The origins of mural painting in Ancient Peru: archaeometric preliminary study of the Ventarrón mural paintings, Valle de Lambayeque

Abstract

Background: Since 2007, the research led on the Huaca Ventarrón site has allowed investigators to discover outstanding wall paintings. These murals are one of the oldest examples of this artistic expression in the Andean area and American continent (4000 BP). Analyses have given indications on the materials and techniques used by the first painters, ancestors of a long pictorial tradition.Results: Thanks to an archaeometric approach, combining observations and analysis (Optical Microscopy (OM), Scanning Electron Microscopy and Energy-dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR)), it was possible to characterize the colorant materials used in the two constructive sampled phases. These materials are mineral pigments, iron oxides, clays and natural earth, mixed in order to create a wide chromatic scale.Conclusions: Through this research we were able to obtain the first analytical data concerning such ancient mural paintings. It was very useful to comprehend the emergence of this artistic expression in Peru. These results open new research perspectives as well about the origins of Prehispanic pictorial technology as about conservation of wallpaintings in earthen architecture.

Unraveling the polychromy and antiquity of the Pachacamac Idol, Pacific coast, Peru

“…The use of polychromy in mural painting is unequivocally attested to in Pre-Hispanic societies from almost 4000 BP [77]. With the mineral pigments identified here, we add a new form of colorful practice in the Andean region, and in particular one associated with a sacred object of worship, the Pachacamac Idol.…”

“…The pigments identified on the wooden post coincide with those previously analyzed in different regions of the Central Andes on offerings and mural paintings since at least the Formative period, centuries before the beginning of the present era [9,11,18,[61][62][63][64][65][66][67]. While the yellow and white paints used for the murals of the Painted Temple were produced in Pachacamac from mineral pigments available around the site [42,44], the occurrence of cinnabar in Andean geology is rare and none has been found around the Pachacamac site [68], so it is very unlikely that its presence on the buried Idol has occurred naturally.…”

Compositional analysis and cross-cultural examination of blue and blue-green post-fire colorants on Tolita-Tumaco ceramics

“…A green clay that could also be tentatively identified as green earth through its chemical composition was used on much older murals at Huaca Ventarrón (2300-2035 BC) in the Lambayeque Valley of Northern Peru (Wright et al 2015). Likewise, it is found to have early dates as rock art pigment in South America.…”