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Send Us Your Feeback http:/www.mrs.org/s_mrs/sec_detail.asp?CID-3640&DID=164535 Pagina | de 2 Advertise / Exhibit About MRS Store MRS Bulletin Proceedings ard Books Journal of Materials Research cDovn Proaucte NIRS Membership Meetings/Werkshops Shopping Cart 0852: Materials Issues in Art and Archaelogy a ‘This new volume from the Materiale Rezearch Sociaty ie the seventh in series devoted to resenting cutting edge, Interdiscipinary research used to cheracterize: cultural meterials; the technologies of selection, production and usage by which ‘materials are transformed into ‘objects and artifacts; and the science underlying thoir deterioration, preservation and conservation. These ‘studies use the methods and techniques of materials research to understand degradation and promote long- term preservation of material culture and cultural hentage, e.g., works of art, culturally signinicant artifacts, and archaeological sites and complexes. Preserving cultural heritage extends beyond artifact reservation to developing @ critical understanaing of how ancient poopie used technology and craft to solve ppreblems of survival and organization ond to make Symbos or representations of wnat was important to them. This volume gives evidence of the proliferation (of successful multiisciplinary collaborations among researchers in museums, universities and national laboratories, and among fields as disparate as Raman ‘spectroscopy, strontium isotope analysis or the ‘materials and mechanics of mounting photographs. “Topics include: conservation science; technical art history; archaeological science; methodology, instrumentation end application innovations; end Interdiscipinary er erass-ciscipinary contrButions. 2005, hardcover, 39 papers, 378 pages. This volume is also avaiable electronically on the MRS Web ste, with FREE access forall currant NRS members. a eat pee Volume 852 ISBN: 1-55809-800.. Editors: P. Vandiver, 3. Mass, A. Murray, 3. Merkel Member Price: $75.00; Non-Member Price: $90.09 08/04/2008Mater, Res. Soe. Symp, Proc. Vok 882 © 2008 Materials Research Society 006.4 ANALYSIS OF STUCCO FLOORS FROM THE CITADEL OF THE, ARCHAEOLOGICAL ZONE OF TEOTIHUACAN, MEXICO Luis Torres Montes', Manuel Reyes Garcia’, Julie Gazzola” and Sergio Gémez" ‘Instituto de Investigaciones Antropolégicas. UNAM Ciudad Universitaria, 04510 México, D. F. México * Zona Arqueoldgica de Teotihuacan, INAH. Teotihuacan, México ABSTRACT Severe decay of the stone fagade of the Pyramid of Quetzatcoatl. one of the more remarkable structures in the World Heritage Site archaeological zone of Teotihuacan, Mexico, is caused by the presence of humidity and salt crystallization, The floors were analyzed to determine whether water and salts were filtering up from the ground and to find a way to reduce the penctration of water. Analyses of the lime plaster and organic matter were carried out by traditional wet chemical methods in order to discover the possible recipe that is the basis of the technology used by Pre-Columbian masons. The presence of an organic mucilage and fiber was identified. The organic components of the floors were analyzed using FTIR of extracts, while mucilage from leaves of a local cactus, Opuntia sp, that is used traditionally as a cementing ‘material in plasters, was analyzed for comparative purposes to determine whether the mucilage ‘was also used in pre-Columbian times, X-ray spectrometry and x- ray diffraction were also used to complement the study to identify the mineralogy of the plasters. ‘This study shows that the Teotihuacanos used a composite material that has great durability, permitting the survival of the floors for almost 2000 years, but that also is sueceptible to damage in a modem, stressed environment with high tourist traffic INTRODUCTION The pyramid of Quetzacoat! is located in the great plaza of the Citadel, or Ciudadela, in the archaeological zone of Teotihuacan, México, that dates to the first or second centuries A.D. This structure is probably the most beautiful building on the site and is inscribed on the list of World Heritage sites. In the last few years the stone scuilptures on its main fagade have suffered serious decay due to the presence of humidity and crystallization of salts. Since a water-well \was discovered in the interior of the pyramid, it was necessary to examine the pre-Columbian Grainage system in order to determine if the water was filtering from the surrounding area and, if this was the case, undertake measures to prevent further filtration, One of the first steps was to perform the analysis of the remaining ancient floors and plasters that cover the plaza and the pre-Columbian drainage. To date. no studies of Teotihuacan plaster floors have been reported in the literature, although some analysis of the wall plaster has been conducted. SAMPLING AND MICROSCOPIC DESCRIPTION ‘Three different samples of floor plaster were removed for analysis. Each was a fragment of 15 om by 15 cmand 3 to 4 cm thick. All three samples are thought fo be contemporaneous with the pyramid, based in our knowledge of the architecture. The three samples were examined with a binocular stereoscopic microscope to 40 times magnification, The results are deseribed below.0061.2 Sample 1 is from the plaster floor from the north of the citadel, at short distance from the staircase leading up the pyramid and located in an area long exposed to the air. This plaster has two layers: a fine layer 2 mm thick of stucco made from lime and fine sand, and a ground layer 3-4 em thick formed from lumps of clay, cemented material of organic origin, and sand-sized grains of volcanic glass from a crushed red volcanic scoria, called “fezontle” in MExico, that is still used for the basal layer of earthen roads in order to prevent accumulation of water. Sample 2 is from the plaster floor excavated from a drainage trench behind the Citadel, and ‘identified with the locus NI W1. This sample had the same two-layered structure in the same thickness range, and nearly the same texture, particle types and grain sizes xs sample I. The fabric was essentially similar to sample |. However, sample | had been exposed to the environment such that, near the surface, a larger amount of sand was observed and loss of the cementing lime had occurred. Sample 2 had remained buried and was almost in its original and more representative condition. The sample has a fine superficial texture with a few embedded sand particles on the surface and some small plant roots penetrating the stucco layer. ‘Sample 3 was taken during the excavation of the trench to expose the drainage in the back Part of the Citadel. Very little of the lime stucco surface layer was identified, the sample being formed mainly by cemented clays and “tezontle” sand. Most of the surface layer had probably already disappeared before its burial. EXPERIMENTAL AND ANALYTICAL PROCEDURE ‘The two layers of samples I and 2 were microscopically separated, so that there were five was measured and by calculation transformed to theoretical CaCO, The ing part was filtered, washed, dried and weighed to determine the insoluble portion, which is composed roughly of sand aggregates. The results for the superficial stucco layer are shown in Table 1 and in Table 2 for the ground. After dissolution of the CaCOs, the samples were observed microscopically at 20 to 40x. It was possible to see the particles, either of clay or lime that were still cemented or surrounded with a translucent material. It was also possible to observe the presence of some fibers and particles of Tezontle sand. We immediately proceeded to