BURNISHING VERSUS SMOOTHING IN CERAMIC SURFACE FINISHING: A SEM STUDY* C. IONESCU, 1,2 † V. HOECK, 2,1 O. N. CRANDELL 1 and K. ŠARIC ´ 3 1 Babes ¸-Bolyai University, Department of Geology, 1 Koga ˘lniceanu Str., 400084 Cluj-Napoca, Romania 2 Paris Lodron University, Department of Geography and Geology, 34 Hellbrunner Str., A-5020 Salzburg, Austria 3 University of Belgrade, Faculty of Mining and Geology, 7 D ¯ ušina Str., 11000 Belgrade, Serbia From the Neolithic up to the present, people have used various methods to improve the surface of ceramic objects. In this study, we look specifically at smoothing and pattern burnishing of ceramics produced today by traditional methods. Optical microscopy and SEM show specific surface changes. Smoothing results in an irregular surface, which causes diffused reflection of light. Burnishing produces an even and compact surface, which causes specular reflection and lustre. The results can be used to infer methods of surface treatment employed by ancient peoples as well as to help identify the presence of ceramics production centres at archaeo- logical sites. KEYWORDS: ROMANIA, BLACK CERAMICS, OM, SEM, SMOOTHED SURFACE, PATTERN BURNISH INTRODUCTION Since the advent of pottery in Late Palaeolithic to Early Neolithic times—independently invented in different places (Shelach 2012); for example, c. 20,000 bp in South China (Wu et al. 2012)— potters have tried to ornament their wares. Over time, they have developed several methods, including smoothing, polishing and burnishing. The latter gives to the ceramic objects a lustrous surface similar to that obtained by coatings such as some slips, paints and particularly glazes (Maggetti et al. 1981; Gliozzo et al. 2004; Memmi 2013). A comprehensive definition of burnishing is provided by Berg (2008): ‘. . . the use of a hard, smooth object (e.g. stone, wood or bone) to rub the vessel surface at the leather hard stage often resulting in narrow parallel facets. By compressing the clay, burnishing creates a characteristic luminous shine.’ Burnishing can be either plain—that is, covering the whole surface of the ceramic object—or patterned—that is, restricted to decorative lines. Pattern burnishing has been used since the Neolithic (e.g., Mellaart 1967; Demoule and Perlès 1993; Tsuneki and Miyake 1996). It takes place after hand- or wheel-shaping and the drying of the objects up to the so-called ‘leather-stage’ (Rutter 1975; Froh 2004; Berg 2008; Iserlis 2009). The implement materials include mostly stones, but bone, wood, ceramics, metal and shells are also used. The stone tools are water-worn pebbles (Stahl et al. 2008; Fowler 2011; Murphy and Poblome 2012), lithic pestles (Deal 1988), flint chips (Méry et al. 2007; Iserlis 2009) or agate pieces (Hall 1889; Clarke 2012). They require a smooth, slightly convex or flat surface and should be large enough to be easily grasped. So far, not much is known about the small-scale effects of surface finishing on a crude ceramic body. By means of the famous ‘Marginea black ceramics’ (MBC; Fig. 1 (a)) produced nowadays *Received 31 August 2013; accepted 10 December 2013 †Corresponding author: email corina.ionescu@ubbcluj.ro Archaeometry ••, •• (2014) ••–•• doi: 10.1111/arcm.12089 © 2014 University of Oxford