Novensia: Studia i Materiały (20.2009)

Marcin Baranowski* Małgorzata Daszkiewicz**
Warszawa

MACROSCOPIC DESCRIPTION AND LABORATORY
ANALYSIS OF TWELF POTTERY FRAGMENTS FROM NOVAE

Abstract: This article focuses on 12 pottery sherds recovered from excavations in Novae
conducted by the Archaeological Research Centre of the University of Warsaw, Combining
the macroscopic descriptions with laboratory results produced a comprehensive appraisal of
the pottery fabric, which, together with typologicał and morphological descriptions,
provided a complete profile of the characteristics of each of the 12 ceramic sherds.
Key words: Novae, pottery, macroscopic description, analysis.

Introduction

Ceramic sherds recovered from excavation in this paper are the subject of
macroscopic descriptions drafted by archaeologists and laboratory analyses
carried out by archaeoceramologists. Macroscopic descriptions of pottery fabrics
are based on the visual examination of sherds, usually conducted with the
unassisted eye, or using a magnifying glass (occasionally a binocular microscope)
with a maximum magnification of 10x. Thus, the ceramic fabric is described
without the help of any laboratory procedures and descriptions can be written
either in the field, or later during post-processing. Laboratory analysis is carried
out on ceramic sherds selected by archaeologists. The fragments in ąuestion are
usually representative examples chosen once macroscopic classification has been
completed.
This article focuses on 12 pottery sherds recovered from excavations in Novae
conducted by the Archaeological Research Centre of the University of Warsaw,

Student at the Institute of Archaeology, University of Warsaw, Poland, [e-mail]
ARCHEA, Warsaw, Poland, [e-mail]