Synchrotron Radiation In The Study Of Ancient Ceramics

China has a long history and culture. As early as ten thousand years ago, China has emerged pottery. China is also the hometown of porcelain. The technology and the invention of porcelain and brilliant technically achievements have made a tremendous contribution for human life and culture. Ancient ceramics is the crystallization of science and the arts, also is the witnesses of ethnic and cultural exchanges between Chinese and foreign country. The research of ancient ceramics can be used as a reflection of the social life and cultural exchanges as well as the political and economic.The scientific and technological analysis for ancient ceramics in China began in the 1920s, also had a rapid development in recent years. The main analytical methods are component analysis and structure analysis methods. Synchrotron radiation light source is the most outstanding source created by the mankind. Compared with other ordinary methods, the experimental analysis technologies on the basis of synchrotron radiation light source have many advantages, also be widely applied in physics, chemistry, biology, medical, and mining, catalysis, materials, and other fields. The applies of synchrotron radiation technology in the ancient ceramics research has just started, therefore, the use of synchrotron radiation technology on the research of ancient ceramics, both in the establishment of methods, or in the ancient ceramics study itself, all of which have very important significance. Which also can be an example for applies of the synchrotron radiation technology in other archaeological materials.In the first chapter the ordinary composition and structure analysis methods used in the ancient ceramic analysis were outlined as well as their advantages and disadvantages. The preliminary application of synchrotron radiation in the ancient ceramics was summarized. The second chapter briefly introduced the principle and the test methods of the synchrotron radiation light source, synchrotron radiation X-ray fluorescence and X-ray absorption fine structure.Synchrotron radiation X-ray fluorescence (SRXRF) was an important non-destructive component analysis method. Chinese ancient bluish-white porcelains from different kilns were analyzed by using SRXRF in chapter 3. The statistical analysis results of the experiment data indicated that the content of elements including Rb,Sr,Zn,Mn,Cu,TFe₂O₃,K₂O,Na₂O could reflect the local feature of the form porcelain clay, which could offer a certain parameter for the kiln identification of ancient bluish-white porcelains. The result also proved that SRXRF was a promising method for the kiln identification of ancient porcelains.In the fourth chapter, the structure and concentration of seven pieces of blue and white porcelains excavated in Mantai site of Sri Lanka were studied by different technique means, such as synchrotron radiation X-ray fluorescence, neutron activation analysis and so on. According to the Multi-statistical analysis, four pieces of blue and white porcelains were made in Jingdezhen, China. The provenance of the other three samples needed further study.X-ray absorption fine structure is a powerful means of structural analysis, by which the structure information of neighboring atoms around a certain atom can be obtained. Compared with other structural analysis method, XAFS does not require long-range order structure and destruction of samples. Therefore, it is very suitable for XAFS to analysis amorphous structure of the ancient ceramics. In the fifth chapter, the Fe element's valence state in the Ru porcelain was studied using X-ray absorption fine structure spectrum along with linear combination Fitting method. The main wavelength of the samples was also obtained by colorimeter. The results showed that the bigger Fe²⁺ / Fe³⁺ in glaze caused Glaze color to be cyan, otherwise partial to yellow. The simple summarization and prospects of the application of Synchrotron radiation in ancient ceramics were showed out in the last chapter.