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Identification of pyroxene minerals used as black pigments in painted human bones excavated in Northern Patagonia by Raman spectroscopy and XRD

dc.creatorTomasini, Eugenia Paula
dc.creatorFavier Dubois, Cristian Mario
dc.creatorLittle, Nicole C.
dc.creatorCenteno, Silvia A.
dc.creatorMaier, Marta Silvia
dc.date2015-03
dc.identifierhttp://hdl.handle.net/11336/29317
dc.identifierTomasini, Eugenia Paula; Favier Dubois, Cristian Mario; Little, Nicole C.; Centeno, Silvia A.; Maier, Marta Silvia; Identification of pyroxene minerals used as black pigments in painted human bones excavated in Northern Patagonia by Raman spectroscopy and XRD; Elsevier Science; Microchemical Journal; 121; 3-2015; 157-162
dc.identifier0026-265X
dc.identifierCONICET Digital
dc.identifierCONICET
dc.descriptionThe skeletal remains of seven individuals were excavated in a secondary burial context in the site of Cima de los Huesos, in the San Matías Gulf (Río Negro, Argentina). AMS dating of two samples for this site to 1173 ± 45 and 1225 ± 47 years BP make it one of the earliest burials of its kind uncovered so far in the Patagonian region. Among the findings, the skeleton of a male painted with parallel lines alternating red and black colors was uncovered. SEM-EDS elemental analysis of microsamples removed from the red and the black pigments showed the presence of Mn and Fe as the main components, respectively. Raman microspectroscopy combined with micro-X-ray diffraction analysis showed that the red pigment contains hematite and that the black pigment is composed of members of the pyroxene mineral group, ferrosilite (FeSiO3) and enstatite (MgSiO3) along with kanoite (MnMgSi2O6). This is, to our knowledge, the first report on the use of pyroxenes as black pigments to decorate human remains or archeological artifacts in South America. No organic compounds that could have been used as binders for the paints were detected by FTIR-ATR. Contamination due to quartz and aluminosilicates, mainly microcline and albite, from the burial environment did not allow determining whether clay minerals were used in the paints as binders and/or extenders. The multitechnique approach used was crucial to overcome the limitations of the individual techniques to firmly identify Mn-containing black pigments.
dc.descriptionFil: Tomasini, Eugenia Paula. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Unidad de Microanálisis y Métodos Físicos en Química Orgánica. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Unidad de Microanálisis y Métodos Físicos en Química Orgánica; Argentina
dc.descriptionFil: Favier Dubois, Cristian Mario. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tandil. Investigaciones Arqueológicas y Paleontológicas del Cuaternario Pampeano. Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Investigaciones Arqueológicas y Paleontológicas del Cuaternario Pampeano; Argentina
dc.descriptionFil: Little, Nicole C.. Smithsonian Institution; Estados Unidos
dc.descriptionFil: Centeno, Silvia A.. The Metropolitan Museum of Art; Estados Unidos
dc.descriptionFil: Maier, Marta Silvia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Unidad de Microanálisis y Métodos Físicos en Química Orgánica. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Unidad de Microanálisis y Métodos Físicos en Química Orgánica; Argentina
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dc.languageeng
dc.publisherElsevier Science
dc.relationinfo:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1016/j.microc.2015.03.003
dc.relationinfo:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/url/http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0026265X15000405
dc.rightsinfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.rightshttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.5/ar/
dc.subjectRaman Microspectroscopy
dc.subjectMicro X Ray Diffraction
dc.subjectPyroxenes
dc.subjectPainted Bones
dc.subjecthttps://purl.org/becyt/ford/1.4
dc.subjecthttps://purl.org/becyt/ford/1
dc.titleIdentification of pyroxene minerals used as black pigments in painted human bones excavated in Northern Patagonia by Raman spectroscopy and XRD
dc.typeinfo:eu-repo/semantics/article
dc.typeinfo:ar-repo/semantics/artículo
dc.typeinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion


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