Browsing by Author "Delbey, Thomas"
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Item Open Access Analyses of the brown stain on the Parthenon Centaur head in Denmark(Springer, 2024-01-16) Rasmussen, Kaare Lund; Rasmussen, Bodil Bundgaard; Delbey, Thomas; Bonaduce, Ilaria; Kjeldsen, Frank; Gorshkov, VladimirIn 1688 two sculptural fragments, a head of bearded man and a head of an unbearded youth, arrived in Copenhagen, sent from Athens as a gift to King Christian 5. They were placed in the Royal Kunstkammer, their provenance given as the Temple of Artemis in Ephesos, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Almost a hundred and fifty years later, in the early 1820’s they were noticed and studied by two scholars independently visiting the Kunstkammer. However, both concluded that the two heads belonged to one of the metopes decorating the south side of the Parthenon temple on the Acropolis in Athens, showing fighting between Greeks and the mythical Centaurs, part man and part horse. In the 1830’s another sculptural fragment, a horse’s hoof, obtained through the German archaeologist and state antiquary of Greece, Ludwig Ross, reached Copenhagen. It was forwarded by the Danish consul to Athens, C.T. Falbe, as a gift to King Christian 8. The inventory reads: ‘… was found on the Acropolis near the Parthenon temple and is supposed to belong to one the Centaurs on the metopes.’ The present paper focuses solely on the head of the Centaur. A brown stain was noticed on the Parthenon marbles as early as 1830 by the British Museum and has ever since eluded a deeper understanding of its genesis despite many investigations and attempts of analyses. A quite similar brown stain can be observed on the Centaur’s head in Copenhagen as well. The present study reports analyses by LA-ICP-MS, SEM–EDX, µXRD, GC–MS, and LC–MS-MS, as well as optical microscopy of five small samples sequestered in 1999 from the Centaur head curated by the National Museum of Denmark. Our analyses show that the brown stain consists of two consecutively added surficial layers of the calcium oxalate minerals whewellite and weddellite. Despite a thorough search using proteomics, we have found no viable organic precursor material for the oxalates. Our results do not solve the mystery of the formation of the brown stain, but they do further qualify the structure and characterization of the brown stain.Item Open Access Characterising Chinese Ru ware in the Sir Percival David collection at the British Museum using handheld XRF analysis(Elsevier, 2023-09-07) Delbey, Thomas; Harrison Hall, Jessica; Sheaf, Colin; Shortland, Andrew J.Ru ware is a very rare and highly prized stoneware from the end of the Northern Song period of China (960–1127 CE). Stylistic and art historical work by Regina Krahl (2021) suggests that a brush washer in the Sir Percival David Collection, housed in the British Museum, might be Ru rather than Korean Goryeo ware as previously thought. This paper reports the analysis of the glaze of this piece by handheld XRF in comparison with 10 pieces of Ru and 10 pieces of Goryeo ware. Despite the compositional similarity of the glazes, the analysis was able to show conclusively that the piece is Ru ware. The work has implications for the analysis of Chinese stoneware and beyond, showing that it may be possible (under the right conditions) to distinguish different productions relatively quickly and easily.Item Open Access The dating and provenance of glass fragments from the site of Serabit el-Khâdim, Sinai(Elsevier, 2023-03-21) Kemp, Victoria; Delbey, Thomas; Shortland, Andrew J.Serabit el-Khâdim, located on the western coast of the Sinai Peninsula, is the site of an ancient turquoise mine established in the early 12th Dynasty (c. 1985 BCE) and active between the 18th and 20th Dynasties (c. 1550–1136 BCE). The temple dedicated to Hathor at Serabit detail the number of offerings made, thereby recording the level of activity at Serabit during each reign. The last offerings were made by Rameses VI (1143–1136 BCE) corresponding with the collapse of the Late Bronze Age before the site was abandoned. 976 glass fragments were given to the Ashmolean Museum by Flinders Petrie following his 1905–6 excavations. 