Thirty-eight Neolithic sherds from Yangshao and Majiayao period contexts were analysed via
polarised light microscopy and by scanning electron microscope used with energy dispersive
spectroscopy (SEM-EDX). Sixteen sherds come from the early Yangshao-period Banpo site in the
Wei River Valley, east of Xi’an, 17 from the eponymous site of Majiayao and five from
Waguanzui in the upper Yellow River region in eastern Gansu province. SEM-EDX was also used
to measure the chemical composition of the clays and the paint (black, or in one case, red and
white) applied to the ceramic surfaces. The analyses were carried out to detect differences or
similarities in the chaînes opératoires of ceramic production at the three sites, in particular, to
examine the clay types selected to make the three main categories of wares for which Yangshao
and Majiayao are known, namely painted fine wares, burnished fine wares, and unpainted coarse
wares. The results show that similar raw material selection and processing and technological
choices were followed at the three sites to make both fine and coarse wares. At all sites, black paint
was made by adding different mixtures of manganese and iron oxides to levigated clays, in a few
cases possibly using the same levigated clay used to make the vessels themselves.
painted ware
,Yangshao-Majiayao ceramic technology
,Chinese Neolithic
,EDX mapping
,SEM-EDX
