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7-Activities in The ICMUV Archaeometry Group
7-Activities in The ICMUV Archaeometry Group
C. Roldán, S. Murcia-Mascarós
Instituto de Ciencia de los Materiales de la Universidad de Valencia (ICMUV).
P.O. Box 22085, E46071-Valencia (Spain)
The Material Science Institute of the Valencia University (ICMUV) has been
involved during past years in the development, evaluation and analytical
applications of XRF spectrometry in the field of the Cultural Heritage analyses.
Here we will briefly present some case studies focused on the pigment
characterization of archaeological and cultural materials.
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in areas where it presents both a whitish and a reddish coloration. The spectra of
the calcareous matrix are practically identical in both the whitish and the
reddish areas, indicating that the coloration is biogenic. The spectrum of the
red/yellow accretion presents an iron fluorescence peak significantly more
intense than that of the calcareous matrix. This indicates the presence of an iron
oxide compound with an iron concentration higher than that of the shells. The
Raman spectrum of the internal (reddish) side shows calcite attenuated by the
presence of bands related to the pigments of the shell itself, which are
carotenoids. No anthropogenic mineral pigments were detected on this side of
the shell. The different spectra obtained in the three areas with red/yellow
pigment that were analyzed show very clearly the presence of bands that
correspond to two iron oxides: hematite (α-Fe2O3), responsible for the red color,
and goethite (α-FeOOH), responsible for the yellow color. The final result is a
mixture of both pigments, yielding an overall orange hue.
The analyses report secure evidence that, approximately 50,000 years cal B.
P., 10 millennia before modern humans are first recorded in Europe, the behavior
of Neandertals was symbolically organized and continued to be so until the very
end of their evolutionary trajectory.
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sources, as well as a possible intentional addition in one of the figures. The
detection of traces of arsenic in part of a red deer is in agreement with the
utilization of two kinds of red pigments and different phases of execution.
Analysis of black pigments shows the presence of barium that correlates with
manganese, therefore, the use of raw materials of manganese oxides or
hydroxides with traces of barium may be assumed. Field portable EDXRF
spectrometry proved to be a useful technique to detect the chemical elements
present in prehistoric rock art pigments and to identify different raw materials
used in their production process.
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Pigment identification was based on their characteristic colour, the detected
elements (by EDXRF) and the named “key elements” of a given pigment. The
results revealed that the paintings were made over different preparation layers
containing, respectively, lead white, zinc and barium compounds, lead white
mixed with zinc white or lead white mixed with zinc and barium compounds. The
EDXRF spectra of all analyzed points from the pigment layers are characterized
by the strong presence of the fluorescence lines of lead due to the use of lead
white as whitener, mixed with other pigments, in order to obtain lighter hues.
The EDXRF analyses of coloured zones identified up to 29 inorganic pigments and,
in some cases, the probable use of organic pigments. Sorolla used traditional
pigments as earth pigments, lead white, vermillion, etc., and modern pigments
as cadmium yellow, zinc white, cobalt based blue, chromium based green,
manganese based violet, etc. The results of these analyses complete the ICMUV
database about the palette of Joaquin Sorolla and have allowed assisting
restorers, curators and researchers of the HSA and BANCAJA, in the restoration
process of the “Vision of Spain” paintings.
References
Murcia-Mascarós, S., Roldán, C., Rodenas, I., Vidal, C. (2009) Non-destructive
Analysis of Christian funerary glass from Gandia Collegiate Church (Valencia).
Proceeding of the VIII Congreso Ibérico de Arqueometría, in press.
Roldán, C., Ferrero, J., Juanes, D., Murcia, S., Ripollés, V. (2011). Joaquin
Sorolla’s pigment characterization of the paintings “Vision of Spain” by
means EDXRF portable system. X-Ray Spectrometry (DOI 10.1002/xrs.1339,
wileyonlinelibrary.com, 2 de mayo de 2011).
Roldán, C., Murcia-Mascarós, S., Ferrero, J., Villaverde, V., López, E., Domingo,
I., Martínez, R., Guillem, P. (2010) Application of field portable EDXRF
spectrometry to analysis of pigments of Levantine rock art, in X-Ray
Spectrometry, 39, 243–250.
Zilhão, J., Angelucci, D.E., Badal-García, E., d’Errico, F., Daniel, F., Dayet, L.,
Douka, K., Higham, T., Martínez-Sánchez, M., R. Montes-Bernárdez, S. Murcia-
Mascarós, C. Pérez-Sirvent, C. Roldán-García, Vanhaeren, M., Villaverde, V.,
Wood, R., Zapata, J. (2010) Symbolic Use of Marine Shells and Mineral
Pigments by Iberian Neandertals. Proceedings of the National Academy of
Sciences USA, Vol. 107, No. 3, January 19, 1023–1028.
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