Chemical characterization of ancient pottery from Sudan by X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF), electron microprobe analyses (EMPA) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS)

Sixty-four sherds and seven natural clays from prehistoric sites in northwestern Sudan have been submitted to petrological and chemical analysis using XRF spectrometry, EMPA and ICP-MS. According to their texture, the sherds form five different groups. The high contents of 1 0, (more than 0.5 wt%) discerned in 19 samples and the variation of the P2O5 content in two samples of the same vessel can be explained by post-depositional processes or by the ancient organic contents (e.g., milk) of the vessel. Chemical classification of the pottery bulk suggests that vessels were made locally, as only sherds from the same area show homogeneity of data.