Pigments Characterization

Article Info In this study, an unsigned oil painting from the IstanbulUniversity Faculty of Letters collection, featuring an unknown painter and date, was subjected to dating and authentication processes. The painting exhibits a landscape on one surface and a nude female portrait on the other. Both surfaces were examined using visible light (VIS), raking light (RAK), ultraviolet (UV), and infrared (IR) light sources. For organic and inorganic pigment analyses, High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and Scanning Electron Microscopy-Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (SEM-EDX) were employed. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) was utilized for binder and primer layer analyses, and a stereo microscope was used for fiber analysis. Additionally, dendrochronological analysis was conducted to determine the type of wood and age of the painting's chassis. Art historical research provided insights into the painting's stylistic and technical aspects, as well as the artistic features of the composition, despite the unknown artist and year. HPLC analysis within the scope of pigment research indicated 2 the absence of organic pigments, while SEM-EDX analysis identified ultramarine, cadmium red, manganese oxide, guignet green, lead red (minium), zinc white, lead white, Verona green, ivory/bone black, lithopone, molybdate red, permanent white, Prussian blue, Brunswick green, zirconium oxide, and black iron oxide. FTIR analyses have determined that the binder used in the paints of the painting is linseed oil. Fiber analysis determined that the canvas was made of linen. Dendrochronological analysis of the chassis dated it to 1913, although it was noted that processed wood could not be precisely dated. All analytical results were evaluated to establish an approximate date for the painting. Additionally, comparisons were drawn with painters who produced similar works, providing further context for the painting's authentication.

The paper examines three late nineteenth–early twentieth century Pacific Northwest coast objects—a Nuu-chah-nulth kuxmin (bird rattle), a Haida sGaaga (medicine man) figure, and a Kwakwaka’wakw or Wuikinuxv wooden model of a totem pole—from the collections of the Ehlers museum in Haderslev, Denmark. Drawing on multiple sources and epistemologies and structuring the study as a weaving of different narratives and perspectives, we investigate the identity of the objects, the materials and pigments used in their making, their function and value in the Indigenous contexts, as well as their significance as collectors’ objects. The article draws attention to the Native American collections at Danish museums, which have not attracted much scholarly attention, and illustrates a need and fruitfulness of a multi-epistemological approach in their studies.

Bark cloth ('tapa/kapa') is a fabric made from beaten plant fibres. In the Pacific tapa made of paper mulberry has been of great cultural importance and its use is associated with both utilitarian and ceremonial contexts. In the 19th century, traditional bark cloth was largely replaced by Western cloth. On some islands, tapa making was banished with the arrival of missionaries and Christianization. This is the case for the Gambier Islands in French Polynesia. Only a few tapa pieces from this island group survive and are held in Museum collections. In this work, we present results of the analysis of a bark cloth bundle discovered at the Te Ana o te Tetea cave on Agakauitai in the Gambier Archipelago. The bundle was made up of large and small strips of thin tapa, with some watermarks left by the beaters. Associated with the tapa, were a piece of wood and cordage. A few of the bark cloth samples showed symmetrical black lines along some of the folds. This paper presents the results of a number of analyses performed on the bark cloth bundle from this island with the aim of determining its age, if the decorations were man-made and the plant species used for its manufacture. Samples were dated by Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) and the designs were analyzed by portable X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and Scanning Electron Microscopy-Energy Dispersive Xray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX) for elemental characterization. Raman spectroscopy was also performed in order to assess the chemical nature of pigments. These analyses allow us to conclude that the finds date to the pre-European contact period for this island group and that these lines can be attributed to manmade designs. In addition, genetic analysis of the ribosomal region were performed to identify the species used in its manufacture, which indicate that the plant used to make the tapa cloth was Broussonetia papyrifera or paper mulberry. The availability of new genetic sequencing techniques allow for new and very sensitive analyses of archaeological material that require careful handling from the beginning in order to avoid sample contamination.

This work describes the characterization of pigments and ground layers in two paintings by the renowned Argentinian painter Antonio Berni (1905–1981). The studied paintings are “Toledo” and “Figure” from the collection of the Provincial Museum of Fine Arts in Santa Fe (Argentina). To approach this goal, an integrated investigation comprising in situ X-ray fluorescence measurements by means of a portable system (pXRF), micro-Raman spectroscopy, Attenuated Total Reflection–Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), and scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM–EDS) was carried out. The results revealed a chromatic palette with inorganic pigments, such as ultramarine blue, cobalt blue, lead white, zinc white, yellow cadmium, and hydrated chromium oxide (viridian), together with a preparation layer consisting of a mixture of earth, lead white, and calcite in “Toledo”. On the other hand, the preparation layer in “Figure” was characterize...

