A New Application of Fiber-Optic Reflection Spectroscopy (FORS): Characterization of Low-Temperature Alteration of Chlorite Schist and Implications for Understanding Ancient Stone Cooking Vessels

Fiber-optic reflection spectroscopy (FORS) emerges as a groundbreaking tool for detecting low-temperature thermal alterations in chlorite schist, a material used in ancient stone cooking vessels. Traditional techniques like X-ray diffraction and FT-IR spectroscopy fail to capture these subtle changes, which occur below 450 °C without crystalline modification. This study demonstrates FORS's potential by analyzing medieval (12th-13th centuries AD) chlorite cooking pots from Merv, Turkmenistan, against experimental reference specimens. The findings reveal that FORS can track oxidation state and structural alterations, offering new insights into the thermal history of ancient artifacts. This innovation opens avenues for understanding past cooking practices and the temperatures attained by these vessels during use.

Namdar, D., Verri, G., Stacey, R. J., Middleton, A., & Simpson, S. J. (2011). A New Application of Fiber-Optic Reflection Spectroscopy (FORS): Characterization of Low-Temperature Alteration of Chlorite Schist and Implications for Understanding Ancient Stone Cooking Vessels. Applied Spectroscopy, 65(1), 43–51. https://doi.org/10.1366/10-05996