Journal of Food, Agriculture and Environment

X-ray diffraction (XRD) and x-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis of ancient bricks from Sungai Batu Temple (site SB1), Bujang Valley, Kedah

Author(s):

Zuliskandar Ramli ¹*, Nik Hassan Shuhami Nik Abdul Rahman ¹, Abdul Latif Samian ¹, Muhammad Rizal Razman ², Sharifah Zarina Syed Zakaria ³, Hossein Sarhaddi Dadian ⁴

Recieved Date: 2014-06-10, Accepted Date: 2014-09-20

Abstract:

The aim of this study was to determine whether the ancient bricks from Sungai Batu Temple (SB1) are made from local materials or not. Chronometric and relative dating have given different results, the absolute dating gave the date between 2^nd to 3^rd century AD while the relative dating gave the date between 6^th to 7^th century AD. The structure which was fully built using bricks is a relatively large stupa structure and not a structure associated with animism practised. In order to determine whether the bricks that were used to build the structure of Site SB1 used  local raw materials or otherwise, thus material composition analysis needs to be carried out which involves X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) analysis. Analysis shows that the mineral content present in the ancient brick samples consists of quartz, muscovite, microcline, mullite and albite. The mullite mineral shows that some of the bricks were baked at sufficient temperature of more than 550°C. This shows that the open burning technique was used in the production of the temple’s bricks because some of the bricks have an indication of low firing burning. The dry weight percentage graph of silica and aluminium, and magnesium and titanium, as well as the lead and copper concentration graph indicate that the raw materials used to produce the ancient bricks are local raw materials and these raw materials were obtained from the surrounding area of  Bujang District.

Keywords:

Sungai Batu Temple, x-ray diffraction (XRD), x-ray fluorescence (XRF), Bujang Valley

---

Journal: Journal of Food, Agriculture and Environment
Year: 2014
Volume: 12
Issue: 3&4
Category: Environment
Pages: 360-364

---

Full text for Subscribers

---

Information:

Note to users

The requested document is freely available only to subscribers/registered users with an online subscription to the Journal of Food, Agriculture & Environment. If you have set up a personal subscription to this title please enter your user name and password. All abstracts are available for free.

Article purchasing

If you like to purchase this specific document such as article, review or this journal issue, contact us. Specify the title of the article or review, issue, number, volume and date of the publication. Software and compilation, Science & Technology, all rights reserved. Your use of this website details or service is governed by terms of use. Authors are invited to check from time to time news or information.

---

Purchase this Article:   20 Purchase PDF Order Reprints for 15

---

Share this article :