Chemical Analysis of the Monochrome Glazed Ware from the Sites of Maharashtra

Siddhi Anil Mahale* and Pranit Vasant Polekar

The glazed wares, though are found comparatively much less in quantity than other types of ceramics, are significant to understand the network systems of the past. Over the time, exotic glazed wares have been reported from many sites of the early medieval/medieval periods. Sites such as Sanjan and Chaul have yielded Turquoise Glazed Ware, Hatched Sgraffiato Ware, White Glazed Ware etc. that came from West Asia. One such pottery that belongs to the medieval period, was manufactured in India (at least one amongst many production centres) is the Monochrome Glazed Ware. Most of the shapes encountered in this ceramic type are convex-sided bowls, glazed in the interior and unglazed from the exterior, having ringed base and three spur marks on the inside. This paper examines specifically this ceramic type. This ceramic type has been recorded in the excavations at Chaul, Sanjan; and at the explored sites such as Sankshi on the western coast of Maharashtra. It may be noted that the site of Khambhat in the state of Gujarat has been reported as one of the manufacturing centres of this ceramic. Finding sherds of this pottery type not only along the western coast of Maharashtra, but also on the eastern coast of Africa underscores their significance. This study analyses ceramics from the sites of Chaul, Sanjan, and Sankshi along with the ones from Khambhat using X-ray Diffraction and X-ray Fluorescence analyses. Results of these analyses have given new insights into the provenance and spread of the Monochrome Glazed Ware.