41 fragments from the collection were selected for LA-ICP-MS analysis with the aim of provenancing and dating an unknown collection of glass using composition and available stylistic features to further narrow the date of manufacture and therefore indicate the possible workshop of origin. The analysis showed that all 41 fragments are of Egyptian provenance and of standard Late Bronze Age high magnesia plant ash glass, except one fragment which is a unique example of natron blue glass applied as decoration to a white plant ash vessel body. Subtle compositional differences show that 18th Dynasty plant ash glass, plant ash Ramesside glass and natron Ramesside glass are all present, therefore corresponding with the known Egyptian activity at Serabit.Item Open Access Defining multiple inhabitations of a cave environment using interdisciplinary archaeometry: the ‘Christmas Cave’ of the Wadi en-Nar/Nahal Qidron, west of the Dead Sea(Springer, 2022-02-05) Rasmussen, Kaare Lund; van der Plicht, Johannes; Degano, Ilaria; Modugno, Francesca; Colombini, Maria Perla; de la Fuente, Guillermo; Delbey, Thomas; Frumkin, Amos; Davidovich, Uri; Porat, Roi; Shamir, Orit; Sukenik, Naama; Doudna, Greg; Taylor, Joan; Popović, MladenThe present study reports a series of interdisciplinary archaeometrical analyses of objects found in the Christmas Cave, which was discovered by John Allegro and his team in 1960 on the West Bank of the Dead Sea and assumed to be inhabited only in the Chalcolithic era and by Jewish refugees of the second century CE, at the end of the Bar Kokhba Revolt. Like many other Judaean desert caves, there was an abundance of organic material, especially textiles, surviving in the dry environment. In the absence of clear stratigraphy and even a proper publication of the finds, the present study shows how archaeometry can provide important insights. We analysed food crusts on ceramics by gas chromatography with mass spectrometric detection (GC–MS), made petrographic descriptions to estimated provenance of the ceramics, produced new radiocarbon dates from organic material and thermoluminescence (TL) dates from the pottery. It appears from the data that the Christmas Cave has been briefly inhabited or visited intermittently over a very long time, starting ca. 4000 BCE (the Chalcolithic period), and extending all the way to the Medieval period, even though there is also a concentration of dates near the period of the Bar Kokhba Revolt (132–136 CE). We argue, through a detailed analysis of the radiometric and TL-datings and by the artefactual evidence, that there was likely another refuge episode connected with the First Jewish Revolt during which people fled to this cave. However, we see no material connection to Qumran and nearby caves. Overall, our study demonstrates the importance of archaeometric studies in cave environments where stratigraphy is veritably absent.Item Open Access Do you dig your grave with your teeth? Potential interest of the elementary analysis of ancient ceramics regarding public health (Pre-Columbian era, Ecuador)(Elsevier, 2022-06-07) Bourdin, Virginie; Delbey, Thomas; Rasmussen, Kaare Lund; Charlier, PhilippeBackground Following several studies considering the potential toxicity of food-type containers, we hypothesized elemental analysis would help us test and classify a collection of Ecuadorian ceramic sherds from Andean and Amazonian sites. Material and methods μ-XRF spectrometer analyses were carried out on 48 ceramic sherds coming from 4 different archaeological sites. Major elements values were transformed into oxides and data were constrained to 100%, making our results semi-quantitative. A principal component analysis (PCA) was then performed on the additive log-ratio (ALR) transformed data to identify main compositional axes and plot the sherds. Besides, a hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) was applied on the coordinates of the individuals from the PCA to estimate the chemical similarity between the ceramic samples. Results and discussion The lead detected on the internal face of the ceramics locally produced in Quito was generally below the limit of quantification, while the lead concentration mean in the Cosanga ceramics was 180 ± 34 μg/g. The lead concentration values in the Pucará ceramics and the type labelled Mango Montaño were of the same order. Arsenic, mercury, cobalt, chromium and antimony values proved to be below the quantification limits. The PCA on the ALR transformed data evidenced 2 main axes. The first main axis PC1 made it possible to graphically distinguish the “local Quito” ceramics from the “Cosanga” ceramics. The second main axis PC2 made it possible to refine the distribution of the samples. Three of four samples from Pucará were close to the ceramics locally produced in Quito. The HCA was applied on the first five factors to take into account about 80% of the