Petrographic Examination of Pottery Samples from Tepe Gratziani, Sistan

This paper presents the petrographic examination results on the thirteen pottery sherds from the first season of excavation of Tepe Gratziani in Sistan plain. In order to specify whether the pottery were local or imported، conducted experiments have been performed by polarizing microscope of Jame Swift Model in the petrographic lab of the Institute of Cultural Heritage which based on the review of test results and geological map of the area. It became clear that the source of all the pottery is local and also the remained structure of kilns demonstrates the local production of Tepe Gratziani’s pottery. Sections of examining pottery sherds show that the baking temperature has not been more than 800 centigrade due to the presence of Meekers “tiny calcite crystals” with less than 4 microns in size as well as the presence of Asparay “coarse calcite crystal” in the pottery sections.