Characterization of Meroitic pottery (I– IV century AD) from Abu Erteila (Sudan)

Twelve pottery fragments from a Meroitic ceramic collection (I – IV century AD) discovered in Abu Erteila (Sudan), have been investigated by Raman spectroscopy, X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and Scanning Electron Microscope equipped with X-ray microanalysis (SEM/EDS). Ceramic objects consist of wheel-made domestic pots for cooking and storage needs. All objects are engobed and covered by painted motifs. The combination of the above techniques has allowed to address the firing temperature, and to identify the pigments of the decoration, and the composition of the engobe. The engobe is made of kaolinite and only in two fragments we have observed also the presence of mullite, a thermal degradation product of kaolinite. This suggests that these fragments belong to pottery fired at higher temperature, compared to the other artifacts. Moreover we suggest that the firing temperature of the ceramic body, the engobe, and the decoration are different, and that all the pigments are earths.