A Non-Invasive In Situ Spectroscopic Analysis of Cinnabar Minerals to Assist Provenance Studies of Archaeological Pigments
This study presents a non-invasive in situ methodology based on the use of portable elemental (energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, EDXRF) and molecular (Raman spectroscopy) spectroscopic-based instrumentation as a tool to obtain preliminary information to assist subsequent provenance...
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| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-01-01
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| Series: | Crystals |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4352/13/2/207 |
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| author | Silvia Pérez-Diez Cheyenne Bernier Javier G. Iñañez Maite Maguregui |
| author_facet | Silvia Pérez-Diez Cheyenne Bernier Javier G. Iñañez Maite Maguregui |
| author_sort | Silvia Pérez-Diez |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This study presents a non-invasive in situ methodology based on the use of portable elemental (energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, EDXRF) and molecular (Raman spectroscopy) spectroscopic-based instrumentation as a tool to obtain preliminary information to assist subsequent provenance studies of archaeological cinnabar pigments in the laboratory. In this work, six cinnabar mineral ores, extracted from the Almadén mining district and an original raw pigment coming from the Archaeological Park of Pompeii have been analyzed. As the detection capacities and spectral resolution of the portable instruments are usually poorer than the equivalent benchtop equipment, a comparative study of the in-situ and laboratory results was conducted. Afterward, chemometric data treatment was performed considering both the molecular and elemental information. According to the elemental results, it was not possible to find a strong concordance between the cinnabar ores and the pigment from Pompeii, suggesting the need for additional methodologies in the laboratory (isotope ratio analysis) to complete a proper provenance study. However, this approach was useful to classify the ores according to their mineralogical differences. Therefore, this methodology could be proposed as a useful tool to conduct a representative sampling of the cinnabar mineral ores to be considered in a provenance study of archaeological cinnabar pigments. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T08:58:45Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-3a5a68bc6820457e92dc34edf78916f9 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4352 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T08:58:45Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Crystals |
| spelling | doaj.art-3a5a68bc6820457e92dc34edf78916f92023-11-16T19:54:57ZengMDPI AGCrystals2073-43522023-01-0113220710.3390/cryst13020207A Non-Invasive In Situ Spectroscopic Analysis of Cinnabar Minerals to Assist Provenance Studies of Archaeological PigmentsSilvia Pérez-Diez0Cheyenne Bernier1Javier G. Iñañez2Maite Maguregui3Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, 48080 Bilbao, SpainDepartment of Humanities, University of Bordeaux Montaigne, 33607 Bordeaux, FranceDepartment of Geography, Prehistory and Archaeology, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, 01006 Vitoria-Gasteiz, SpainDepartment of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, 01006 Vitoria-Gasteiz, SpainThis study presents a non-invasive in situ methodology based on the use of portable elemental (energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, EDXRF) and molecular (Raman spectroscopy) spectroscopic-based instrumentation as a tool to obtain preliminary information to assist subsequent provenance studies of archaeological cinnabar pigments in the laboratory. In this work, six cinnabar mineral ores, extracted from the Almadén mining district and an original raw pigment coming from the Archaeological Park of Pompeii have been analyzed. As the detection capacities and spectral resolution of the portable instruments are usually poorer than the equivalent benchtop equipment, a comparative study of the in-situ and laboratory results was conducted. Afterward, chemometric data treatment was performed considering both the molecular and elemental information. According to the elemental results, it was not possible to find a strong concordance between the cinnabar ores and the pigment from Pompeii, suggesting the need for additional methodologies in the laboratory (isotope ratio analysis) to complete a proper provenance study. However, this approach was useful to classify the ores according to their mineralogical differences. Therefore, this methodology could be proposed as a useful tool to conduct a representative sampling of the cinnabar mineral ores to be considered in a provenance study of archaeological cinnabar pigments.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4352/13/2/207cinnabarPompeiimineral oreshandheld X-ray fluorescence spectroscopyportable Raman spectroscopyin-situ analysis |
| spellingShingle | Silvia Pérez-Diez Cheyenne Bernier Javier G. Iñañez Maite Maguregui A Non-Invasive In Situ Spectroscopic Analysis of Cinnabar Minerals to Assist Provenance Studies of Archaeological Pigments Crystals cinnabar Pompeii mineral ores handheld X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy portable Raman spectroscopy in-situ analysis |
| title | A Non-Invasive In Situ Spectroscopic Analysis of Cinnabar Minerals to Assist Provenance Studies of Archaeological Pigments |
| title_full | A Non-Invasive In Situ Spectroscopic Analysis of Cinnabar Minerals to Assist Provenance Studies of Archaeological Pigments |
| title_fullStr | A Non-Invasive In Situ Spectroscopic Analysis of Cinnabar Minerals to Assist Provenance Studies of Archaeological Pigments |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Non-Invasive In Situ Spectroscopic Analysis of Cinnabar Minerals to Assist Provenance Studies of Archaeological Pigments |
| title_short | A Non-Invasive In Situ Spectroscopic Analysis of Cinnabar Minerals to Assist Provenance Studies of Archaeological Pigments |
| title_sort | non invasive in situ spectroscopic analysis of cinnabar minerals to assist provenance studies of archaeological pigments |
| topic | cinnabar Pompeii mineral ores handheld X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy portable Raman spectroscopy in-situ analysis |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4352/13/2/207 |
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