[en] The transformation of yellow goethite into red hematite by heating has long been assumed for
Palaeolithic red artefacts excavated close to fireplaces. However, this transformation is
extremely rare. Using SEM–FEG–EDX, PIXE–PIGE, TEM and mXRD, we characterized the
mineralogical and chemical compositions of four microsamples of colouring materials from
the Mousterian layer B in the es-Skhul rock-shelter, from about 100 kya ago. For some
colouring materials, the Mousterian people of es-Skhul chose to gather remote yellow lumps
for heating. Their significant transport distance provides evidence of the possible high cultural
value of these colouring materials for transformation into red pigments.
Research center :
CEA - Centre Européen en Archéométrie - ULiège
Disciplines :
Archaeology
Author, co-author :
Salomon, Hélène ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département de physique > Physique nucléaire, atomique et spectroscopie
Vignaud, Colette; Centre de recherche et de Restauration des Musées de France (C2RMF), France
Coquinot, Yvan; Centre de recherche et de Restauration des Musées de France (C2RMF), France
Beck, Lucile; Centre de recherche et de Restauration des Musées de France (C2RMF), France > CEA JANNUS, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
Stringer, Christopher; Department of Palaeontology, The Natural History Museum, London SW7 5BD, UK
Strivay, David ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département de physique > Physique nucléaire, atomique et spectroscopie
d'Errico, Francesco; Université de Bordeaux, UMR 5199 PACEA, PACEA, Préhistoire, Paléoenvironnement, Patrimoine, France > Institute for Archaeology, History, Cultural and Religious Studies, University of Bergen, Norway
Language :
English
Title :
Selection and heating of colouring materials in Mousterian level of es-Skhul (ca. 100 000 years B.P., Mount Carmel, Israel)
Publication date :
2012
Journal title :
Archaeometry
ISSN :
0003-813X
eISSN :
1475-4754
Publisher :
Wiley, Oxford, United Kingdom
Volume :
54
Issue :
4
Pages :
698–722
Peer reviewed :
Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi
Name of the research project :
CNRS–OMLL programme; Programme ORIGINE II of the Aquitaine Region; Programme PROTEA; FP7/2007/2013)/ERC Grant TRACSYMBOLS n# 249587; ULg (Liège University) programme for post-doctoral fellowship
Funders :
ESF - European Science Foundation [FR] Région Nouvelle-Aquitaine [FR] MESR - France. Ministère de l'Enseignement supérieur et de la Recherche [FR] CER - Conseil Européen de la Recherche [BE] ULiège - Université de Liège [BE]