total variance of the sample set. The dendrogram discriminated two main clusters, demonstrating a significant clustering pattern of certain fragments belonging to the same craft tradition, essentially the Cosanga ceramics vs. the Local Quito ones. Conclusion and perspectives No particular hazard was identified regarding the exposure of past populations to potentially toxic pottery. We managed through elemental analysis followed by a principal component analysis and a graphic representation to clearly identify 2 groups of pottery out of 4 different locations, 3 different periods and 4 cultural traditions corresponding to 4 different populations. We aim in the near future at testing the samples we presented for lead leachability and comparing them with ceramic samples from other locations.Item Open Access Indurated soil nodules: a vestige of ancient agricultural practices?(Wiley, 2022-08-04) Giosa, Alain; Delbey, Thomas; Menbrivès, Clement; Rasmussen, Kaare L.; Elliott, Michelle; Petit, ChristopheThe identification of controlled fires in ancient agricultural systems is important for understanding how past societies managed the landscape. Although the use of fire in agriculture is documented in recent historical records, and combustion markers can persist in soils over a long time scale, this is a complex issue because combustion traits in general are ubiquitous. Archaeopedological surveys undertaken in an ancient forest in Burgundy (France) have led to the recovery of several red indurated nodules scattered in the soils. Gallo-Roman housing structures and parcels were recognized using light detection and ranging mapping, stimulating questions about the understanding of the nature of these nodules. Elemental and structural analyses by X-ray fluorescence and X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirmed the local origin of these features by comparing their composition with on-site sediments, and thermoluminescence dating placed the samples in the Medieval period. The results cast light on the nature of the nodules and how they can be related to controlled fires used in agricultural practices. Even though questions remain about which processes lead to the formation of the nodules, the firing temperature estimated via XRD analysis seems to be in agreement with that used in the “paring-and-burning” technique. The present study provides new information about medieval agriculture practices from the 10th to the 12th centuries CE and shows how past societies managed the opening and maintenance of agricultural fields using natural resources and “archaeological” remains from the antique period.Item Open Access The influence of Qing glass technology on Qianlong and Jiaqing painted enamel copperwares(Elsevier, 2023-04-21) Norris, Dana; Delbey, ThomasThe white enamel surfaces of ten Chinese painted enamels dating to the Qianlong and Jiaqing periods (1736–1820) were studied with Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICPMS). These enamels are opacified with lead arsenate, a dramatic change in technology from fluorite and lead stannite opacification used in Chinese and European enamels before the 18th century. The primary goal of this project was to test the hypothesis that boron is a significant component in Chinese painted enamels. Borax (Na₂[B₄O₅(OH)₄]·8H₂O) was used by glassmakers working in the imperial workshops in Beijing in the mid-18th century, and boron has been detected in some examples of Qing glass and enamels. Quantitative analyses of major, minor, and trace level elements were carried out with LA-ICPMS. Three compositional groups were identified by the amount of borax in the enamel: high borax (at 6.7% B2O3), low borax (up to 1.3% B2O3), and borax free. The results show that it is possible to distinguish between objects made in Beijing and Guangzhou through elemental analysis, and that there are two distinct compositional groups of Chinese painted enamel produced in Guangzhou during this period.Item Open Access Investigations of the relics and altar materials relating to the apostles St James and St Philip at the Basilica dei Santi XII Apostoli in Rome(Springer, 2021-01-29) Rasmussen, Kaare Lund; van der Plicht, Johannes; La Nasa, Jacopo; Ribercini, Erika; Colombini, Maria Perla; Delbey, Thomas; Skytte, Lilian; Schiavone, Simone; Kjaer, Ulla; Grinder-Hansen, Poul; Lanzillotta, Lautaro RoigTwo types of materials were sampled as part of an investigation of the relics of the Holy Catholic Church of the Apostles St Philip and St James in the Basilica dei Santi Apostoli in Rome: bone‑ and