Introduction

Fabric analysis is the study and classification of pottery using the characteristics of the clay body from which the pottery is made. These characteristics can be divided into three classes: those which are a function of the firing temperature and conditions, those which are a function of inclusions and those which are a function of the clay matrix. Pottery analysts consider pottery fabrics to consist of two elements: a ‘matrix’ composed of clay minerals less than 0.02mm across and ‘inclusions’ which are larger. Roughly speaking, ‘inclusions’ can be seen with the naked eye or a low-power binocular microscope whereas individual constituents cannot be seen in the matrix except using high-powered microscopes and thin-sections or a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). The term ‘fabric’ is used by pottery researchers to mean all three characteristics whereas geologists use the same term to describe the spatial relationship of minerals in a rock. The term ‘paste’ is sometimes used by pottery researchers synonymously with ‘fabric’. The two basic components (matrix and inclusions) are governed mainly by the choice of raw materials used by the potters and by any preparation which the potters carried out. However, both are modified, to a greater or lesser extent, by firing conditions (see Chapter 13).

Equipment

A magnifying glass, hand lens (or loupe) or low-power binocular microscope is an essential part of the equipment used in ceramic analysis. The three main uses are to examine the fabric of a vessel, to look in detail at the way in which the vessel was made or decorated and to look at evidence of use. The first use is by far the most common and will determine the type of microscope or lens you need. Depending on the nature of the fabrics present in the collection you may need to use a lens to examine every sherd or it may be possible to identity all the pottery by eye. In cases where the identity of inclusions has proved to be of no diagnostic value it will probably be the texture of the fabric which is used in classification. Where the majority of grains are less than 1mm across, a magnifying glass will be useful. Where the identity of inclusions is a vital part of a fabric classification, it may be necessary to examine the sherds at magnifications up to ×25.