Ceramic petrography (or ceramic petrology) is a laboratory-based scientific archaeological technique that examines the mineralogical and microstructural composition of ceramics and other inorganic materials under the polarised light microscope in order to interpret aspects of the provenance and technology of artefacts.[1]
The process of ceramic petrography involves careful sample preparation. Small sections of the ceramic material are carefully ground down to a thickness of approximately 0.03 mm and then mounted on glass slides. These thin sections allow for the examination of the internal structure of the ceramics and facilitate the identification of mineral phases, crystalline structures, and textural features. The methodology of ceramic petrography draws upon principles from various fields, including optical mineralogy, thin section petrography, and soil micromorphology