Al K
Elemental Chemical maps
DOLCC
FDS
Qz
with high presence also of the coarser sand size fraction.
Percentage of the inclusions
present in the samples
analyzed with indication of
the different size distribution
referred to the Wentworth
grain size chart. The largest
number of inclusions fallow
between 0,016 and 0,65
mm. It is evident the
differences between sample
M003 characterized by a
finer fraction and samples
M012, M101 and M102
samples
%
samples
samples