title: Analytical characterization of recently excavated megalithic sarcophagi potsherds in Veeranam village, Tiruvannamalai dist., Tamilnadu, India.
abstract: Analytical characterization of megalithic sarcophagi potsherds from Veeranam, Tiruvannamalai dist., Tamilnadu has been performed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), Thermal analysis (TG-DTA), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) coupled with an energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDX) and Energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (EDXRF). The EDXRF data of the potsherds were processed using multivariate statistical methods. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis allow us to identify grouping and structure in the data. The analytical results achieved in this study allowed us to estimate the firing temperature and manufacturing techniques. The methodological approach was successfully applied to the mineralogical, chemical and thermal characterization of the potsherds.
authors.affiliation: Post Graduate and Research Department of Physics, Government Arts College, Tiruvannamalai 606 603, India. ravisankarphysics@gmail.com
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ravisankar
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Raja Annamalai
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Naseerutheen
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chandrasekaran
authors.forename: M V R
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Prasad
authors.forename: K K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Satpathy
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Maheswaran
mesh_terms: D000538:Aluminum Silicates / Q000032:analysis*; D001106:Archaeology; D000077215:Clay; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D004055:Differential Thermal Analysis; D007194:India; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D008903:Minerals / Q000032:analysis; D011208:Powders; D025341:Principal Component Analysis; D013052:Spectrometry, X-Ray Emission; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; D013696:Temperature; D013818:Thermogravimetry; D014961:X-Ray Diffraction
chemical_list: D000538:Aluminum Silicates; D008903:Minerals; D011208:Powders; D000077215:Clay
keywords: ED-XRF; Mineral Analysis; Pottery; SEM-EDX; Statistical Analysis; TG-DTA