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Updated: Jul 12, 2026

X-ray Powder Diffraction in Conservation Science: Towards Routine Crystal Structure Determination of Corrosion Products on Heritage Art Objects
Published on: June 8, 2016
A study of ancient pottery by means of X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, multivariate statistics and mineralogical
Christina Papachristodoulou1, Artemios Oikonomou, Kostas Ioannides
1Nuclear Physics Laboratory, Department of Physics, The University of Ioannina, 451 10 Ioannina, Greece.
Abstract:
Energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy was used to determine the composition of 64 potsherds from the Hellenistic settlement of Orraon, in northwestern Greece. Data classification by principal components analysis revealed four distinct groups of pottery, pointing to different local production practices rather than different provenance. The interpretation of statistical grouping was corroborated by a complementary X-ray diffraction analysis. Compositional and mineralogical data, combined with archaeological and materials' science criteria, allowed addressing various aspects of pottery making, such as selection of raw clays, tempers and firing conditions.
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