Comment on: “Origin of the Harappan Ernestites: geochemical insights into provenance and fabrication.”
Abstract
Mahala. et al. (2025, npj Heritage Science 13, 615) provide valuable geochemical insights into Harappan Ernestites. However, several aspects warrant reconsideration: (1) “pseudomullite” terminology lacks validation against established mullite chemistry; (2) temperature estimates (~1100 °C) conflict with mullite formation requirements (>1200 °C); (3) statistical inferences from six samples are insufficient for robust provenance determination; (4) binary mixing models oversimplify multi-component systems; (5) isotopic interpretations inadequately address high-temperature processing effects on Sr-Nd systematics.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Geochemistry and Elemental Analysis
Clay minerals and soil interactions
Geological and Geochemical Analysis
Publication details
- Journal / source
- npj Heritage Science
- Publisher
- Springer Science and Business Media LLC
- Volume
- 14
- Issue
- 1
- Publication date
- 10 July 2026
- Language
- EN