Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-lnqnp Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-26T08:22:24.186Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Investigation of Neolithic ceramic pigments using synchrotron radiation X-ray diffraction

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 February 2012

Roxana Bugoi ,
Bogdan Constantinescu ,
Emmanuel Pantos  and
Dragomir Popovici
Roxana Bugoi
Affiliation:
“Horia Hulubei” National Institute of Nuclear Physics and Engineering, 077125 Bucharest, Romania
Bogdan Constantinescu
Affiliation:
“Horia Hulubei” National Institute of Nuclear Physics and Engineering, 077125 Bucharest, Romania
Emmanuel Pantos
Affiliation:
CCLRC, Daresbury Laboratory, Warrington WA4 4AD, United Kingdom
Dragomir Popovici
Affiliation:
National Museum of Romanian History, Bucharest, Romania
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Crystalline phases present in pigments scratched off the surfaces of some decorated ceramic sherds belonging to the Cucuteni Neolithic culture were successfully identified using synchrotron radiation X-ray diffraction at Daresbury Laboratory. The ceramic sherds were selected from a collection of the National Museum of Romanian History in Bucharest. The synchrotron radiation X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that the black-color pigments on the surface of a number of sherds were produced by a variety of jacobsite (Fe2MnO4) phases; magnetite (Fe3O4) was also found in one of the sherds. The red color was derived from clay slips with a high content of hematite (Fe2O3). Calcite (CaCO3) was found in the white pigments; its presence was explained as being related to postburial deposition processes. Conclusions on technological aspects, provenance, and conservation issues are given.

Keywords

SR-XRDNeolithic ceramic pigmentsarchaeologycrystalline phase identification
Type
TECHNICAL ARTICLES
Information
Powder Diffraction , Volume 23 , Issue 3 , September 2008 , pp. 195 - 199
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2008

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Aloupi, E., Karydas, A. G., and Paradellis, T. (2000). “Pigment analysis of wall paintings and ceramics from Greece and Cyprus. The optimum use of x-ray spectrometry on specific archaeological issues,” X-Ray Spectrom. XRSPAX 29, 18–24.3.0.CO;2-5>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bălan, M. (1976). Mineralogia minereurilor de mangan de la Iacobeni (Editura Academiei R. S. R., Bucureşti) (in Romanian).Google Scholar
Broekmans, T., Adriaens, A., and Pantos, E. (2004). “Analytical investigations of cooking pottery from Tell Beydar (NE-Syria),” Nucl. Instrum. Methods Phys. Res. B NIMBEU 226, 92–97.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ellis, L. (1980). “Analysis of Cucuteni-Tripolye and Kurgan Pottery and the Implications for Ceramic Technology,” J. Indo-Eur. Stud. 8, 211–230.Google Scholar
Ellis, L. (1984). The Cucuteni-Tripolye Culture: a study in technology and the origins of a complex society, British Archaeological Reports International Series 217 (B. A. R., Oxford), p. 1.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gâţă, G. (2000). “A technological survey of the pottery,” in Draguseni—A Cucutenian Community (Editura Enciclopedicǎ, Bucureşti and Wasmuth Verlag, Tübingen), pp. 111–131.Google Scholar
Hammersley, A. P., Svensson, S. O., Hanfland, M., Fitch, A. N., and Hausermann, D. (1996). “Two-dimensional detector software: From real detector to idealised image or two-theta scan,” High Press. Res. HPRSEL 10.1080/08957959608201408 14, 235–248.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jenkins, R. (2000). “X-ray techniques: overview,” in Encyclopedia of Analytical Chemistry (Wiley, Chichester), pp. 13269–13288.Google Scholar
Maggetti, M. (1982). “Phase analysis and its significance for technology and origin,” in Archaeological Ceramics, edited by Olin, J. S. and Franklin, A. D. (Smithsonian Institution, Washington), pp. 121–133.Google Scholar
Mantu, C. M., Vlad, A. M., and Niculescu, G. (2001). “Painting pigments for ceramics decorations in the Cucuteni-Tripolye cultural complex,” in Muzeul Banatului, Timisoara. Festschrift für Gheorghe Lazarovici zum 60. Geburststag (Ed. Mirton, Timişoara), pp. 191–210.Google Scholar
Niculescu, G., Colţos, C., and Popovici, D. (1982). “Determinarea pigmentilor utilizati la decorarea ceramicii cucuteniene,” Cercetări de Restaurare şi Conservare 2, 205–207 (in Romanian).Google Scholar
Salvadó, N., Pradell, T., Pantos, E., Papiz, M. Z., Molera, J., Seco, M., and Vendrell-Saz, M. (2002). “Identification of copper-based green pigments in Jaume Huguet’s Gothic altarpieces by Fourier transform infrared microspectroscopy and synchrotron radiation X-ray diffraction,” J. Synchrotron Radiat. JSYRES 10.1107/S0909049502007859 9, 215–222.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stos-Gale, Z. and Rook, E. (1981). “Analysis of pigments used for decorations of Neolithic pottery from Bilcze Zlote, Ukraine,” in Scientific Studies in Ancient Ceramics, British Museum Occasional Paper No. 19, edited by Hughes, M. J. (British Museum, London), pp. 155–161.Google Scholar
Tang, C. C., MacLean, E. J., Roberts, M. A., Clarke, D. T., Pantos, E., and Prag, A. J. N. W. (2001). “The study of Attic black gloss sherds using synchrotron X-ray diffraction,” J. Archaeol. Sci. JASCDU 28, 1015–1024.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zoppi, A., Lofrumento, C., Castellucci, E. M., and Migliorini, M. G. (2002). “Micro-Raman technique for phase analysis on archaeological ceramics,” Spectroscopy Europe SPEUEF 14, 16–21.Google Scholar