Trace element indicators of fabrication technology for coral red and black gloss decoration on Greek Attic pottery

Laser ablation inductively coupled plasma time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-TOFMS) was used to study the trace element chemistry of coral red and black gloss slip decoration on Greek Attic pottery (6 ^th century BC). The distribution of trace elements in the body fabric and glaze slips were found to be correlated suggesting the raw materials came from a single source. Furthermore, the so-called high calcium and magnesium (HCM) coral red was found to be a less refined material than black gloss, with trace element characteristics suggestive of a carbonate phase in the raw material. This carbonate component may have imparted refractory properties to the HCM coral red slip material during the three-stage oxidative-reductive-oxidative firing used to produce Attic pottery, allowing it to remain porous and re-oxidize during the final firing step, thus creating its final red color. The so-called low calcium and magnesium (LCM) coral red, on the other hand, was found to be more refined than the HCM coral red slip which suggests that two separate firings would have been needed to produce the red color of this material.