Weronika Patrycja Polanska

• Polanska, Weronika Patrycja; Ferri, Lavinia de & Raneri, Simona (2026). Bronze Age Pottery Production in Norway: Preliminary Archaeometric Data from the Østfold Region. doi: https:/inart2026.madeira.gov.pt/files/inart2026a/bookabstracts/FF-book-of-abstracts-InArt2026.pdf. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  Ceramic production is among the few Nordic Bronze Age activities that leave substantial traces in the archaeological record in South-East Norway, offering multiple avenues for investigating past societies. The PhD project “Clay and Community – Investigating knowledge-sharing communities through northern European ceramic production technology between 1100 BC and 400 BC” uses archaeometric data to explore (i) how local landscapes were used in prehistoric pottery production, (ii) the ceramic chaîne opératoire, and (iii) the transfer of technological knowledge. The study covers 12 Bronze Age sites dated between 1100 BCE and 400 BCE in southeast Norway and comprises more than 70 sherds, 11 complete vessels, and 12 reference clays. The materials have been analyzed using combined non-invasive and invasive approaches (pXRF, XRD, and ceramic petrography) in order to: i) define methodological protocols accessible to professionals with different backgrounds; ii) distinguish the informational value of different sample preparations; iii) establish a reference framework for raw materials local to the prehistoric sites and address the challenges of provenance and raw paste recipes. This poster focuses on distinguishing the chemical and mineralogical contributions of tempers and clay minerals, and on assessing whether observed differences are best explained by distinct paste recipes or by raw material provenance. Invasive pXRF and XRD analyses were performed on samples of prehistoric pottery and reference clays before and after sieving at 25 µm and after decantation, to isolate as far as possible the contributions of clays and tempers. This experimental protocol was complemented by ceramic petrography, which identified seven petrofabrics and contributed to a more detailed understanding of these prehistoric ceramics. At the same time, this research asks what methodological and interpretive approaches are appropriate when working with archaeological ceramics produced from locally obtained clays and tempers. When dealing with pottery made from raw materials collected in the surrounding landscape, it is crucial to recognize that some objects in the past were produced in non-centralized, domestic contexts, rather than as standardized imports from specialized workshops. The study thus challenges common narratives in ceramic studies and highlights how archaeometric approaches must be adapted when engaging with “difficult” material culture produced in small-scale, non-standardized settings.

• Polanska, Weronika Patrycja; Ferri, Lavinia de; Steindal, Calin Constantin; Austvoll, Knut Ivar & Melheim, Anne Lene (2026). The Nordic Bronze Age ceramic production: material sourcing and production technology at Hunn (Østfold, south-east Norway). doi: https:/inart2026.madeira.gov.pt/files/inart2026a/bookabstracts/FF-book-of-abstracts-InArt2026.pdf. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  This work, the first of its kind in Norway, presents the results obtained on a set of ten ceramic sherds from the Bronze Age (c. 1100–700 BCE) site of Hunn (Østfold, south-east Norway), as a first step towards a broader analysis of Bronze Age ceramic technology in the southeastern region of the country. Ceramic fragments were selected based on their cross regional characteristics (e.g. shape of vessels, surface treatments, etc.). A multi analytical approach (pXRF, FTIR-ATR, XRD, ceramic petrography, colorimetry and SEM- EDS) was applied to determine both their production technology and provenance of raw materials (clays and tempers) in order to ascertain the local or remote origin of the original objects. Pottery data were compared with clays sampled at possible supply sites, both in the vicinity of the excavated site, and from areas in Poland and Germany with known contemporaneous cultural connection to the archaeological finds at Hunn. Firing experiments conducted at different temperatures on the reference clays helped defining similarities in terms of thermal responses of the materials. This, together with the archaeometric results confirmed that examined pottery was made with locally sourced raw materials. In addition, thin-section petrography revealed possible occurrence of chamotte, as well as the survival of mineral phases such as chlorite, pointing at firing temperatures lower than 700°C in reducing conditions. This is compatible with the typology of firing structures known for the populations and the period. Similar characteristics were previously found in Bronze Age ceramics from the southern Scandinavian Peninsula as well as from the Lusatian Culture in northern Central Europe. Thus, results reinforce the previously published hypothesis of technological correspondence across the Bronze Age sites in the southern Scandinavian Peninsula and the Lusatian Culture (northern central Europe), a set of archaeological cultures from between c. 1300-500 BCE, mainly in what is now Poland, western Ukraine, Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Northern Germany.

