By Nagwa. S. Abdel Rahim
ABSTRACT
The aim of the present paper is to study the chemical and the mineralogical composition of an archaeological
pottery ware shred which was found in the excavation belongs to the Roman period (250A.D). It was found
and stored in the National Museum in Tripoli the capital of Lybia. Its type was found to be a Terra Sigillata
ware, bright-red, polished pottery used throughout the Roman Empire from the 1st century B.C to the 3rd
century A.D. To perform this study, several analytical instruments were used; including X-ray diffraction
(XRD), optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermal analysis (TG) and differential
thermal analysis (DTG) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The texture of the pottery was
made of fine quartz and the fracture color is red due to the presence of Hematite (Fe2O3). The firing
temperature of the ware is high, subsequently; the hardness of the pottery is quite high. The dish was made
with a mould In addition to analytical studies, restoration treatments were carried out on the dish including;
mechanical and chemical cleaning, bonding and replacement and coloring processes.
