Fingerprinting a production: analytical method for the identification of clay components

The paper presents the preliminary results of an innovative application of a combined non-destructive method of clay analysis by portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) allowing elemental analysis jointly with near-infrared spectroscopy (NIR) to identify the molecular composition of clay, providing a method to fingerprint any given production. The innovative nature of this interdisciplinary study is the establishment of a standard methodology to fingerprint pottery technology, using as a case study the results of the excavation of four Roman kilns at Montelabate (Perugia, Italy), investigated as part of the Montelabate Project. The study is part of a joint project between the McDonald Institute (University of Cambridge) and the Department of Chemistry (Università degli Studi di Milano) aiming to create a conceptual and practical non-destructive methodology applying X-rays Fluorescence (XRF) and near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS with the participation of Diessechem) analyses to the study of and Roman clay production.