The modeling pastes of the monumental terracruda sculpture of the Silk Roads: archaeometric study of the Tepe Narenj and Qol-e-tut examples (Kabul,Afghanistan)

Abstract

This paper presents the results of the mineralogical, petrographic and chemical study of different archaeological samples related to terracruda sculptures and other elements that were part of the architectural decoration of the Buddhist sites of Tepe Narenj and Qol-e-tut (Kabul, Afghanistan; fifth to 11th centuries CE). The main objective of the study was to characterize the samples using an archaeometric approach. The study helped to better understand the materials involved in the modeling of Afghan sculptures and their processing, such as the different nature of the clay layers and the finishing ‘stucco’ coating. The results further indicate that similarities exist among the manufacturing process of the studied samples and that used today by an ancient caste of clay artists in West Bengal (India), suggesting the existence of a continuous technological tradition that deserves to be further explored in the future.

This work is part of M. Lopez-Prat doctoral research and the Juan de la Cierva contract (FJC2021-046803-I) funded by MCIN (Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación)/AE (Agencia Estatal de Investigación); 10.13039/501100011033) and by the European Union “Next Generation EU”/PRT. The results have been obtained in the framework of the activities of the DIBEST department of the University of Calabria, the ERAAUB (a recognized and financed research group of the Generalitat de Catalunya - 2021 SGR 00696), the Institut d'Arqueologia of the Universitat de Barcelona, the Conservació-Restauració del Patrimoni research group (a recognized research group of the Generalitat de Catalunya-2021 SGR 00089), and the CASEs research group (a recognized and financed research group of the Generalitat de Catalunya–2021 SGR-00950).