In-depth micro-spectrochemical analysis of archaeological Egyptian pottery shards

Old Egyptian pottery samples have been in-depth microchemically analyzed using laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques. Samples from two different ancient Islamic eras, Mamluk (1250–1517 AD), Fatimid (969–1169 AD) in addition to samples from the Roman period (30 BC–395 AD) were investigated. LIBS provided the analytical data necessary to study in micrometric steps the depth profiling of various elements in each sample. Common elements such as silicon, calcium, and aluminum relevant to the originally manufactured and processed clay, showed up in all the investigated samples. EDX and XRD techniques that have been used in the present work provided important chemical insight about the structure of the samples. The obtained analytical results demonstrated the possibility of using LIBS technique in performing in situ spectrochemical analysis of archaeological pottery. This leads to fast in-depth spatial characterization of the samples in the micron range with nearly invisible surface destructive effects. There is no doubt that this can help in restoration and conservation of such precious objects.