mummy‑materials and architectural samples. The analyses encompassed radiocarbon dating, thermoluminescence dating, gas and liquid chromatographic separation with mass spectrometric detection, X‑Ray fluorescence, X‑Ray diffraction, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, Raman spectroscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The results show that the samples were subjected to a number of conservational and exhibition‑related treatments. The alleged femoral bone of St James was dated between AD 214 and 340 (2σ confidence), which shows that this cannot be the bone of St James. An encrustation found in a canal in the reliquary in the high altar construction showed the presence of heavily oxidized rapeseed oil, which was radiocarbon dated between AD 267 and 539 (2σ confidence), and a ceramic shard also found in the high altar construction was TL‑dated to AD 314–746 (2σ confidence). The two latter dates are consistent with a translation of the relics following the erection of the church at the time of Pope Pelagius I in AD 556–561Item Open Access Materials and technology of mosaics from the House of Charidemos at Halikarnassos (Bodrum, Turkey)(Springer, 2022-05-16) Rasmussen, Kaare Lund; Delbey, Thomas; Jørgensen, Bjarke; Høegh Jensen, Kasper; Poulsen, Birte; Pendersen, PoulAn excavation in 1856 by Charles T. Newton and a re-excavation in 1990–93 by a joint Danish-Turkish team revealed several mosaic floors in a late-antique domus from the fifth century CE, now called the House of Charidemos. Nineteen tesserae from the floor have been analysed by laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, Raman micro-spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray analysis, and X-ray diffraction. Seven tesserae were made of opaque glass, eleven from various rock/lithic materials, while one of them was a ceramic fragment. This case-study reports the first analyses undertaken of tesserae from late-antique Halikarnassos. The results show the use of recycled Sb–Mn decoloured glass and two types of red glass. A comparison with tesserae from other sites in Anatolia from the same period shows similarities in the base glass composition, but also some particularities of the colouring and opacifying agents used for the mosaic of the House of Charidemos. The characterisation of the stone tesserae shows a homogeneity in the choice of the materials of the same colours, but no certain provenance has been established in the present work mainly due to the lack of comparative materials.Item Open Access Middle Neolithic fluorites in Northern France and Belgium: characterization, sourcing and methodological limitations(Elsevier, 2023-03-28) Goemaere, Eric; Vanmontfort, Bart; Bonjean, Dominique; Bosquet, Dominique; Bostyn, Françoise; Cayol, Nicolas; Colas, Caroline; Collet, Hélène; Delbey, Thomas; Delye, Emmanuel; Golitko, Mark; Jadin, Ivan; Jungels, Cécile; Leroy-Langelin, Emmanuelle; Monchablon, Cécile; Praud, IvanOrnaments and fragments of fluorite have been found at sixteen Neolithic sites in Belgium and Northern France, mainly Middle Neolithic sites associated with the Michelsberg culture and the Spiere and Chassean groups. These sites are located in a large geographical area representing different types of sites and various geological backgrounds. One of the aims of this study is to identify where this mineral could have been quarried in the Neolithic and compare the possible source(s) with those used during the Palaeolithic. A survey of some Neolithic fluorite occurrences in Belgium and Northern France was conducted and the origins of this mineral investigated by means of geochemical Rare Earth Elements and Sr-isotopic analysis. We also explore the limitations of isotopic 87Sr/86Sr and REE ratios for analysis of fluorite. Results show that Neolithic fluorite originates from different local and regional sources, mainly the Dinantian limestones/dolostones of the Ardennes Allochthon, in contrast to the use of silicified Givetian limestones of the Calestian Band near Givet (France) during the Magdalenian. The Neolithic fluorite that is studied in this paper is found exclusively at settlement sites whereas elsewhere, fluorite comes exclusively from funerary contexts.Item Open Access Release of lead from Renaissance lead-glazed ceramics from southern Denmark and northern Germany: Implications from acetic acid etching(Springer, 2020-05-18) Rasmussen, Kaare Lund; Milner, George R.; Delbey, Thomas; Jensen, Lisa Kathrine Ivalu; Witte, Frauke; Rehren, Thilo; Kjaer, Ulla; Grinder-Hansen, PoulLead-glazed