Minateda rock shelters (Albacete) and post-palaeolithic art of the Mediterranean Basin in Spain: pigments, surfaces and patinas

Mas, Martí; Jorge, Alberto; Gavilán, Beatriz; Solís, Mónica; Parra, Enrique; Pérez, Pedro-Pablo

doi:10.1016/j.jas.2013.07.019

Cited by 34 publications

(32 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…Ca‐oxalate layers are the result of metabolic activity of lichens, fungi or bacteria that colonize on top of Ca‐rich substrates. Moreover, oxalates can formed from the degradation of organic media and the alteration of some binders found in the paintings . Special attention should be given to a band at 1024 cm −1 .…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The first use of portable Raman instrumentation for the in situ study of prehistoric rock paintings in Patagonian sites

Rousaki

Vázquez

Aldazabal

et al. 2017

J Raman Spectroscopy

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Portable Raman spectroscopy is applied for the first time on rock art paintings from hunter‐gatherers in three different provinces in Patagonia, Argentina (Neuquén, Río Negro and Chubut). Selected archaeological sites were examined, revealing the local ‘palette’ of the native population and, if possible, the technology used. Moreover, alteration products were investigated to obtain valuable information for a better conservation and preservation of these magnificent rock art paintings. During a single research campaign, 16 shelters and one cave were investigated, which makes this study as one of the most condensed expeditions on measuring rock art paintings. Here, we evaluate the use of our portable Raman instrument to analyse rock art paintings under extreme conditions in Patagonia, Argentina. Several improvements are proposed to maximize the quality of the research output in such condensed expeditions. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Raman spectroscopy has proven to be a powerful approach to study rock art paintings, substrata and alteration products on the rock surface. The technique was either used as a single approach or in combination with complimentary techniques …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The first use of portable Raman instrumentation for the in situ study of prehistoric rock paintings in Patagonian sites

Rousaki

Vázquez

Aldazabal

et al. 2017

J Raman Spectroscopy

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“…Systematic chemical analyses have only become essential in recent years (Rold an et al, 2007;Rold an, 2009;Alloza et al, 2009;Rold an et al, 2010;Hernanz et al, 2010;V azquez et al, 2011;Mas et al, 2013;etc.). The attention was centred on the identification of the main components of the pigment and on the presence of trace elements that were characteristic of a particular shelter.…”

Section: Pigments: Towards a Deeper Understanding Of Prehistoric Socimentioning

confidence: 99%

An approximation to the study of black pigments in Cova Remigia (Castellón, Spain). Technical and cultural assessments of the use of carbon-based black pigments in Spanish Levantine Rock Art

López-Montalvo

Bonilla

Roldán

et al. 2014

Journal of Archaeological Science

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a b s t r a c tSpanish Levantine Rock Art is a unique pictorial expression within the prehistoric European context. Located in shelters in the inland regions of the Iberian Mediterranean basin, this art form, which must be necessarily studied in the frame of the process of neolithization of this territory, still lacks direct dating, and therefore its authorship is still open to debate.In this paper we present the first characterization of black pigments used in the Cova Remigia shelters in the Valltorta-Gassulla area (Castell on, Spain) by means of EDXRF spectrometry combined with SEM-EDS and Raman spectroscopy. Our aim is both to identify the raw material used for the preparation of black pigments and to make a first approach to the cultural choices involved in its use.The results are relevant for several reasons. Firstly, carbon-based black pigments have been identified for the first time in northern regions of Levantine rock art. Secondly, the recurrent use of black pigments in Cova Remigia questions the assumption of its restricted use in Spanish Levantine art. Thirdly, posterior repainting and graphic re-appropriation of black figures have been observed in Cova Remigia, giving rise to the combination of two colours, black and red, fact that is extremely rare in this rock art tradition. Finally, the identification of organic matter in the black pigments opens the possibility of radiocarbon dating.

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“…Physicochemical analysis of the composition of materials and pigments is currently becoming a standard analytical procedure in archaeology and particularly in rock art studies [1][2][3]. In this way, the analysis of pigments from both rocky supports and excavated samples allows us to answer key archaeological questions related to their technological, stylistic and/or temporal aspects [4][5][6][7][8]. As a consequence, the active and continuous communication between archaeologists, chemists and physicists has promoted interdisciplinary investigations, generating working protocols to reach methodological and even interpretive consensus [9].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

On-field Raman spectroscopy of Patagonian prehistoric rock art: Pigments, alteration products and substrata

Rousaki

Vargas

Vázquez

et al. 2018

TrAC Trends in Analytical Chemistry

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An extensive in situ Raman spectroscopic campaign was performed on archaeological sites in three different provinces in Patagonia, Argentina (Neuquén, Río Negro and Chubut). 16 open air shelters located in different environments (forests, ecotones, steppes) were investigated and interpreted in terms of pigments used and the identification of substrata. Special attention was given to the alteration products and accretions that were found on the rock art paintings of the shelters and on the surface of the rock walls, as they can affect and damage this magnificent works of art. Haematite (α-Fe 2 O 3) was the main chromophore that was found on the red paintings of the most of the shelters studied. The green earth glauconite, was identified only in one case, by using a red (785 nm) and a green laser (532 nm). Other minerals and silicates were found on the couloured areas but also on the rock support. Calcite (CaCO 3) and gypsum (CaSO 4 •2H 2 O) crystallization was identified on the paintings, crusts and rock surfaces, in combination or alone, and are associated with weathering. In some cases the shelters were so severely degraded that no Raman signal of pigments and/or other components could be retrieved. Calcium oxalates were also detected in several figures and motifs in different shelters.

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Minateda rock shelters (Albacete) and post-palaeolithic art of the Mediterranean Basin in Spain: pigments, surfaces and patinas

Cited by 34 publications

References 23 publications

The first use of portable Raman instrumentation for the in situ study of prehistoric rock paintings in Patagonian sites

The first use of portable Raman instrumentation for the in situ study of prehistoric rock paintings in Patagonian sites

An approximation to the study of black pigments in Cova Remigia (Castellón, Spain). Technical and cultural assessments of the use of carbon-based black pigments in Spanish Levantine Rock Art

On-field Raman spectroscopy of Patagonian prehistoric rock art: Pigments, alteration products and substrata

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