Mineral Structure of Ceramics of Malyshevskaya Neolithic Culture (Lower Amur Region)

The article introduces the results of the analysis of the mineral composition of ceramics of the early complex of Malyshevskaya culture. The fragments of 40 vessels from five sites of the southwestern part of the Lower Priamurye - Malyshevo-1, Gasia, Gosyan, Amursky Sanatoriy, Sheremetyevo-I, settlement 8 were studied by means of x-ray diffraction. The analysis revealed that all samples basically contained the same set of mineral phases: quartz, micaceous minerals and feldspars. The diffractometry data were compared with the results of petrography of the same samples that were obtained earlier. Quartz and hydromica are the dominant components of raw clay. The basis of non-plastic mineral inclusions was quartz and feldspars (plagioclases). Comparison of the results of x-ray analysis and petrography made it possible to mark some features in the pottery traditions of the early complex of Malyshevskaya culture of the southwestern part of the Lower Amur region: the use of local clays similar in mineral composition; the use of sand as a mineral admixture. The main conclusion of the article states that the Early Neolithic Malyshevskaya ceramics from the investigated sites is basically similar in mineral composition.