potsherds from archaeological excavations at six Renaissance (1536–1660 CE) sites in southern Denmark and northern Germany have been subjected to etching experiments using 4 wt% acetic acid. The extracts of 45 sherds were analysed by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry. At one site, the ducal hunting castle of Grøngaard, Pb levels in acid extracts from glazed dishes were so high (up to 29,000 µg Pb cm−2 day−1) that acute toxic effects likely occurred if the dishes were used for serving food containing vinegar. More moderate acid-etching Pb levels were found in dishes from other sites, but they still exceed the WHO critical level if used daily. Acetic acid etching experiments performed on pipkins (three-legged cooking pots with a handle) yielded somewhat lower Pb extract values, averaging ca. 25 µg Pb cm−2 day−1. Taking into account the widespread use of pipkins for cooking, they might easily have led to a higher weekly Pb intake than the use of the moderate-level dishes. The question remains whether such high levels of Pb exposure during meals led to injurious Pb intake. Prior skeletal analyses have shown that medieval to early modern individuals from the area, especially in towns, were exposed to Pb. While exposure could have come from various sources other than lead-glazed ceramics, such as cosmetics, paint, antibacterial ointments, and lead water pipes, widely distributed lead-glazed ceramics had the potential of being a main source of Pb. How the pottery was actually used is uncertain, and it certainly was not evenly distributed across all segments of society, but the etching experiment results suggest that severe poisonous effects could have resulted from the use of lead-glazed Renaissance ceramics.Item Open Access Thermoluminescence and radiocarbon dating of pre-colonial ceramics and organic midden material from the US Virgin Islands: outline for a revised chronology(Springer, 2023-05-17) Torres, Joshua; Toftgaard, Casper Jacobsen; Delbey, Thomas; Brewer, David; Farchette III, John; de la Fuente, Guillermo; Rasmussen, Kaare LundA sample of 128 pottery shards curated by the National Museum of Denmark, from seven archaeological sites in the US Virgin Islands, has been dated using the thermoluminescence dating (TL) technique with the purpose of refining local pre-colonial pottery chronology. The results of the TL-dating generally confirm chronologies offered by Wild for St. John and there is considerable variation identified in traditional frameworks due to overlap in distributions of various pottery styles. The results of this study show that the Virgin Islands offer a viable space for the application of TL-dating, and that TL-dating offer a reliable addition to the traditional radiometric radiocarbon technique in pre-colonial midden contexts. Using the TL-technique for dating of pottery assemblages allows for a nuanced chronology and better understanding of settlement timing, socio-cultural interaction, and information transmission.Item Open Access Tracking the source of lead of medieval glazed pottery of the Meuse valley (Belgium) through lead isotope analyses(Elsevier, 2022-02-03) Goemaere, Eric; Challe, Sophie; de Longueville, Sylvie; Delbey, Thomas; Demaiffe, DanielLead isotope analyses (by MC-ICP-MS) have been performed on lead-glazed pottery artefacts from several production and consumption sites in the Meuse basin (Belgium) spanning a long-time period from the 9th to the 16th century CE. Comparison of the lead isotope data of the glazes from three Mosan workshops with those of galenas from Palaeozoic (Variscan) Pb-Zn deposits from both Belgium and Western Germany points to a common Pb source that we identify as the regional Pb deposits hosted in Dinantian limestones of the Ardenno-Rhenish Massif, more specifically in the Namur and Verviers synclines in Belgium and in the Aachen-Stolberg mining district in Germany. The overall similarity of isotopic compositions between the medieval artefacts and the Variscan galenas implies that the Mosan medieval potters used accessible local Pb-Zn ores mined between Namur and Huy. On the consumption sites of Dinant, the slightly different isotopic compositions of some potteries suggest that other regional Pb sources were used to produce the glazes. A comparison with Roman lead objects discovered in north-western Europe (Northern Gaul) shows the very good correspondence of the Pb isotopic compositions with those of the Medieval artefacts which indicates a very long continuity of regional lead supply and consequently of lead ore mining.