Search results for "visual_art"
showing 10 items of 2987 documents
IDENTIFICATION, PROCESSING AND USE OF RED PIGMENTS (HEMATITE AND CINNABAR) IN THE VALENCIAN EARLY NEOLITHIC (SPAIN)
2012
The results of the first elemental and structural physicochemical analyses (SEM–EDX, TXRF, XRD, FTIR, GC and EDXRF) of Early Neolithic red pigment samples from the region of Valencia confirm one of the earliest uses of cinnabar (HgS) in Spain (5300 to 5000 cal bc). They also inform on the storage of massive quantities of hematite and the development of specific technologies of hematite-based paint production and use. The samples were recovered at the three most significant Early Neolithic sites of the Mediterranean coast of Spain: Cova de l'Or (Beniarres, Alacant), Cova de la Sarsa (Bocairent, Valencia) and Cova Fosca (Vall d'Ebo, Valencia), which together have provided the most important E…
Ceramic production at Selinunte (Sicily) during the 4th and 3rd century BCE: New archaeometric data through the analysis of kiln wastes
2018
Abstract A set of 37 overfired ceramic samples was collected from the dump of two kilns sited in the productive area FF1 in the acropolis of Selinunte (south western Sicily), being specifically active in the period 409–250 BCE. The ceramic samples were analysed by thin-section petrography and chemical analysis, with the aim to establish a valuable ‘reference group’ representative of the ceramic produced at Selinunte during the Punic phase. The petrographic and chemical analyses allowed to state that the ceramic manufactures from the kilns operating in the FF1 insula are characterized by rather homogeneous textural/compositional features. The daily-use common ware here produced is characteri…
Characterization of Iranian Moarraque glazes by light microscopy, SEM-EDX and voltammetry of microparticles
2008
Abstract Glazed ceramics have been traditionally used in Iran for decorating mosques and some civil historical buildings. In particular, Moarraque glazes have been extensively used in the indoor and outdoor decoration of mosques in Iran since the middle 14th century. The pieces have a complex elaboration based on a main glazed piece corresponding to the skeleton structure of the Shah Abbasi flower, which contains a number of holes, where are placed, mosaic-like, smaller glazed pieces forming a compact and single tile. The present work describes the analytical study performed on the glazes of several pieces of Moarraque tiles from the Ali Ebn Abi Taleb Mosque (Esfahan, Iran), which date back…
EDXRF analysis of blue pigments used in Valencian ceramics from the 14th century to modern times
2006
Abstract EDXRF analyses of cobalt-blue pigments were performed on 73 pieces of Valencian ceramics from the beginning of the 14th century up to the 20th century. In 67 of such samples, the pigment decoration was applied together with a tin opacified lead glaze cover on the clay body. In five samples the pigment was applied on the clay body without a glaze cover. The comparison between EDXRF spectra from coloured and non-coloured areas contains information about the pigment composition. Elements like Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn and As are identified as characteristic of blue pigments; different associations of these elements were found and correlated with the chronology of the samples. The results…
Analyzing chemical changes in verdigris pictorial specimens upon bacteria and fungi biodeterioration using voltammetry of microparticles
2017
[EN] It is reported the application of the voltammetry of microparticles (VMP), complemented with attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) techniques, to monitor the deterioration of verdigris pictorial specimens under the action of different biological agents. This methodology would be of application for identifying the type of biological agent causing deterioration of paintings, which is an important problem affecting cultural heritage. The analysis of biodeterioration processes is complicated by the fact that the action of microorganisms can affect both pigment and binding media. The deteriorat…
From βαλανεῖα to thermae: unveiling the transition from Greek to Roman architectural models of baths by technological and provenance archaeometric st…
2019
So far unexplored, the introduction and the spread of the Roman thermal buildings in the prima provincia (Sicily) are widely debated in the current archeological studies. Mainly due to the lack of systematic excavations and intensively technological studies, the assessment of thermae in the Hellenistic-Roman Sicily has been thus far interpreted as a new social and architectural experience. However, a more careful archeological investigation would suggest a gradual transformation of the architectural landscape from the purely Greek bath tradition to the canonical thermae types. The aim of this paper is therefore to study the classical hot bath culture and, in particular, the transition from …
A rapid method of screening ceramic artefacts to reject unlikely hypotheses of provenance
2019
This study was aimed at testing a cost‐effective method based on comparing the rare earth element patterns in artefacts of known origin with patterns of potential raw materials, thus allowing the restriction/exclusion of working hypotheses on provenance, and consequently a better focus of research funding. The method targets ceramics/materials of terrigenous origin. Lanthanoids and yttrium patterns were determined in 26 wine amphorae that had a well‐established geographical origin from the Nuovo Mercato Testaccio in Rome, and these patterns were compared to plausible terrigenous materials from various ancient Roman regions. The point was not to pinpoint the origins of the material, but rath…
Lead provenance for medieval decorated tile glazes from Brittany and Anjou (13th-14th c.)
2021
International audience; Medieval pavements composed of lead-glazed tiles decorated with a variety of techniques continue to inspire questions about the organisation of glaze manufacture, and the supply and origin of lead materials. The tiles analysed in this study are from Suscinio I (a 13th-century pavement) and Suscinio II (a 14th-century pavement), at the Château of Suscinio in Brittany, and also from the 14th-century pavement at the fortified manor house in Brain-sur-Allonnes, Anjou. Lead isotope analysis (LIA) was used to examine samples from 44 lead-glazed tiles, 29 of which are transparent, while 15 are tin-opacified (an exogenous technique in these regions during this period). Five …
The use of wood in funerary pyres: random gathering or special selection of species? Case study of three necropolises from Poland
2012
Abstract In this study, the analysis of charcoal remains from three prehistoric necropolises is presented. This botanical material formed part of funerary pyres and thus represents purposely gathered wood used for cremation ceremonies. Therefore, its anthracological analysis may indicate a special selection of wood, which may be a source of palaeoethnographic information about past rituals. However, a question remains as to whether or not the charcoal assemblages that originated from graves may also provide some palaeoecological information. In order to test both hypotheses, analysis of three Polish necropolises dating to the Bronze and the Iron Age were performed. In all charcoal assemblag…
Vegetation changes and human action from the Neolithic to the Bronze Age (7000?4000 B.P.) in Alicante, Spain, based on charcoal analysis
1994
Charcoal analysis reveals various palaeo-ecological phases from the Neolithic to the Bronze Age. Agriculture starts about 7000 B.P. in favourable ecological conditions. Most of the charcoal spectra from sites on the coast represent thermomediterranean holm-oak forest; those from the inland mountains represent mesome-diterranean holm-oak forest. The Neolithic I Impressed Ware people were the first to clear the forest to plant their crops. This clearance of primary woodland resulted in the development of secondary vegetation of pine woods or scrub. The scrub reached its maximum during the Bell Beaker phase and Bronze Age in the Cova de les Cendres. In the Neolithic II open air sites, the perc…