This paper presents the analytical characterisation of a series of paintings authored by Giorgio Marini (1836-1905) from the Museum of Évora. Marini was an Italian painter who lived in Portugal in the 19 century. He was a very prolific painter and his works, most of them portraits commissioned by urban and rural bourgeois and noble elites, are dispersed all over the country. The general good conservation state of most paintings prevented the collection of micro-samples for detailed study. Hence, material identification of the painting materials was performed primarily by XRF, given its non-destructive and non-invasive nature, and it was complemented when possible by auxiliary techniques optical microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and SEM-EDX. Pigments and fillers such as yellow and red ochre, lead white, zinc white, barium white, chrome yellow and green chrome are among the identified pigments. This is the first time the palette used by Giorgio Marini was identified, helping to characte...

Bark cloth ('tapa/kapa') is a fabric made from beaten plant fibres. In the Pacific tapa made of paper mulberry has been of great cultural importance and its use is associated with both utilitarian and ceremonial contexts. In the 19th century, traditional bark cloth was largely replaced by Western cloth. On some islands, tapa making was banished with the arrival of missionaries and Christianization. This is the case for the Gambier Islands in French Polynesia. Only a few tapa pieces from this island group survive and are held in Museum collections. In this work, we present results of the analysis of a bark cloth bundle discovered at the Te Ana o te Tetea cave on Agakauitai in the Gambier Archipelago. The bundle was made up of large and small strips of thin tapa, with some watermarks left by the beaters. Associated with the tapa, were a piece of wood and cordage. A few of the bark cloth samples showed symmetrical black lines along some of the folds. This paper presents the results of a number of analyses performed on the bark cloth bundle from this island with the aim of determining its age, if the decorations were man-made and the plant species used for its manufacture. Samples were dated by Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) and the designs were analyzed by portable X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and Scanning Electron Microscopy-Energy Dispersive Xray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX) for elemental characterization. Raman spectroscopy was also performed in order to assess the chemical nature of pigments. These analyses allow us to conclude that the finds date to the pre-European contact period for this island group and that these lines can be attributed to manmade designs. In addition, genetic analysis of the ribosomal region were performed to identify the species used in its manufacture, which indicate that the plant used to make the tapa cloth was Broussonetia papyrifera or paper mulberry. The availability of new genetic sequencing techniques allow for new and very sensitive analyses of archaeological material that require careful handling from the beginning in order to avoid sample contamination.

Bark cloth ('tapa/kapa') is a fabric made from beaten plant fibres. In the Pacific tapa made of paper mulberry has been of great cultural importance and its use is associated with both utilitarian and ceremonial contexts. In the 19th century, traditional bark cloth was largely replaced by Western cloth. On some islands, tapa making was banished with the arrival of missionaries and Christianization. This is the case for the Gambier Islands in French Polynesia. Only a few tapa pieces from this island group survive and are held in Museum collections. In this work, we present results of the analysis of a bark cloth bundle discovered at the Te Ana o te Tetea cave on Agakauitai in the Gambier Archipelago. The bundle was made up of large and small strips of thin tapa, with some watermarks left by the beaters. Associated with the tapa, were a piece of wood and cordage. A few of the bark cloth samples showed symmetrical black lines along some of the folds. This paper presents the results of a number of analyses performed on the bark cloth bundle from this island with the aim of determining its age, if the decorations were man-made and the plant species used for its manufacture. Samples were dated by Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) and the designs were analyzed by portable X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and Scanning Electron Microscopy-Energy Dispersive Xray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX) for elemental characterization. Raman spectroscopy was also performed in order to assess the chemical nature of pigments. These analyses allow us to conclude that the finds date to the pre-European contact period for this island group and that these lines can be attributed to manmade designs. In addition, genetic analysis of the ribosomal region were performed to identify the species used in its manufacture, which indicate that the plant used to make the tapa cloth was Broussonetia papyrifera or paper mulberry. The availability of new genetic sequencing techniques allow for new and very sensitive analyses of archaeological material that require careful handling from the beginning in order to avoid sample contamination.

