Chemical Analysis of Residues in Floors and the Reconstruction of Ritual Activities at the Templo Mayor, Mexico

Barba, Luís; Ortíz, Agustín; Link, Karl; Luján, Leonardo López; Lazos, L.

doi:10.1021/bk-1996-0625.ch012

Cited by 32 publications

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“…Experimental, ethnoarchaeological, and archaeological studies have shown that the results obtained with the organic acid spot tests and results of the GC-MS analyses are consistent with one another (Barba et al 1996;Lazos 1997;Pecci 2003Pecci -2004. In particular, the analyses carried out at the Templo Mayor of Tenochtitlan, in the House of the Eagles showed that where spot tests indicated the presence of concentration of organic acids in front of the main altar, GC-MS analyses confirmed the data and showed that these concentrations were mainly due to the burning of copal and other resins.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 52%

“…The GC-MS analysis permitted the identification of differences between the organic acids found in the main altar and those found at secondary altars, suggesting that different materials were involved in specific rituals. The residues present in the samples taken from the close to the main altar were characterized by high molecular weight and were identified as copal residues (Barba et al 1996). The samples recovered from secondary altars showed, in general, fatty acids with lower molecular weight.…”

Section: A Step Further: Integrated Approaches Examplesmentioning

confidence: 95%

“…On the other hand, Mesoamerican ritual areas were enriched with blood and copal. Resins burnt during ceremonies were detected by GC-MS analysis (Barba et al 1996). The advantages of GC-MS are therefore evident, and they are particularly related to the possibilities of knowing the specific substances involved in ancient activities.…”

Section: Gas Chromatography-mass Spectrometrymentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Study of Archaeological Floors: Methodological Proposal for the Analysis of Anthropogenic Residues by Spot Tests, ICP-OES, and GC-MS

Middleton

Barba²,

Pecci

et al. 2010

J Archaeol Method Theory

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The identification of chemical activity residues on archaeological surfaces requires the analysis of large numbers of samples, which can be costly and time consuming. Researchers wishing to apply sediment chemistry often are confronted with a dilemma of which technique to use and how to accommodate sediment chemistry into their budget. We propose an approach to the identification of chemical activity residues in which semiquantitative spot tests, which are cheap, quick, and easy to apply, are employed as an initial phase of analysis in order to leverage the results of more timeconsuming and costly instrumental techniques. Three examples that pair spot tests with gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy and inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry analysis show that spot tests successfully identify areas of interest. This approach can save both time and research funds.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 52%

Section: A Step Further: Integrated Approaches Examplesmentioning

confidence: 95%

Section: Gas Chromatography-mass Spectrometrymentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Study of Archaeological Floors: Methodological Proposal for the Analysis of Anthropogenic Residues by Spot Tests, ICP-OES, and GC-MS

Middleton

Barba²,

Pecci

et al. 2010

J Archaeol Method Theory

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“…In refining the potential of chemical residues to specify human activities with greater accuracy, multi-element analyses became a major step in archaeological soil chemistry (Wilson et al 2008), with the pioneer work of various research teams headed by Luis Barba (e.g., Barba et al 1996) and William Middleton and Douglas Price (e.g., Middleton and Price 1996;Middleton 2004), along with Jane Entwistle, Robert Dodgshon, and Peter Abrahams (e.g., Entwistle and Abrahams 1997;Entwistle et al 1998Entwistle et al , 2000. Their contributions are good examples of continuing advances in this aspect of soil chemistry in archaeology.…”

Section: Beyond Phosphorus New Strategies To Define Human Activitiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prologue to Uses of Chemical Residues to Make Statements About Human Activities

Holliday

Lawrence-Zúñiga

Buchli

2010

J Archaeol Method Theory

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Soil chemistry provides the potential for interpreting the archaeological record without necessarily resorting to artifacts, historical documents, ethnoarchaeological observations, or experiments. The range of studies incorporating new technological developments, such as mass spectrometry and multi-element analyses, for analyzing and interpreting the chemical residues found at archaeological sites or modern contexts are increasing in the literature. However, the dilemmas of interpretation concentrate on evaluating the advantages and disadvantages of different techniques. Analytical approaches to how scientists make use of chemical residues to make statements about the past, discussed here, expand the potential of the breadth of techniques to investigate daily life activities and further our understanding of the materiality of social life.

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“…The sample with the largest fatty-acid concentration detected close to the main altar was differentiated (through gas chromatography) by their high molecular weight and later was identified as copal residue (Barba et al, 1996).…”

Section: Cases Of Archaeological Applicationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Chemical residues in lime‐plastered archaeological floors

Barba

2007

Geoarchaeology

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In addition to research carried out on soils and sediments, there is a parallel field of research applying the same analytical techniques to the study of chemical residues in stuccoes. The most common material used to build floors in Mesoamerica after the Classic period was lime plaster. The study of residues in stuccoes becomes, therefore, a very promising study area. In last 25 years the Archaeological Prospection Laboratory at Mexico's National Autonomous University has developed a research strategy to study human activities based on ethnoarchaeological studies to interpret the distribution of chemical residues in archaeological floors. The most successful applications have been in lime-plastered surfaces; this article presents a brief review of these works. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. INTRODUCTIONThe application of chemical analysis to the study of archaeological floors is recent. It has been a consequence of the use of soil and sediment analysis in three different fields: agronomy, where chemical analysis is used to monitor plant health, fertility, and soil nutrients; geochemistry, where it is used as a mean to study geological evolution and locate mineral deposits of economic interest; and forensic science, where it is used to reconstruct crime scenes. Each of these fields followed a different path in developing these techniques. Arrhenius (1929) discovered the relationship between phosphate and archaeological remains while doing agronomic studies. From that moment on, geographers and archaeologists enthusiastically accepted the idea that phosphate was a good indicator of human settlement. As the history of phosphate analysis in archaeology shows (Mejía and Barba, 1988), it is no longer a mere adaptation of an agricultural technique but has become especially designed for field archaeology to demonstrate a close relationship to human activities. During its development, it has also served as an exploration tool, although this is not the field where its most promising applications are envisioned.Similarly, the chemical analysis of soils, sediments, and rocks has been used in geochemical prospection for the location, delimitation, and evaluation of ore deposits.

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Chemical Analysis of Residues in Floors and the Reconstruction of Ritual Activities at the Templo Mayor, Mexico

Cited by 32 publications

References 0 publications

The Study of Archaeological Floors: Methodological Proposal for the Analysis of Anthropogenic Residues by Spot Tests, ICP-OES, and GC-MS

The Study of Archaeological Floors: Methodological Proposal for the Analysis of Anthropogenic Residues by Spot Tests, ICP-OES, and GC-MS

Prologue to Uses of Chemical Residues to Make Statements About Human Activities

Chemical residues in lime‐plastered archaeological floors

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