EDXRF study of Tupi-Guarani archaeological ceramics.

Abstract

A set of indian Brazilian pottery fragments belonging to Tupi-Guarani tradition has been studied by an archaeometric non-destructive technique. The pottery fragments were accidentally discovered in the Santa Dalmacia farm, sited near Cambé city at the north of Paraná Brazilian state. Each one of these fragments came from different ceramic recipients and their physical characteristics are very similar. The EDXRF measurements were performed employing both an X-ray tube and three radioisotope sources (Fe, Cd and Pu). The compositional data of the ceramics paste and pigments is investigated. For detection of the elements within the ceramic paste, the fragments were irradiated at the center of the lateral section, while several superficial areas with remaining plastic decoration were also chosen and irradiated at the convex and concave sides of each fragment. A paste-subtracted compositional data of the remaining pigments was statically extracted from the XRF analysis of each area. A program based on the graphic polygonal representation method was developed and used to correlate the representative intensity data of each fragment.