• Polanska, Weronika Patrycja & Ferri, Lavinia de (2026). Studying Nordic Late Bronze age ceramics from Southern Norway by portable XRF. doi: https:/www.exrs2026.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/EXRS2026_BoA.pdf. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  Pottery is one of the primary sources of information on the Nordic Bronze Age in Norway. This study examines the relationship between raw clay sources and ceramics dated to 1100–400 BCE in Østfold, across archaeological sites spanning approximately 30 km. The research forms part of a broader project investigating whether: i) pottery from different sites was produced using similar or distinct clay and temper sources; and ii) whether production technologies were consistent or variable. This first phase of the investigation includes non-invasive and invasive analyses of local clay references, ceramic fragments, and complete vessels. Chemical measurements were conducted using a handheld X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrophotometer (Tracer 5, Bruker), widely used in archaeology to assess ceramic composition and provenance. Analyses are typically carried out non-invasively on external surfaces with a calibration made originally for soils or sediments. Although portable XRF offers low cost, rapid analysis, and non-destructive method of analysis, surface measurements may be affected by surface irregularities and natural or anthropogenic contaminations [1]. To address this, measurements were collected from broken sherd edges in addition to the external surfaces of complete vessels, thereby capturing the entire ceramic cross-section and more accurately reflecting the bulk composition. The study additionally evaluated instrument calibration. Manufacturer calibrations (e.g.,Mudrock) are typically optimized for elements associated with environmental applications rather than those relevant to archaeometry and the dynamic range necessary for their accurate quantification [2]. Thus, the BRICC calibration set for non-invasive analysis (Yale Archaeological Laboratories) [3] was tested. Although many portable instruments allow adjustment of internal parameters through external calibration, this was not possible with the Tracer 5 in calibration mode, and the post calibration of data did not allow correct the Mudrock calibration routine. The second phase of the XRF study focused on distinguishing the contribution of different components in invasively collected data from Bronze Age pottery. Ceramic fragments were crushed in an agate mortar and sieved to separate fractions contributing to the overall chemical signal, allowing differentiation between temper- and clay-related components. Samples were analyzed as unsieved powders for comparison with non-invasive sherd measurements, and as two sieved fractions (125 µm and 25 µm) to better isolate compositional differences. (1) Department of Archaeology, Conservation and History, University of Oslo (2) Museum of Cultural History, University of Oslo [1] P. Niedzielski, M. Krueger, D. Brandherm, Effects of sample processing on XRF results from archeological pottery, MATERIALS AND MANUFACTURING PROCESSE, 35, 2020, 1455-1460. [2] A. M.W. Hunt, R. J. Speakman, Portable XRF analysis of archaeological sediments and ceramics, Journal of Archaeological Science, 54, 2025, 626-638 [3] E. Frahm, C. M. Carolus, A. Cameron, J. Berner, H. Brown, J. Cheng, J. Kalodner, J. L. Leggett Jr., A. Natale, S. Seibert, D. Sparks-Stokes, E. Wuellner. Introducing the BRICC (Bricks and rocks for Instruments’ ceramic calibration) sets: Open-source calibration materials for quantitative X-ray fluorescence analysis. Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 43, 2022, 103443

• Polanska, Weronika Patrycja (2025). Bronze Age ceramic technology in Østfold, Norway - preliminary results. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Polanska, Weronika Patrycja (2025). On migration of knowledge through clay and community. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Polanska, Weronika Patrycja (2024). An analysis of clay samples from Liåker, Lunner municipality, Norway. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Polanska, Weronika Patrycja (2024). Bronze Age pottery and gendered narratives through archaeometric approaches. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Polanska, Weronika Patrycja & Fredriksen, Per Ditlef (2024). Investigating the Intentional and Accidental Impact of Fire on Clay Materials from Oppsal, southeastern Norway. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Polanska, Weronika Patrycja (2023). Bronze Age pottery in Eastern Norway and Western Pomerania. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Polanska, Weronika Patrycja; Ferri, Lavinia de; Steindal, Calin Constantin & Austvoll, Knut Ivar (2023). Preliminary investigation of the production technology of Norwegian Bronze Age ceramics. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  Archaeological ceramics are among the most studied artifact categories since they can refer to both social and economic traditions of past communities. Investigations usually point at determining the production technology and special attention has been given to the firing conditions. This poster presents the intricate knowledge system of pottery production occurring in Norway in the Bronze Age (1300–900 BCE). To this aim, aliquots of clays sampled in Norway, Germany and Poland were fired in an electric furnace at 500, 550, 600, 700, 800 and 900℃ and successively analyzed by colorimetry, XRD and FTIR-ATR to determine modifications in term of structure and mineralogical composition. Temperatures were chosen based on pre-existing knowledge of ceramic technology in the geographical region of interest in that period [1]. Results were compared with those obtained on a set of ten ceramic fragments dated to the Bronze Age at the site of Hunn in Eastern Norway. The aim was to estimate the temperature used in the production of these prehistoric ceramics exhibiting typological similarities with contemporary finds from Southern and Central Sweden as well as Northern Poland [2]. Due to the abundance of the thermally stable grain minerals such as quartz and feldspar, the study of the clayish fraction through XRD resulted particularly hostile, while FTIR-ATR confirmed its usefulness in investigating ceramics and ceramic-related materials. A progressive modification of the color of the fired material, turning towards a reddish hue, was due to the gradual formation of iron oxide (Fe2O3), starting from 700 ℃. In parallel, carbonates decompose and weak features due to CaO appeared. In addition, small amounts of chlorite, a phase decomposing at 600–650 ℃, were found through the petrographic analysis of some archaeological sherds highlighted, . However, its structural similarity with other clay minerals and the abundence of silicate phases, made the identification of chlorite by XRD and FTIR not possible in the fired clays. Despite this, the experiment helped to strengthen the hypothesis about the technological correspondence of similar ceramics in Eastern Norway and Western Pomerania in the Bronze Age, as the results seem to indicate that the Bronze Age ceramics were fired at a temperature not higher than 700 ℃, more probably ranging between 600 and 650 ℃. [1] H.M. Hop Wendelbo, Keramikk fra norske bronsealdergraver: En studie av morfologi, kronologi, forbindelser og deponeringspraksiser i tidsrommet 1700-500 f. Kr., 2020 [2] T. Eriksson, Kärl och social gestik: keramik i Mälardalen 1500 BC-400 AD, Uppsala universitet/ Riksantikvarieämbetet, 2000

