Determination of the carbonization temperature of wood in the study of archaeological artifacts by Raman spectroscopy

A study of the pyrolysis temperature of organic materials at the carbonization stage was performed by Raman spectroscopy. The analysis was carried out on the basis of the ratio of the amplitudes of the characteristic $D$ and $G$ bands for amorphous carbon. The research was carried out to check applicability of this method for an objective analysis of archaeological material. The obtained values of the carbonization temperature for organic inclusions in ancient ceramic fragments made it possible to determine the bonfire firing regime which is distinctive for the technology of hand-made medieval pottery manufacturing. The study of coal from the remains of wooden ancient Russian fortifications revealed the temperature of their carbonization, which corresponds to the smoldering regime. This indicates that they were completely covered with soil at the time of the fire.