Raman spectroscopic study of 3000-year-old human skeletal remains from a sambaqui, Santa Catarina, Brazil
✍ Scribed by H. G. M. Edwards; D. W. Farwell; D. L. A. de Faria; A. M. F. Monteiro; M. C. Afonso; P. De Blasis; S. Eggers
- Publisher
- John Wiley and Sons
- Year
- 2001
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 365 KB
- Volume
- 32
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 0377-0486
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✦ Synopsis
A Raman spectroscopic study of red-pigmented human bones from a 3000-year-old sambaqui burial was undertaken for the first time. Visible (633 nm) and near-infrared (1064 nm) excitation were used to characterize the pigment and its substrate; the red pigment is haematite, iron(III) oxide, which proved to be of a pure form and for which no previous heat treatment processing had been adopted. There is clear evidence in heavily pigmented areas of a 'limewash' layer which had been applied to the body of the deceased prior to treatment with ochre. Comparisons made with previous Raman studies of archaeological bone from a separate excavation indicate that mineralization of the present specimens is well advanced, with evidence of calcium carbonate incorporation into the hydroxyapatite phosphatic matrix.