Journal of Nanjing University(Natural Sciences), Volume. 61, Issue 4, 562(2025)
Study on manufacturing techniques and origins of low⁃temperature glazed wares unearthed at the Tangchaodun site
The Tangchaodun site is situated in Qitai County, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, along a critical transportation route of the Land Silk Road. To reveal the manufacturing techniques and origins of low-temperature glazed wares unearthed from this site during the 12th-14th centuries CE, we analyzed their chemical composition and microstructure using X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy and micro-Raman spectroscopy. The results indicate that these sherds can be divided into glazed pottery and fritware, with glaze types including lead glaze, lead-alkali glaze, and alkali glaze. Lead glazed pottery exhibits green (copper) and yellow (iron) colors. The pottery with a low-Al glaze type is coated with a slip containing pyrophyllite, likely sourced from West Asia, whereas the pottery with a high-Al type originates from north China. Turquoise lead-alkali glazed pottery shows a distinct West Asian style, colored by copper without the use of tin-based opacifiers or slip. The opacifying effect is achieved through Mie scattering caused by diopside, quartz, and bubbles in the glaze. Alkali glazed fritware features blue and black; the underglaze-black contains chromite, and its low manganese content suggests raw materials sourced from northeast Iran. The study provides important evidence for the trade networks and cultural exchanges of low-temperature glazed ceramics along the Land Silk Road during the 12th to 14th centuries CE.
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Xu Siwen, Ren Guan, Du Meng, Ali Aarab, Yang Yimin. Study on manufacturing techniques and origins of low⁃temperature glazed wares unearthed at the Tangchaodun site[J]. Journal of Nanjing University(Natural Sciences), 2025, 61(4): 562
Received: Apr. 10, 2025
Accepted: Aug. 22, 2025
Published Online: Aug. 22, 2025
The Author Email: Yang Yimin (yiminyang@ucas.ac.cn)