Bark cloth ('tapa/kapa') is a fabric made from beaten plant fibres. In the Pacific tapa made of paper mulberry has been of great cultural importance and its use is associated with both utilitarian and ceremonial contexts. In the 19th century, traditional bark cloth was largely replaced by Western cloth. On some islands, tapa making was banished with the arrival of missionaries and Christianization. This is the case for the Gambier Islands in French Polynesia. Only a few tapa pieces from this island group survive and are held in Museum collections. In this work, we present results of the analysis of a bark cloth bundle discovered at the Te Ana o te Tetea cave on Agakauitai in the Gambier Archipelago. The bundle was made up of large and small strips of thin tapa, with some watermarks left by the beaters. Associated with the tapa, were a piece of wood and cordage. A few of the bark cloth samples showed symmetrical black lines along some of the folds. This paper presents the results of a number of analyses performed on the bark cloth bundle from this island with the aim of determining its age, if the decorations were man-made and the plant species used for its manufacture. Samples were dated by Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) and the designs were analyzed by portable X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and Scanning Electron Microscopy-Energy Dispersive Xray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX) for elemental characterization. Raman spectroscopy was also performed in order to assess the chemical nature of pigments. These analyses allow us to conclude that the finds date to the pre-European contact period for this island group and that these lines can be attributed to manmade designs. In addition, genetic analysis of the ribosomal region were performed to identify the species used in its manufacture, which indicate that the plant used to make the tapa cloth was Broussonetia papyrifera or paper mulberry. The availability of new genetic sequencing techniques allow for new and very sensitive analyses of archaeological material that require careful handling from the beginning in order to avoid sample contamination.

Naturally occurring and synthetic ancient pigments have a history of use spanning thousands of years. Curiously, some of their newly discovered properties make them excellent candidates for semiconductors, anticounterfeiting agents and so much more. In this paper, we will review their ancient roots in art and modern emergence as 21st century workhorses. You can never judge a pigment by its color alone!

This volume was edited by Donald Abbott of the Provincial Museum (helped by a committee including Duff's daughter Marnie) and published by the Museum in Duff's honour. It consists of over fifty items, a few previously published but most new, ranging from conventionally scholarly articles, through more speculative essays, to personal statements, poems, and works of graphic art. It includes several items by Duff himself. All relate to Duff's own field of study-the Native peoples and cultures of northwestern North America-and/or to his own life and thought. The contributors are colleagues, students and friends-non-Native and Native. This is a rich assemblage and it is presented well. The format is appropriately large, the typography is easy on the eyes, the many black-and-white photographs and drawings are excellently repn> duced, and the colour plates are outstanding. The result is a volume that is admirable for its scholarly, humanistic and esthetic qualities and a fitting tribute to a friend admired as a scholar, humanist and artist. Abbott divides the collection into four sections-People, Things, Ideas and Messages-based on the concern and content of the pieces, the division also reflecting Duff's own interests and the development of his ideas. Substantive articles (that is, articles that present the results of research) by contributors and by Duff himself, articles about Duff, short reminiscences about him, works dedicated to him, etc., are interspersed. Rather than trying to deal with everything in order of appearance, I shall deal first with the substantive articles other than Duff's, second with

HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access archive for the deposit and dissemination of scientific research documents, whether they are published or not. The documents may come from teaching and research institutions in France or abroad, or from public or private research centers. L'archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, émanant des établissements d'enseignement et de recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires publics ou privés.

This paper presents the analytical characterisation of a series of paintings authored by Giorgio Marini (1836-1905) from the Museum of Évora. Marini was an Italian painter who lived in Portugal in the 19 century. He was a very prolific painter and his works, most of them portraits commissioned by urban and rural bourgeois and noble elites, are dispersed all over the country. The general good conservation state of most paintings prevented the collection of micro-samples for detailed study. Hence, material identification of the painting materials was performed primarily by XRF, given its non-destructive and non-invasive nature, and it was complemented when possible by auxiliary techniques optical microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and SEM-EDX. Pigments and fillers such as yellow and red ochre, lead white, zinc white, barium white, chrome yellow and green chrome are among the identified pigments. This is the first time the palette used by Giorgio Marini was identified, helping to characte...

Exoplanet discovery has made remarkable progress, with the first rocky planets having been detected in the central star’s liquid water habitable zone. The remote sensing techniques used to characterize such planets for potential habitability and life rely solely on our understanding of life on Earth. The vegetation red edge from terrestrial land plants is often used as a direct signature of life, but it occupies only a small niche in the environmental parameter space that binds life on present-day Earth and has been widespread for only about 460 My. To more fully exploit the diversity of the one example of life known, we measured the spectral characteristics of 137 microorganisms containing a range of pigments, including ones isolated from Earth’s most extreme environments. Our database covers the visible and near-infrared to the short-wavelength infrared (0.35–2.5 µm) portions of the electromagnetic spectrum and is made freely available from biosignatures.astro.cornell.edu. Our res...

