Provenance study of Tang-dynasty black-glazed porcelains unearthed at the Yingou site

This study investigates the provenance of Tang-dynasty black-glazed porcelain excavated from the Yingou site in Fuping, Shaanxi, through comparative analysis with authenticated Tang-dynasty Yaozhou kiln samples. A multi-analytical approach combining EDXRF, ICP–MS, XRD, SEM–EDS and Raman spectroscopy reveals that the Yingou samples exhibit minimal internal variability and share the high-alumina, low-silica signature characteristic of northern porcelains. Their glaze compositions, microstructural features, and diffusion behaviours closely match those of the Yaozhou samples. Major, trace, and rare-earth-element patterns show substantial overlap, with no meaningful compositional separation. These results indicate that the black-glazed porcelains unearthed at the Yinguo site from the Tang Dynasty are very closely related in provenance to the black-glazed porcelains of the Tang-dynasty Yaozhou kiln. Although further sampling and stratigraphic integration could more precisely determine their place of origin, the existing evidence strongly supports that they share a common or highly similar production framework.