Research in Ceramics and Sources of Raw Clay Material Used in Ceramic Production in the Middle Volga Region 13th – 14th cc

The article presents the results of an interdisciplinary study of fragments of ceramic dishware, as well as the samples of contemplated raw material. The analytical study covered over a hundred fragments of pottery corresponding to different groups of ceramics discovered at excavations in the territory of Bolgar, the capital of Volga Bolgaria in 13th – 14th centuries. The studies were conducted with the use of the following methods: optical microscopy and petrography (OMP), differential thermomagnetic analysis (DTMA), X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), spectral emission analysis (ESA) and integrated differential thermal analysis (IDTA). In addition, nine samples of ceramic imports were subjected to chromatographic analysis (CG). A total of 92 samples of clay were collected in the area of urban settlements of Volga Bolgaria in order to identify the sources of raw ceramic materials, which were investigated using all the aforesaid methods with the exception of IDTA and chromatography. The authors conclude that the OMP, ESA and IDTA methods demonstrated an identical distribution of ceramics within the groups, but the first two were recognized as the most informative and efficient methods. In general, the most informative method in terms of the determination of the origin of raw clay materials is ESA.