A multidisciplinary investigation of a rock coating at Ngaut Ngaut (Devon Downs), South Australia

Roberts, Amy; Campbell, Isobelle; Pring, Allan; Bell, Graham; Watchman, Alan; Popelka-Filcoff, Rachel S.; Lenehan, Claire E.; Gibson, Christopher T.; Franklin, Natalie

doi:10.1080/03122417.2015.11682042

Cited by 19 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…Crusts are common products of alteration, forming alterations deposits of various natures. Covering the open-aired Australian rock art, some materials such as gypsum (Chalmin et al 2016Green et al 2017aGreen et al , 2017bRoberts et al 2015), oxalates Green et al 2017aGreen et al , 2017bRoberts et al 2015;Russ et al 1999;Watchman 1991), or silicate (Roberts et al 2015) deposits have been recorded. Their formation is complex and implies numerous processes (Watchman 1990).…”

Section: Substrate Variability and Alterationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

First in situ pXRF analyses of rock paintings in Erongo, Namibia: results, current limits, and prospects

Mauran

Lebon

Détroit

et al. 2019

Archaeol Anthropol Sci

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Namibia is one of the southern African countries hosting the richest rock art heritage, with thousands of rock paintings. Although numerous studies investigated their distribution, style, and possible meaning, few are known about the materials used to perform these paintings. Our in situ study aimed at identifying the diversity of pigments and alterations of some rock paintings in the northwestern part of the Erongo (Namibia). It relies on extensive pXRF analyses of 35 figures from eight rock art sites of the area. Despite common limits of in situ pXRF analyses, the extensive number of figures analyzed and the original data treatment that we performed pioneered the first scientific analyses of the pigments from rock painting sites in the Erongo Mountains. Furthermore, the study also confirmed the presence of iron oxide pigments on a portion of wall exposed during the excavations carried out at the archeological site of Leopard Cave and of possibly datable alterations over several paintings, paving the way to future chronological analyses of past tradition of rock paintings in Central Namibia.

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Section: Substrate Variability and Alterationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

First in situ pXRF analyses of rock paintings in Erongo, Namibia: results, current limits, and prospects

Mauran

Lebon

Détroit

et al. 2019

Archaeol Anthropol Sci

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“…Although the presence of quartz is normal in this type of igneous felsic rock, the detection of gypsum and calcium oxalates must be interpreted as the result of formation layers that cover the rock. The natural origin of whewellite and weddellite has been widely studied and it is explained as the reaction of calcareous components present in the rock surface, such as calcite, with oxalic acid derived from the metabolic activities of microflora, such as cyanobacteria and lichens (A Hernanz et al 2007;Roberts et al 2015;Ruiz et al 2012;Russ et al 1999;Tascon et al 2016;Watchman 1991). Similarly, the gypsum could be interpreted as a natural product of lichen catalysis of sulfate ions in unpolluted or only slightly polluted environments (Prieto et al 1998) or as a consequence of the reaction of the calcareous components of the rock with high levels of gaseous sulfur oxide produced by volcanic activity (Tomasini et al 2013).…”

Section: Oyola's Chemical Analysis Of Rock Paintingsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Multiple factors erode rock's surfaces, and consequently destroy the figures, but also some processes deposit thin layers that cover rock art hiding the paintings. As an example of these processes can be mentioned the natural formations of calcium oxalate crusts (Chiriu et al 2014;Edwards et al 1997;A Hernanz et al 2007;Antonio Hernanz et al 2014;Roberts et al 2015;Ruiz et al 2012), calcium carbonate layers (Dirk L Hoffmann et al 2016;Guilhem Mauran et al 2019), manganese-iron oxide deposits from microorganism activities (Šebela et al 2015), bat or pack-rat guano (Hill 1982), and other mineral accretions (Green et al 2017). Alternatively, anthropic actions produce similar layers that could overlap and hide paintings such as soot deposits (L. Gheco et al 2017;Tascon et al 2016;Vandevelde et al 2017a;Vandevelde et al 2017b), cooking residues (Steelman et al 2002), and tar due to the use of torches (Medina-Alcaide 2015;Šebela et al 2015;Zupančič et al 2011).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hidden paintings, forgotten histories: a micro-stratigraphic approach to study coated rock art

Gheco

Tascón

Gastaldi

et al. 2019

Archaeol Anthropol Sci

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Is it possible to detect rock paintings coated by natural or anthropic concretions? In this work, a methodology to discover and characterize underlying paintings is proposed. This approach combines chemical studies by micro-Raman and SEM-EDS of micro-stratigraphic samples taken from the paintings and support rock. As a case of study, it is described the research performed in the archeological site of Oyola in the northwest of Argentina. Strong evidences of red, black, and white hidden paintings have been found. In addition, the method herein presented is thoroughly evaluated pointing out their possibilities and limitations as a tool for the understanding of the historical processes involving production and transformation of the rock art panels. To this end, the methodology was proofed to be a successful exploratory approach for painting detection, expanding its capabilities when complemented with non-invasive characterization techniques.

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“…However, a multi-analytical approach has been applied to an investigation of a rock coating in a complex located in South Australia [8]. A dark film on the rockshelter at Ngaut Ngaut was studied using techniques including XRD, SEM, Raman spectroscopy and infrared spectroscopy to understand the origin of the film.…”

Section: Rock Art Site Pigment Analysis In South Australiamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Ochre is a mixture of natural minerals including iron oxide and clays [7]. [8,9]. The oxalates may be produced by the reaction of calcite with oxalic acids formed by microorganisms including algae, fungi and lichens or is formed from bat guano, which contains ammonium oxalate.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pigment characterisation in Australian rock art: a review of modern instrumental methods of analysis

Stuart

Thomas

2017

Herit Sci

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The many thousands of Aboriginal rock art sites extending across Australia represent an important cultural record. The styles and materials used to produce such art are of great interest to archaeologists and those concerned with the protection of these significant works. Through an analysis of the mineral pigments utilised in Australian rock art, insight into the age of paintings and practices employed by artists can be gained. In recent years, there has been an expansion in the use of modern analytical techniques to investigate rock art pigments and this paper provides a review of the application of such techniques to Australian sites. The types of archaeological information that may be extracted via chemical analysis of specimens collected from or at rock art sites across the country are discussed. A review of the applicability of the techniques used for elemental analysis and structural characterisation of rock art pigments is provided and how future technological developments will influence the discipline is investigated.

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A multidisciplinary investigation of a rock coating at Ngaut Ngaut (Devon Downs), South Australia

Cited by 19 publications

References 24 publications

First in situ pXRF analyses of rock paintings in Erongo, Namibia: results, current limits, and prospects

First in situ pXRF analyses of rock paintings in Erongo, Namibia: results, current limits, and prospects

Hidden paintings, forgotten histories: a micro-stratigraphic approach to study coated rock art

Pigment characterisation in Australian rock art: a review of modern instrumental methods of analysis

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