Characterizing the binders in rock paintings by THM-GC–MS: La Casa de Las Golondrinas, Guatemala, a cautionary tale for radiocarbon dating

Recent applications in analytical thermochemolysis

“…The profile was able to differentiate between ecologically different pine trees based on their ambient ozone exposure. In another study screening of components of binders in rock paintings (La Casa de Las Golondrinas, Guatemala) by thermochemolysis-TMAH did not show a significant difference in compositions between painted samples and unpainted substrate [77]. Scalarone et al [78] found thermochemolysis-TMAH a suitable technique for detection of low and high molecular weight compounds in Manila copal and sandarac.…”

Radiocarbon Dating of Rock Paintings: Incorporating Pictographs into the Archaeological Record

“…Rowe discussed the attempts to chemically identify organic materials used in paints (Rowe 2001b ); since then, various researchers have worked on this problem at specifi c sites (Mori et al 2006 ;Vazquez et al 2008 ;Livingston et al 2009 ;Mazel et al 2010 ). However, if the pigment is not charcoal, the only organic material in the paint is most likely a binder or vehicle that was added to an inorganic pigment.…”

An Improved Pretreatment Protocol for Radiocarbon Dating Black Pigments in San Rock Art

“…Since calcium oxalates are crystalline, they are not oxidized by the plasma (M W Rowe, personal communication, 2010). Nevertheless, this technique can oxidize all the other organic compounds on the surface of the sample, such as binders (Russ et al 1991;Livingston et al 2009) as well residues and other contaminants incorporated into the sample during its time on the floor of the rockshelter. Since this technique was not available at Oxford, the number of black samples available was small, and the risk of oxidizing compounds other than the carbon of the pigment itself was high, this possibility was not tried.…”