Bark cloth ('tapa/kapa') is a fabric made from beaten plant fibres. In the Pacific tapa made of paper mulberry has been of great cultural importance and its use is associated with both utilitarian and ceremonial contexts. In the 19th century, traditional bark cloth was largely replaced by Western cloth. On some islands, tapa making was banished with the arrival of missionaries and Christianization. This is the case for the Gambier Islands in French Polynesia. Only a few tapa pieces from this island group survive and are held in Museum collections. In this work, we present results of the analysis of a bark cloth bundle discovered at the Te Ana o te Tetea cave on Agakauitai in the Gambier Archipelago. The bundle was made up of large and small strips of thin tapa, with some watermarks left by the beaters. Associated with the tapa, were a piece of wood and cordage. A few of the bark cloth samples showed symmetrical black lines along some of the folds. This paper presents the results of a number of analyses performed on the bark cloth bundle from this island with the aim of determining its age, if the decorations were man-made and the plant species used for its manufacture. Samples were dated by Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) and the designs were analyzed by portable X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and Scanning Electron Microscopy-Energy Dispersive Xray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX) for elemental characterization. Raman spectroscopy was also performed in order to assess the chemical nature of pigments. These analyses allow us to conclude that the finds date to the pre-European contact period for this island group and that these lines can be attributed to manmade designs. In addition, genetic analysis of the ribosomal region were performed to identify the species used in its manufacture, which indicate that the plant used to make the tapa cloth was Broussonetia papyrifera or paper mulberry. The availability of new genetic sequencing techniques allow for new and very sensitive analyses of archaeological material that require careful handling from the beginning in order to avoid sample contamination.

The central thesis of this dissertation is that Northwest Coast jewelry has always served multiple functions and values in Native cultures, only some of which are discernible from the object itself. Jewelry—specifically silver and gold engraved bracelets—can be a valued marker of crest display and clan identity. Bracelets are used in various ceremonial contexts, are part of a large market for Native commercial goods, and perhaps most importantly can symbolize idiosyncratic familial and interpersonal connections.

One of the goals of this dissertation is to advance the understanding of Northwest Coast jewelry beyond the museum catalog card—beyond just the facts of when, where, and, if lucky, by whom—to explore how objects function in multiple contexts and how meaning is mutable, dependant always on specific contextual circumstances. I find that by tracking artworks, ceremonial, commercial, and personal contexts can be investigated in ways that illuminate both the details and the broad strokes of cultural and social exchanges.

The fundamental history of Northwest Coast jewelry has been doubly marginalized by the biases of art history and anthropology, a scholarship that only lately has acknowledged the importance of art for sale (tourist art) and that still codifies work in precious metals as “craft” rather than “fine art.” But it is in keeping with the Northwest Coast art aesthetic that the body would be adorned and decorated with the same attention and grace as houses, canoes, dance regalia and other personal and community possessions. The marginal, almost non-existent, treatment of jewelry in the vast scholarly tomes on Northwest Coast art is contrasted by contemporaneous factual materials documenting the ubiquitous presence of silver bracelets at gatherings along the coast throughout the last two centuries. As Jim Hart summed up, “For our people, what we wear is who we are. Our jewelry and our clothing represent where we come from. We wear our history.” This dissertation intends to honor that tradition by exploring how jewelry can communicate personal and cultural histories, as well as refining the broader history of Northwest Coast silver and gold jewelry.

First coined by European explorers to the region in the late 18th century, "Northwest Coast" is now firmly entrenched in the anthropological literature to describe a culture area extending some 2600 km from Prince William Sound in the Gulf of Alaska, along the coast of British Columbia, to the California-Oregon border. At the time of contact with Europeans, an estimated 200,000 people lived in the region (Boyd, 1990) making it one of the most densely settled in the Americas north of Mexico (Suttles, 1990). Northwest Coast peoples do not constitute a single biological population or even a series of discrete populations, but are grouped together on the basis of shared cultural practices and geography. This chapter focuses on the peoples of the more northern area including South East Alaska, Washington, and Oregon in the United States, and British Columbia in Canada. Most of the peoples of northern California were destroyed in violent encounters with gold miners and by infectious diseases by the late 1800s. Although the people of this region have long shared similar cultural patterns which stem from environmental factors, trade, and a system of raiding which involved captive workers, they belong to a dozen different language groupings. Typical of extremely mountainous terrain, cut by major rivers, the

This paper presents the analytical characterisation of a series of paintings authored by Giorgio Marini (1836-1905) from the Museum of Évora. Marini was an Italian painter who lived in Portugal in the 19 th century. He was a very prolific painter and his works, most of them portraits commissioned by urban and rural bourgeois and noble elites, are dispersed all over the country. The general good conservation state of most paintings prevented the collection of micro-samples for detailed study. Hence, material identification of the painting materials was performed primarily by XRF, given its non-destructive and non-invasive nature, and it was complemented when possible by auxiliary techniques optical microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and SEM-EDX. Pigments and fillers such as yellow and red ochre, lead white, zinc white, barium white, chrome yellow and green chrome are among the identified pigments. This is the first time the palette used by Giorgio Marini was identified, helping to chara...

