Comparative Analysis of Pottery Tablets Unearthed from Huxi and Miaoshan Sites in Yongkang, Zhejiang Province

In order to further clarify the chemical and physical composition of the early pottery sherds from the Yongkang Huxi and Miaoshan sites, both of which date to the Early Neolithic period in Yongkang, Zhejiang Province. EDXRF and XRD analyses were conducted, in order to understand the pottery production process at the sites. It is found that the pottery sherds excavated at the two sites have similar elemental compositions, with relatively wide ranges of content in clay (14 wt.%–24 wt.%), silica (66 wt.%–77 wt.%) and iron oxide (4 wt.%–12 wt.%), as well as a high value of potassium oxide (3.2 wt.%), The mean content of CaO and MgO was about 1.6 wt.% and 0.8 wt.%, respectively. From ST1④ to ST1② inHuxisite, the average content of SiO₂ decreased from 70.24 wt.% to 68.06 wt.%, and the average content of Fe₂O₃ increased from 18.24 wt.% to 18.58 wt.%. From TG⑥ and TG⑤ in Miaoshan site, the average content of SiO₂ decreased from 69.15 wt.% to 68.06 wt.%, and the average content of Fe₂O₃ decreased from 6.57 wt.% to 5.67 wt.%. The firing temperature of the ceramic sherds from the Huxi and Miaoshan sites is basically below 700 ℃.