Innovative analytical methodology combining micro-x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy-based mineral maps, and diffuse reflectance infrared fourier transform spectroscopy to characterize archeological artifacts.
Anal Chem
; 81(2): 604-11, 2009 Jan 15.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-19099407
ABSTRACT
Excavations at the 14th century Moorish rampart (Granada, Spain) unearthed a brick oven alongside black ash and bone stratigraphic layers. In situ evidence suggests the oven served to fabricate a wall coating including powdered burnt bones. Original ad hoc analyses improved on conventional methods were used to confirm this hypothesis. These methods enable (i) nondestructive micro-X-ray diffraction (mu-XRD) for fast mineralogical data acquisition (approximately 10 s) and moderately high spatial (approximately 500 microm) resolution and (ii) identification and imaging of crystalline components in sample cross-sections via mineral maps, yielding outstanding visualization of grain distribution and morphology in composite samples based on scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersion X-ray spectrometry (SEM-EDX) elemental maps. Benefits are shown for applying diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) vs transmittance-FT-IR (T-FT-IR) to analyze organic and inorganic components in single samples. Complementary techniques to fully characterize artifacts were gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy (GC/MS), optical microscopy (OM), conventional powder XRD, and (14)C dating. Bone-hydroxyapatite was detected in the coating. Mineralogical transformations in the bricks indicate oven temperatures well above 1000 degrees C, supporting the hypothesis.
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1
Colección:
01-internacional
Base de datos:
MEDLINE
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Anal Chem
Año:
2009
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
España