Clay-based pigments are among the most traditional. Unlike other mineral pigments, they have never been fully replaced by synthetic analogues and are still used in painting today. Since their analysis requires a specific approach, detailed distinction of clay pigments has never been a part of routine chemical-technological research in fine arts—regardless of a great potential of clay minerals for determining regional provenance of the material. This review article maps and summarizes research on clay pigments in historical paintings that has been systematically pursued by authors since the beginning of this millennium. This rallying and interconnection of knowledge was an opportunity for a new reflection on the common aspects of these research projects, either methodological or interdisciplinary, since these findings are closely related to art-historical evaluation of artworks. It offers a comprehensive insight into the microanalysis of clay pigments with using powder X-ray micro-di...

Bark cloth ('tapa/kapa') is a fabric made from beaten plant fibres. In the Pacific tapa made of paper mulberry has been of great cultural importance and its use is associated with both utilitarian and ceremonial contexts. In the 19th century, traditional bark cloth was largely replaced by Western cloth. On some islands, tapa making was banished with the arrival of missionaries and Christianization. This is the case for the Gambier Islands in French Polynesia. Only a few tapa pieces from this island group survive and are held in Museum collections. In this work, we present results of the analysis of a bark cloth bundle discovered at the Te Ana o te Tetea cave on Agakauitai in the Gambier Archipelago. The bundle was made up of large and small strips of thin tapa, with some watermarks left by the beaters. Associated with the tapa, were a piece of wood and cordage. A few of the bark cloth samples showed symmetrical black lines along some of the folds. This paper presents the results of a number of analyses performed on the bark cloth bundle from this island with the aim of determining its age, if the decorations were man-made and the plant species used for its manufacture. Samples were dated by Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) and the designs were analyzed by portable X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and Scanning Electron Microscopy-Energy Dispersive Xray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX) for elemental characterization. Raman spectroscopy was also performed in order to assess the chemical nature of pigments. These analyses allow us to conclude that the finds date to the pre-European contact period for this island group and that these lines can be attributed to manmade designs. In addition, genetic analysis of the ribosomal region were performed to identify the species used in its manufacture, which indicate that the plant used to make the tapa cloth was Broussonetia papyrifera or paper mulberry. The availability of new genetic sequencing techniques allow for new and very sensitive analyses of archaeological material that require careful handling from the beginning in order to avoid sample contamination.

This paper presents the analytical characterisation of a series of paintings authored by Giorgio Marini (1836-1905) from the Museum of Évora. Marini was an Italian painter who lived in Portugal in the 19 century. He was a very prolific painter and his works, most of them portraits commissioned by urban and rural bourgeois and noble elites, are dispersed all over the country. The general good conservation state of most paintings prevented the collection of micro-samples for detailed study. Hence, material identification of the painting materials was performed primarily by XRF, given its non-destructive and non-invasive nature, and it was complemented when possible by auxiliary techniques optical microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and SEM-EDX. Pigments and fillers such as yellow and red ochre, lead white, zinc white, barium white, chrome yellow and green chrome are among the identified pigments. This is the first time the palette used by Giorgio Marini was identified, helping to characte...

Archaeometry is an interdisciplinary research area involved in the development and use of scientific methods in order to answer questions concerned with the human history. In this way the knowledge of archaeological objects through advanced chemical and physical analyses permits a better preservation and conservation of the cultural heritage and also reveals materials and technologies used in the past. In this sense, analytical techniques play an important role in order to provide chemical information about cultural objects. Considering the non destructive characteristic of this study, analytical techniques must be adequate in order to prevent any alteration or damage and in addition to allow the conservation of their integrity. Taking into account the irreplaceable character of the archaeological and artistic materials considered in this study, analytical techniques must be adequate in order to prevent any alteration or damage and in addition to allow the conservation of their integrity. Total Reflection X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometry as a geometric variant of conventional X-ray fluorescence is a proved microanalytical technique considering the small amount of sample required for the analysis. A few micrograms are enough in order to reveal valuable information about elemental composition and in this context it is highly recommended for artwork studies. In this paper a case study is presented in which Total Reflection X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometry has been successfully employed in the archaeometry field. Examples from Argentinean cultural heritage sites related with the determination of pigments in paintings on canvas and in rock sites as well as in underwater archaeology research are shown.

