Mineralogical characterization of pre-hispanic pottery at the Mesa de Los Santos region, Colombia

Abstract

The application of mineralogy in archeology has been growing in interest in particular in relation to establishing the origin of the clays used in the elaboration of ancient ceramic artifacts. The mineralogy did not show a clear relationship with the colors expressed by the pottery system defined by the archaeologists; that is, independent of the color of the slip, each group has the same mineralogical components. Fourteen Pre-Hispanic pottery sherds from the Mesa de Los Santos region (Colombia) were selected for mineralogical characterization by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The objective of the work was to contribute to the knowledge of the production technology and elucidate a possible regional origin of these ceramics. The observed mineralogical phases were plagiocalse, quartz, potassium fledspar, clay minerals, micas, carbonate minerals, and iron oxides. Firing temperatures are in the ranges 600-800°C for almost all the analyzed samples.

Systematic testing, verification and validation of laser treatments for unglazed earthenware affected by lichens and fungi biodeterioration

“…Biofilm removal with the different cleaning methods was investigated through its main bands, typical of proteins and esters (aliphatic C-H stretching at 2931 cm −1 , C=O stretching at 1710 cm −1 and amide II at 1558 cm −1 ). The band at 1668 cm −1 , which is also well visible in uncolonized earthenware, was attributed to the overlap of amide I vibration in proteins and to the -OH bending in Si-OH groups [31,45,46]; therefore, it was not considered for monitoring biofilm removal.…”

Estudio arqueométrico de la composición mineral y química de la cerámica pre-Hispánica de “Los Teres”, Mesa de Los Santos (Colombia)

“…In the framework of the archaeological problems of northeastern Colombia, a first approximation is necessary on general aspects such as social evolution, population dynamics, social change, subsistence responses and strategies, and sources of supply of raw materials to manufacture ceramic utensils and stone tools. For this approach, previous studies (e.g., Giraldo-Jaramillo, 1941;Such-Martin, 1945;Jiménez, 1945;Sutherland, 1972;Morales and Cadavid, 1984;Cifuetes, 1989;Lleras and Vargas, 1990;Gómez and Cuervo, 2012;Moreno-González, 2012a, 2012b, 2013Portilla-Mendoza et al, 2019) have been developed to study the housing sites, the presence and distribution of ceramic (clay pots) and lithic material, the stratigraphic context and the support of dates from C14, the classification and determination of the characteristics of the ceramic groups that make up the pottery systems of the archeological cultures pre-Guane (IV-XII centuries, A.D.) and Guane (XIII-XVI centuries, A.D.).…”