Studies on Pigments for Ancient Ceramics and Glass Using X-ray Methods

Abstract

Study of ancient ceramics and glassy objects using nuclear methods can reveal details regarding the provenance of the artefacts and manufacturing techniques. For the present work, several analytical techniques were used: in vacuum 3 MeV protons PIXE (Particle Induced X-ray Emission) at Bucharest Tandem accelerator, 241Am source based XRF (X-Ray Fluorescence), powder XRD (X-Ray Diffraction), external 2.85 MeV protons combined PIXE – PIGE (Proton Induced Gamma-ray Emission) – RBS (Rutherford Backscattering) at Rossendorf Tandem accelerator. Some compositional results on black, brown, red and white pigments of various Neolithical ceramics objects from Romanian sites, especially for Cucuteni culture, in relation with provenance aspects are presented. Some conclusions on the painting procedure for Byzantine (XI-XIII Centuries) glass bracelets found in South-Eastern Romania are discussed.