Archaeometry is an interdisciplinary research area involved in the development and use of scientific methods in order to answer questions concerned with the human history. In this way the knowledge of archaeological objects through advanced chemical and physical analyses permits a better preservation and conservation of the cultural heritage and also reveals materials and technologies used in the past. In

Exoplanet discovery has made remarkable progress, with the first rocky planets having been detected in the central star’s liquid water habitable zone. The remote sensing techniques used to characterize such planets for potential habitability and life rely solely on our understanding of life on Earth. The vegetation red edge from terrestrial land plants is often used as a direct signature of life, but it occupies only a small niche in the environmental parameter space that binds life on present-day Earth and has been widespread for only about 460 My. To more fully exploit the diversity of the one example of life known, we measured the spectral characteristics of 137 microorganisms containing a range of pigments, including ones isolated from Earth’s most extreme environments. Our database covers the visible and near-infrared to the short-wavelength infrared (0.35–2.5 µm) portions of the electromagnetic spectrum and is made freely available from biosignatures.astro.cornell.edu. Our res...

Chemical and microscopical analyses were undertaken of samples from the rock painting sites Azcona (El Bolsón) in Rio Negro Province and Campo Moncada 1(Valle de Piedra Parada) and Cerro Pintado (Cholila) in Chubut Province, Argentina by the Canadian Conservation Institute. Representative microsamples were removed from rock paintings and substrate rock to investigate the pigments and any mineral accretions present. Analysis by x-ray microanalysis (scanning electron microscopy) and x-ray microdiffraction revealed the presence of hematite, lepidocrocite and green earth (celadonite or glauconite) pigments as well as calcium oxalates (whewellite structure).

Recognized around the world, the distinctive black, red and blue or green designs created by the Haida and Tlingit of the Northwest Coast of North America are iconographic of these cultures (fig. 1). As important and informative as the traditions of carving and weaving, the use of color as well as the materials, tools, and methods of making and applying paint need to be identified and correctly integrated with what we already know about the Haida and Tlingit cultures of the Northwest Coast to provide a more comprehensive picture of the past. The roles played within these cultures by the colors and materials on artifacts can be revealed more comprehensively when we understand the significance of specific materials. The study of color use, and pigment and paint technology, can provide new insights into the complex critical thinking and technical skills of individual artists, as well as the Haida and Tlingit cultures from which they came. Identifying specific pigments can provide valuable information relating to prov-enance and authorship of artifacts and helps us identify sibling artifacts. We are better able to conserve the artifacts we hold according to the materials with which they are made if we have a full understanding of all those materials. Investigating the reasons for using specific colors such as blue, and the materials that make those colors, gives us new descriptive and interpretive information about daily life, sociopolitical standards, cultural practices, worldviews, and cosmologies of the Haida and Tlingit. While for two hundred years almost every other aspect of Haida and Tlingit life has been studied and remarked, references to the significance of color and the materials

