University of Sistan and Baluchestan Iranian Journal of Archaeological Studies 2251-743X 16 1 2026 06 01 Mineralogical Characterization and Firing Technology of Ancient Ceramics through XRD: A Case Study from Jalandhar District, Punjab (India) 5 16 9770 10.22111/ijas.2026.53108.1368 EN Rahul Kumar Department of History and Archaeology Central University of Haryana, Mahendergarh, India. Narender Parmar Department of History and Archaeology Central University of Haryana, Mahendergarh, India. Jitendra Kumar Pattanaik Department of Geology School of Environment and Earth Sciences Central University of Punjab, Punjab, India. Journal Article 2026 02 04 Ceramic artefacts constitute one of the most reliable material indicators for reconstructing technological<br />traditions, cultural behaviour, and patterns of resource utilisation in ancient societies. The present study undertakes<br />a mineralogical and phase-based characterisation of pottery samples recovered from four recently explored<br />archaeological sites in the Jalandhar Doab region of Punjab, namely Kathpalon, Goal Pind, Hardo Pharla, and<br />Singhpur. A total of forty representative samples, spanning the Late Harappan to Early Medieval periods (c.<br />2000 BCE–1200 CE), were analysed using X-ray diffraction (XRD) to identify crystalline mineral phases and to<br />infer firing conditions and clay provenance.The results indicate that the ceramics were predominantly fired under<br />low- to moderate-temperature regimes, ranging approximately between 500 °C and 900 °C, under both oxidising<br />and reducing atmospheric conditions. The persistence of minerals such as quartz and calcite, together with the<br />occurrence of dickite and phlogopite in certain samples, suggests variability in firing intensity and technological<br />control across different cultural phases. Although firing temperatures appear broadly consistent through time,<br />variations in mineralogical assemblages point to changes in clay source procurement, reflecting evolving potting<br />traditions and experimentation by craftspeople in the region.This study highlights the effectiveness of XRD-based<br />mineralogical analysis in reconstructing ancient ceramic technology, while recognising that further microstructural<br />investigations (e.g. SEM analysis) would enhance understanding of amorphous phases and vitrification processes. https://ijas.usb.ac.ir/article_9770_9b0dfe2d80a740db558770e84cd55ba8.pdf