Discovering the composition of ancient cosmetics and remedies: analytical techniques and materials

Ribechini, Erika; Modugno, Francesca; Pérez-Arantegui, Josefina; Colombini, Maria Perla

doi:10.1007/s00216-011-5112-2

Cited by 41 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 48 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…archaeometry | archaeobotany | chemical analysis | mineralogical analysis | Etruscan shipwreck I n archaeology, the discovery of ancient medicines is very rare, as is knowledge of their chemical composition (1)(2)(3). Most information regarding such findings comes from ancient writers such as Theophrastus (371-286 B.C.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Ingredients of a 2,000-y-old medicine revealed by chemical, mineralogical, and botanical investigations

Giachi¹,

Pallecchi²,

Romualdi³

et al. 2013

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In archaeology, the discovery of ancient medicines is very rare, as is knowledge of their chemical composition. In this paper we present results combining chemical, mineralogical, and botanical investigations on the well-preserved contents of a tin pyxis discovered onboard the Pozzino shipwreck (second century B.C.). The contents consist of six flat, gray, discoid tablets that represent direct evidence of an ancient medicinal preparation. The data revealed extraordinary information on the composition of the tablets and on their possible therapeutic use. Hydrozincite and smithsonite were by far the most abundant ingredients of the Pozzino tablets, along with starch, animal and plant lipids, and pine resin. The composition and the form of the Pozzino tablets seem to indicate that they were used for ophthalmic purposes: the Latin name collyrium (eyewash) comes from the Greek name κoλλύ ρα, which means "small round loaves." This study provided valuable information on ancient medical and pharmaceutical practices and on the development of pharmacology and medicine over the centuries. In addition, given the current focus on natural compounds, our data could lead to new investigations and research for therapeutic care. We present results combining chemical, mineralogical, and botanical investigations on the well-preserved contents of a tin pyxis. This pyxis was found onboard the Pozzino shipwreck discovered on the seabed of the Baratti Gulf (Fig. S1) at a depth of about 18 m near the remains of the Etruscan city of Populonia (Tuscany, Piombino, Italy) (4-6). The shipwreck was discovered in 1974 and the Soprintendenza per i Beni Archeologici della Toscana (archaeological authorities of Tuscany) undertook the first exploration in 1982 and archaeological excavation during [1989][1990]. The ship consisted of a small hull (15-18 m long and about 3 m wide) preserved only in the central part and inclined in the direction east-west, with the stern probably facing west. It was dated to the second half of the second century B.C. (probably 140-130 B.C.) on the basis of the archaeological findings. At that time, Populonia was of primary importance along the seatrade routes between the West and East, and this shipwreck bears witness to the republican trades across the Mediterranean Sea. Many interesting objects were found during the excavations, among them Sirian-Palestinian glass bowls, still stacked; WestSlope ware from Pergamon; some lagynoi; Rodian amphoras for wine transport; lamps of Ephesian origin; several tin and bronze vessels, such as one-handled jugs (one with a filter spout); oinochoai with trefoil mouths; ladles; and one inkwell, all of which came from the same geographical area. Such objects suggest that the ship, or at least a great part of its cargo, came from the east, probably the Greek coasts or islands. It is very likely that the ship was first equipped in the free harbor of the island of Delos (4, 5). The cargo also included medical equipment: numerous tin pyxides and 136 wooden vials were found close to an iro...

show abstract

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Ingredients of a 2,000-y-old medicine revealed by chemical, mineralogical, and botanical investigations

Giachi¹,

Pallecchi²,

Romualdi³

et al. 2013

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…For example, the ATR technique is restricted to examine a layer of cosmetic sample what, in the case of inhomogeneity of the cosmetic formulation, does not reflect its actual quantitative composition. IR spectroscopy is a very good technique for the analysis of mineral pigments used in cosmetic products [4].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Analysis of Cosmetic Products Using Different IR Spectroscopy Techniques

Pasieczna-Patkowska¹,

Olejnik²

2014

Annales UMCS, Chemia

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

a sylwia.pasieczna@poczta.umcs.lublin.pl This article describes the application of IR spectroscopic methods in the study of the composition of finished cosmetic products. Four spectroscopic techniques: TS (transmission spectroscopy), PAS (photoacoustic spectroscopy), ATR (attenuated total reflectance) and DRS (diffuse reflectance spectroscopy) were used for this purpose. Tested cosmetic products were of different consistency and application. The choice of spectroscopic techniques was dictated by the physical state and consistency of the sample.

show abstract

“…In the last years the characterization of ancient cosmetics and medicines has caught the attention of different researches due to http the interest of knowing better the daily life and materials of ancient societies [5,[7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25], but most of the analyses of this type of products have been focused to Egyptian and Roman objects because of the difficulty of recovering ancient cosmetics. In the study of black pigments, galena has been the mainly found compound, but this information has been obtained using analytical techniques principally based on spectroscopy, moreover little affordable methods (like Synchrotron-Radiation X-ray -Diffraction or Transmission Electron Microscopy) were used when only few microparticles were available for analysis.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Suitability of the voltammetry of immobilized microparticles to detect and discriminate lead compounds in microsamples of ancient black cosmetics

Pérez-Arantegui

Cepriá

2014

Electrochimica Acta

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Discovering the composition of ancient cosmetics and remedies: analytical techniques and materials

Cited by 41 publications

References 48 publications

Ingredients of a 2,000-y-old medicine revealed by chemical, mineralogical, and botanical investigations

Ingredients of a 2,000-y-old medicine revealed by chemical, mineralogical, and botanical investigations

Analysis of Cosmetic Products Using Different IR Spectroscopy Techniques

Suitability of the voltammetry of immobilized microparticles to detect and discriminate lead compounds in microsamples of ancient black cosmetics

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About