The problems of physical and chemical research of ceramics from archaeological sites of the Lower Don

The present review paper analyzes the entire range of natural-science methods and techniques of archaeological ceramics research. Natural-science methods are aimed at the study of the chemical composition, various properties and features of the technology of ceramic products manufacture, which, in the case of archaeological ceramics, can solve problems that go far beyond material science, namely, to draw conclusions about the level of development, territorial and cultural relations of the person who produced this material. The whole set of natural-science methods used for the study of archaeological ceramics, is conventionally divided by us into the following main groups. The first group includes the methods for determining the age of ceramic finds, such as the method of radiocarbon dating and the method of thermoluminescent dating. The second group includes the methods for studying the physical properties of ceramics. This group includes water saturation study, petrographic method, mercury porometry, strength tests of ceramics depending on the nature of impurities, firing temperature and clay quality...