• Polanska, Weronika Patrycja; Ferri, Lavinia de; Austvoll, Knut Ivar & Steindal, Calin Constantin (2023). A multi-method approach to Bronze Age ceramics from Hunn, Eastern Norway. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  Located in Eastern Norway, Hunn is a site with a rich archaeological landscape that includes Bronze Age burial mounds and metal workshops. One of the workshops contained a large number of ceramics dating back to the Nordic Bronze Age Period III–IV (1300-900 BCE). Ten ceramic fragments were chosen for a multi-technique analytical study aiming to investigate their production technology and possible provenance. In addition to optical and scanning electron microscope, observations carried out on thin section, handheld X-ray fluorescence (pXRF), Fourier Transferred Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) in ATR mode and X ray diffraction were applied. The analyses were intended to determine whether the ceramic sherds from Eastern Norway were imported from the continent as previously hypothesized. The comparison with data obtained on three clay samples from locations in Norway, Germany and Poland indicate that the analyzed pottery samples were of local origin, as the chemical and mineral analyses confirmed the use of a local clay. At the same time, the tempering material consists primarily of locally available granitic rock. However, thin-section petrography revealed the occurrence of chamotte previously found in contemporary ceramics from Swedish sites [1]. The ceramic traditions in Eastern Norway share similarities with Southern and Central Swedish finds, especially when it comes to rusticated ceramics and tableware [2]. There has been as well previous associations between the Nordic Bronze Age pottery types and the Lusatian Culture in Poland (1300-400 BCE) [3]. However, a link between ceramics in Norway and Northern Central Europe has never been explored before [4]. [1] T. Eriksson, Grog tempering during Scandinavian Bronze Age, Naturwissenschaftliche Analysen vor-und fr Grog tempering during Scandinavian Bronze Age. Naturwissenschaftliche Analysen vor-und frügeschichtlicher Keramik III.: Anwendungsbereiche, Auswertungsmöglichkeiten, 2013, 331-351. [2] H.M, Hop Wendelbo, Keramikk fra norske bronsealdergraver: En studie av morfologi, kronologi, forbindelser og deponeringspraksiser i tidsrommet 1700-500 f. Kr., 2020 [3] T. Eriksson, Kärl och social gestik: keramik i Mälardalen 1500 BC-400 AD, Uppsala universitet/Riksantikvarieämbetet, 2009 [4] W. P. Polańska et al. in prep - A multi-method approach to Bronze Age ceramics from Hunn, Eastern Norway

• Polanska, Weronika Patrycja (2022). Kvinner i bronsealderens Nord-Europa. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Polanska, Weronika Patrycja (2022). Gjennom arkeometri og teori. En studie av bronsealderkeramikk fra Hunn. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Polanska, Weronika Patrycja (2022). ENCIRCLED BY STONES. POTTERY, DEATH, WOMEN, AND POLITICS ACROSS THE BALTIC SEA. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Polanska, Weronika Patrycja (2025). Naturvitenskapelig analyse ved bruk av FTIR-ATR og XRD av leire fra Liåker, Lunner kommune. Arkeologisk seksjon. Kulturhistorisk museum, Universitet i Oslo. . Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Polanska, Weronika Patrycja (2022). An archaeometric comparison of Bronze Age pottery in Eastern Norway and Western Pomerania. Universitetet i Oslo. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  Ceramics dating to the Bronze Age period III-IV found at the site of Hunn in Eastern Norway exhibit similarities to the contemporary pottery from the Western Pomeranian Lusatian Culture. Ten ceramic sherds from Hunn and three clay samples from Poland, Norway, and Germany were thus analysed by using ceramic petrography and analytical techniques such as pXRF, FTIR-ATR, and XRD. Identifying potential correlations between ceramic materials and the source of raw materials and firing technology was possible. The thesis is the first archaeometric study on Bronze Age ceramics in Norway. The archaeometric studies contributed to the discussion on the social and material responses to connectivity and uniqueness for each site due to the mobile Bronze Age societies. The thesis presents the concept of fragmented memories based on collective memory and ethnoarchaeological example of women’s expression of political alliances through pottery and their choices of technique against the backdrop of a mobile Bronze Age society. The archaeometric analysis suggests that a local production occurred at Hunn. However, the ceramic technology resembles the one associated with the contemporary sites from Sweden, which previously have been associated with Lusatian Culture.

Se alle arbeider i NVA