CERAMICS INTERNATIONAL Available online at www.sciencedirect.com Ceramics International 39 (2013) 8301–8309 Pottery from Halat Aobeer and Hazem Al-Jasrah, Qatar $ M.A. Al Maadeed a , N.J. Al Thani a,n , M. Sadeq b , R. Sobott c a Center for Advanced Materials, Qatar University, P.O Box: 2713, Doha, Qatar b Humanities Department, History Program, Qatar University, P.O Box: 2713, Doha, Qatar c Institute of Mineralogy, Crystallography, and Material Science, Leipzig University, Scharnhorststr. 20, D-04275 Leipzig, Germany Received 4 March 2013; received in revised form 14 March 2013; accepted 15 March 2013 Available online 11 April 2013 Abstract In this paper the results of investigations on six archaeological ceramic sherds of the most common Islamic earthenware from the site of Halat Aobeer and Hazam Al-Jasrah are presented. The data was obtained by using a multi-analytical approach, comprising chemical and mineralogical analyses. External features were investigated by optical and scanning electron microscopy (OM, SEM) while the chemical composition of the pottery surfaces was analysed by X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF) in order to obtain information about the production technologies employed in the past. The results showed not unexpectedly that the sherds were different in shape, style, and composition and the diversity of ceramics can be regarded as evidence for economically prosperous communities. & 2013 Elsevier Ltd and Techna Group S.r.l. All rights reserved. Keywords: Pottery; Qatar; Materials characterisation; XRF; SEM 1. Introduction Geologically Qatar is primarily composed of lower Eocene limestone and gypsum rocks overlain by Miocene marls and limestone in the South and South West. Generally, Qatar has three characteristic forms of landscape: the limestone plateau, the sand desert, and the coastal region [1]. Due to its location, Qatar has attracted seasonal settlements particularly along the coastal line since the Stone Age. Successive survey and excavation projects have been conducted in Qatar since the mid twentieth century. The first was by a Danish archaeological expedition in 1956 identifying over a hundred Stone Age sites, different in character representing small encampments, seasonal settlements, and flint working sites [1]. They are dated to a period extending from 48,000 to 5000 BC. Many of these sites such as Al-Khor in the North East of Qatar, Bir Zekrit, and Ras Abaruk are marked in Holger Kapel's “Atlas of the Stone Age cultures of Qatar ” [2]. At these locations flint tools such as scrapers, axes, and arrow heads of the Neolithic type were found [2]. Other sites furnished painted ceramics and vessels indicating Qatar's connexion with the Al-Ubaid civilisation which flourished in Mesopotamia during the period of the 5th–4th millennium BC. The latest pre-Islamic archaeological remains on the Qatar peninsula are dated to the Sassanid period (224–651 AD). Qatar was ruled by al-Munther Ibn Sawi, one of the Muntherid kings (also called Lakhmid Kingdom referring to their origin from Banu Lakhm tribes) who were allies to the Sassanid dynasty and lived in the present day Southern Iraq with al-Hirah as the capital in 266 AD. Islam arrived in Qatar in 629 AD at the time of the Prophet Mohammed. The archaeological site of Murwab is the only major settlement discovered so far in Qatar representing the early Islamic period, particularly the Abbasid period (750–1258 AD) [1]. It consists of approximately 260 houses, two mosques, and a forti fied palace. Another site showing Early Islamic pottery along- side with pre-Islamic artefacts in burials is Halat Aobeer and Hazem Al-Jasrah (Al-Madina al-Fadha’ yya) which is excavated by the Qatari Department of Antiquities since 2009. Chemical and mineralogical analyses of ceramic artefacts are apt means to furnish information about the provenance and manufacturing technology. This includes all production steps from the procurement of the raw materials to the finishing of the object by various decoration techniques and the firing process. One of the best non-destructive analytical tools for the characterisation of pottery sherd surfaces is the X-ray www.elsevier.com/locate/ceramint 0272-8842/$ - see front matter & 2013 Elsevier Ltd and Techna Group S.r.l. All rights reserved. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ceramint.2013.03.100 ☆ Hazem Al-Jasrah is nowadays called Al-Madina al-Fadha’yya. n Corresponding author. Tel.: +974 4403 3979; fax: +974 4403 3989. E-mail address: n.al-thani@qu.edu.qa (N.J. Al Thani).