A grey pottery figure manufactured in the Western- Han Dynasty and the clay gathered from the same site of Beidongshan near Xuzhou have been studied by X- ray diffraction

X- ray fluorescence and Mossbauer spectroscopy. They were simultaneously fired under the same conditions in different atmospheres at various temperatures. The information on original firing atmosphere and temperature as well as its provenance can be inferred from the method of pottery retiring and clay firing. The original firing temperatures deduced from both of them are in good self- agreement. It is found that the values of Mossbauer parameters for the unrefired pottery figure are approximately the same as those for the clay fired at 950℃ for five hours in a reduced atmosphere. The XRF analysis confirmed that the locality of this pottery figure was somewhere near Beidongshan.