Sample: SLO2

Monument: Slocene settlement
Location: Tukums Municipality, Lapmežciems parish, shore of River Slocene
Chronology: Middle Neolithic (3900-3000 BC)
Kind: Pottery sherd
Type: Sārnate type
Publication: Haferberga (Visocka) et al. 2024
Description:
* Clay paste – coarse with various sized sand grains and silt, dense. Few grains of ferric concretions. Clay pellets distinguished (largest – 0,9 mm).
* Pores – majority – uneven elongated and with sharp edges, also thin and long (remains from mussel shells), few – oval or oval elongated (organics of unknown origin).
* Temper – crushed mussel shells (in some pores remains from mussel shells distinguished) + unknown organics (round and oval elongated pores):
- Size of the largest pore of mussel shell – 3,5 mm, max avg. size – 1,78 mm;
- Largest oval elongated pore – 0,6 mm;
- Amount of temper in the clay paste – 11,36 %.
! Values are recalculated using more precise methodology and differs from ones in the publication.

Overview of the sample thin section. Total magnification in the microscope multiply 40: in eyepiece lens multiply 10, in objective lens multiply 4, crossed polarizers.

Overview of the sample thin section (created with smartphone on the panorama setting); Magnification – x40 (eye pieces x10, objective lens x4), crossed polarizers. Photo: V. Haferberga.

Overview of the sample thin section in plane polarized light.

Overview of the sample thin section in plain polarized light. Photo: V. Haferberga.

Clay pellet in the clay paste. On the left in crossed polarized light, on the right in plain polarized light. Magnification – multiply 100.

Clay pellet in the clay paste, crossed (A) and plain (B) polarized light; Magnification – x100 (eye pieces x10, objective lens x10). Photo: V. Haferberga.