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Non‐Destructive In Situ Study of Ancient Egyptian Faience by Raman Microscopy
Author(s) -
Clark Robin J. H.,
Gibbs Peter J.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
journal of raman spectroscopy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.748
H-Index - 110
eISSN - 1097-4555
pISSN - 0377-0486
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1097-4555(199702)28:2/3<99::aid-jrs75>3.0.co;2-u
Subject(s) - raman spectroscopy , in situ , microscopy , materials science , chemistry , art , optics , physics , organic chemistry
An in situ , non‐destructive study of the coloured glaze on ancient Egyptian faience objects has been performed. The research was undertaken to examine further the effectiveness of Raman microscopy as a tool for archaeometric analysis. Initial studies revealed that faience pigmentation could not be analysed when beneath the glaze but only through cross‐sections where the glaze was broken or chipped. Further studies showed that Raman microscopy was unsuitable for the analysis of green, blue and white faience but was extremely effective for the analysis of red and yellow faience. A study of eight red and eight yellow faience fragments, dated to the XVIIIth Dynasty and uncovered at El‐Amarna, revealed that all the red fragments were coloured with red ochre or red earth [iron(III) oxide plus clay and silica] and that the colour of the yellow fragments was due to lead antimonate yellow [lead(II) antimonate]. © 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.