Exoplanet discovery has made remarkable progress, with the first rocky planets having been detected in the central star's liquid water habitable zone. The remote sensing techniques used to characterize such planets for potential habitability and life rely solely on our understanding of life on Earth. The vegetation red edge from terrestrial land plants is often used as a direct signature of life, but it occupies only a small niche in the environmental parameter space that binds life on present-day Earth and has been widespread for only about 460 My. To more fully exploit the diversity of the one example of life known, we measured the spectral characteristics of 137 microorganisms containing a range of pigments, including ones isolated from Earth's most extreme environments. Our database covers the visible and near-infrared to the short-wavelength infrared (0.35–2.5 μm) portions of the electromagnetic spectrum and is made freely available from biosignatures. astro.cornell.edu. Our results show how the reflectance properties are dominated by the absorption of light by pigments in the visible portion and by strong absorptions by the cellular water of hydration in the infrared (up to 2.5 μm) portion of the spectrum. Our spectral library provides a broader and more realistic guide based on Earth life for the search for surface features of extraterrestrial life. The library, when used as inputs for modeling disk-integrated spectra of exoplanets, in preparation for the next generation of space-and ground-based instruments, will increase the chances of detecting life. biosignatures | spectral library | reflectivity | extremophiles | pigments I n the last decade, the field of exoplanet research has transi-tioned rapidly from detection to detection and characterization , with the first rocky exoplanets detected in the central star's liquid water habitable zone. Much of the excitement of this research in both the astrobiology community and the general public is motivated by the quest to discover a second genesis of life. The great distances that separate us from even the most nearby stars dictate that all measurements of the exoplanet must be made through remote sensing techniques for the foreseeable future. Thus, it is critical for us to determine the types of bio-signatures that we should be looking for when designing the next generation of ground-and space-based instruments that will observe these planets at high spectral and possibly spatial resolutions. Since the mid-1960s a primary life-searching strategy has been to look for a specific combination of an oxidizing and a reducing gas in the exoplanetary atmosphere, such as the O 2 and CH 4 in our atmosphere, because this is a thermodynamically unstable situation suggesting that an active agent such as life is responsible for the chemical disequilibrium (1, 2). Of particular interest, both from an observational and modeling perspective, is to complement those indirect life detection studies with surface features that are direct properties of the organisms themselves (3). Although there is a considerable knowledge base of the spectral properties of land plants (4, 5), very little information is present in the literature on the reflectance properties of microorganisms. Land plants are widespread on present-day Earth and are easily detected from high-resolution spacecraft observations (6). However, they occupy only a small niche in the environmental parameter space that brackets known terrestrial life. Additionally, land plants have been widespread on Earth for only about 460 My (7), whereas much of the history of life has been dominated by single-celled microbial life. Within the prokaryotic and eukaryotic microbes there is a far greater diversity of pigmentation than in land plants. For this reason, any hypotheses about extraterrestrial life based solely on land plants ignore much of the diversity of known life. To develop a more representative library of terrestrial spectra we produced a digital spectral library that provides high-resolution hemispherical reflectance measurements for 137 phylogenetically diverse microorganisms from the visible and near-infrared (VNIR, 0.35–1.0 μm) to the short-wavelength infrared (SWIR, 1.0–2.5 μm) regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. The library is made available from biosignatures.astro.cornell.edu. One approach when searching for life on exoplanets is to explore the range of pigmentation types that have evolved on this Earth. To examine the widest possible environmental range for life on Earth to inform our search we have chosen to include a diversity of extremophiles, organisms that live and thrive under conditions that make it challenging for a carbon-based organism using water as a solvent to survive (8). At the same time, we are cognizant of the fact that extremophiles are phylogenetically diverse and are unlikely to show spectral signatures not found among other pigmented organisms. Thus, we present reflectance spectra of organisms possessing a wide range of pigmentation but Significance We develop the first catalogue, to our knowledge, of reflectance spectra for a diverse range of pigmented microorganisms, including ones that were isolated from Earth's most extreme environments. This catalogue provides a broad scope of surface signatures for life on exoplanets, which could provide different conditions from those on Earth, allowing, for example, extrem-ophiles on Earth to become the predominant life form. Much of the history of life on Earth has been dominated by microbial life, and it is likely that life on exoplanets evolves through single-celled stages prior to multicellular creatures. Here, we present the first database, to our knowledge, for such surface features in preparation for the next generation of space-and ground-based telescopes that will search for a wide variety of life on exoplanets.

Many recent studies of cultural inheritance have focused on small-scale craft traditions practised by single individuals, which do not require coordinated participation by larger social collectives. In this paper, we address this gap in the cultural transmission literature by investigating diversity in the vernacular architecture of the Pacific northwest coast, where communities of hunter -fisher -gatherers constructed immense wooden long-houses at their main winter villages. Quantitative analyses of long-house styles along the coastline draw on a range of models and methods from the biological sciences and are employed to test hypotheses relating to basic patterns of macro-scale cultural diversification, and the degree to which the transmission of housing traits has been constrained by the region's numerous linguistic boundaries. The results indicate relatively strong branching patterns of cultural inheritance and also close associations between regional language history and housing styles, pointing to the potentially crucial role played by language boundaries in structuring largescale patterns of cultural diversification, especially in relation to 'collective' cultural traditions like housing that require substantial inputs of coordinated labour.

This thesis considers the Nuu-chah-nulth and Kwakwaka’wakw testimonies before the Royal Commission on Indian Affairs for the Province of British Columbia (1913-1916).  To objectively analyze these testimonies content analysis was employed.  Some issues considered by Aboriginal testifiers were land additions, Aboriginal title, local education, health care, non-traditional economic activities, and non-Native territorial expansion.  The importance of these issues is similar for the Nuu-chah-nulth and Kwakwaka’wakw and the primary concern is additional lands. 

A comparison with Naneen Stuckey’s 1981 study of the Tsimshian testimonies reveals a relatively high similarity of concerns among these Nations, although the Nuu-chah-nulth and Kwakwaka’wakw are more similar to each other than either is to the Tsimshian.

