  The energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) is used to determine the
chemical composition of celadon body and glaze in Longquan kiln (at Dayao
County) and Jingdezhen kiln. Forty typical shards in four cultural eras were
selected to investigate the raw materials and firing technology. Random
forests, a relatively new statistical technique, has been adopted to identify
chemical elements that are strongest explanatory variables to classify samples
into defferent cultural eras and kilns. The results indicated that the contents
of Na2O, Fe2O3, TiO2, SiO2 and CaO vary in celadon bodies from Longquan and
Jingdezhen, which implies that local clay was used to manufacture celadon
bodies in Jingdezhen kiln. By comparing the chemical composition in glaze, we
find that the chemical elements and firing technology of Jingdezhen kiln are
very similar to those in Longquan kiln, especially for Ming dynasty. This study
reveals the inheritance between Jingdezhen kiln and Longquan kiln, and explains
the differences between those two kilns.