By considering the Aboriginal testimonies one gains an understanding of the important issues and the First Nation perspective earlier this century.  Given the significance of Aboriginal issues in British Columbia today, this provides an important historical background.

A "manifest content analysis" of testimonies before the Royal Commission on Indian Affairs for the Province of British Columbia (1913-1916) by Kwakwaka'wakw, Nuu-chah-nulth and Tsimshian people shows that many of the themes and concerns voiced then continue as major themes and concerns to Aboriginal negotiators today. There was a strong desire both to secure access and control of the traditional resource base and to secure opportunities to participate in the contemporary British Columbia economy.

The presence of numerous orange, violet, red or red brown lumps of raw pigments is a very common characteristic of the deposits and destruction layers of the extensive Middle Bronze Age settlement that has come to light during the most recent excavations of the 22nd Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities, to the south and southwest of the known Late Bronze Age settlement at Ialysοs on Rhodes. This paper presents the results of physicochemical analysis (observation and microanalysis with SEM-EDX, XRD and FTIR spectroscopy) of selected samples, revealing the composition of the raw pigments material and their manufacturing technology. Significant information is gained on an important aspect of the technology and its evolution during this period, which until recently was regarded as one of the darkest periods of the prehistoric Aegean.

Chapter published in BAR S2780 Proceedings of the 6th Symposium of the Hellenic Society for Archaeometry,
Edited by E. Photos-Jones in collaboration with Y. Bassiakos, E. Filippaki, A. Hein, I. Karatasios, V. Kilikoglou and E. Kouloumpi.
British Archaeological Reports Ltd; 9781407314303; 2016. Order Online: www.barpublishing.com

As part of a course on the technology of wall paintings, mosaics, and rock art, students are investigating different pigments and techniques used throughout history for painting murals and other surfaces. Their first assignment is to research different recipes on how ancient and historic pigments were made and then try to replicate them in the lab.

Maya Blue is an unusual blue pigment consisting of a clay-organic complex of indigo and the unusual clay mineral palygorskite (also called attapulgite). Used on pottery, sculpture and murals from the Preclassic to the Late Colonial Period largely in Mesoamerica, blue was the color of sacrifice and ritual. Did the palygorskite used to make Maya Blue come from a restricted source in Yucatán like Shepard, Arnold, Arnold and Bohor believed, or did it come from widespread sources like Littmann argued? This article reports the results of a pilot study comparing INAA and LA-ICP-MS analysis of 33 samples of palygorskite collected from different parts of the Maya area. These data reveal that it is possible to discriminate source locations of the mineral, and that it should be possible to determine whether the palygorskite used to make Maya Blue came from widespread sources or was traded widely from a single or small number of sources.

One of the most dramatic exhibits at the American Museum is the assemblage of figure sculptures that stand in the large ceremonial Haida canoe on exhibit in the 77th Street lobby. This life group depicts individuals from several Northwest Coast tribes, intended as an opportunity to portray the cultural diversity of the Northwest Coast peoples and to display replicas of some of the great artworks made for these ceremonial occasions. The cumulative effects of damages, repairs, and the general deterioration that results from 80 years on display led to our decision to undertake major restoration of the entire group.

A collaborative project, Documentación y Preservación del Arte Rupestre Argentino, was initiated by the Instituto Nacional de Antropología y Pensamiento Latinoamericano in 1994. This report describes the project generally and then focuses on analyses of samples from two rock painting sites in Patagonia, Argentina: Cueva de las Manos (a World Heritage Site) and Cerro de los Indios. Representative microsamples were removed from rock paintings and substrate rock to investigate pigments, substrate preparation, mineral accretions, and other physical aspects of the sites. Analyses were done using light microscopy, x-ray microanalysis (scanning electron microscopy), x-ray microdiffraction, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Pigments identified were red earth (hematite: α-Fe2O3), yellow earth (goethite: (α-FeOOH), manganese oxide black (pyrolusite: β-MnO2), green earth (celadonite or glauconite), maghemite (γ-Fe2O3), as well as gypsum, kaolin, quartz, and other minor ancillary minerals. Colored material excavated at an archaeological site at Cerro de los Indios was also analyzed for comparison.

An analytical study of First Nations painted objects from the Northwest Coast showed that green earth (celadonite) was used as a green pigment by Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian artists. Green earth appears to have been used less frequently by Heiltsuk and Kwakwaka’wakw artists and was not found on Coast Salish or Nuu-chah-nulth objects. Microscopical samples of green paint from 82 Northwest Coast objects, as well as several pigment sources and mineral specimens, were analysed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy or X-ray diffraction. Green earth was the most frequently identified green pigment, found in approximately 40% of the samples.