Trace element analysis of ochre for modern and prehistoric pigment source use patterns

现代和史前颜料来源使用模式的赭石微量元素分析

基本信息

批准号：
1561176
负责人：
Andrew Zipkin
金额：
$ 4.52万
依托单位：
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
依托单位国家：
美国
项目类别：
Standard Grant
财政年份：
2016
资助国家：
美国
起止时间：
2016-03-15 至 2017-10-31
项目状态：
已结题

来源：
https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1561176&HistoricalAwards=false
关键词：
Trace element analysis ochre modern

项目摘要

Dependence on symbolism to communicate information and mark identities is an essential attribute of modern humans. The use of red and yellow ochre pigments for symbolic purposes is among the most widespread and persistent of human cultural behaviors. However, the study of archaeological ochre has been hindered by ambiguity over how to interpret this iron-based pigment in the absence of obvious symbolic applications such as cave or rock art. This project combines archaeological, geological, and ethnographic methods to investigate prehistoric through modern use of ochre pigments. The investigators have already conducted interviews with the Maasai and Samburu peoples of Kenya, many of whom still use ochre in their daily lives, and identified outcrops of ochre minerals that these groups exploit for symbolic and functional purposes. Geochemical techniques proven to be effective at telling apart ochre from different sources will be used to analyze samples collected from ochre deposits, and to match them to paint samples from rock art sites and ochre artifacts from archaeological sites in the region. This project will refine minimally destructive methods that can be used to analyze the composition of ochre and other iron-containing materials for anthropological, geological, materials science, and forensic applications. Improving techniques for determining the geographic and geologic origin of ochre pigments and related materials has significant implications for identifying looted heritage items and forgeries. The project will also provide opportunities for public science education via museum outreach, international collaborations, and mentoring in the STEM sciences for underrepresented minority students. Recent discoveries of ochre pigments from Stone Age archaeological sites have shed light on the great temporal depth of human symbolic behavior. Our understanding of the evolutionary significance and potentially the meaning of ancient symbolism using pigments has been enhanced by novel geochemical techniques for provenance studies of ochre, particularly minimally destructive trace element fingerprinting by Inductively Coupled Plasma - Mass Spectrometry. The project builds on improvements in this method over the last decade by creating a database of trace element and stable isotope (strontium, lead, and iron) fingerprints for ochre sources currently or recently used by inhabitants of the Kenya Rift Valley. The Maasai and Samburu are among the few remaining peoples in East Africa with active rock art and ochre self-adornment traditions. They present the best opportunity for studying how modern humans interact with their geologic environment for symbolic purposes. Once completed, the source database will be used to determine the geologic provenance of ochre artifacts and rock art paints of Stone Age through recent origin that were sampled during field and museum research. This will allow for investigation of hypotheses about symbolically mediated versus least-cost (nearest source) models of mineral deposit exploitation, transport and trade of ochre pigments, and preferential use of specific pigment colors. In addition, the source fingerprint database will be made freely available online for other scientists to use in their own research upon completion of the project.

依赖象征主义传达信息和标记身份是现代人类的重要属性。将红色和黄色ocher色素用于象征性目的是人类文化行为的最广泛和持续的。然而，在没有明显的象征性应用（例如洞穴或岩石艺术）的情况下，如何解释这种基于铁的色素的方法阻碍了考古ocher的研究。该项目结合了考古，地质和人种学方法，通过现代使用Ocher颜料来研究史前。调查人员已经对肯尼亚的Maasai和Samburu人民进行了采访，其中许多人仍在日常生活中使用Ocher，并确定了Ocher矿物的露头，这些群体这些群体用于象征性和功能目的。被证明可有效地告诉ocher的地球化学技术将用于分析从Ocher沉积物中收集的样品，并匹配它们以从该地区的考古遗址绘制岩石艺术遗址的样品和Ocher文物。该项目将完善可用于分析人类学，地质，材料科学和法医应用的其他含铁和其他含铁材料组成的最小破坏性方法。改进确定Ocher色素和相关材料的地理和地质起源的技术对识别掠夺的遗产和伪造物具有重要意义。该项目还将通过博物馆外展，国际合作以及为代表性不足的少数族裔学生提供公共科学教育的机会。石器时代考古遗址的Ocher色素的最新发现揭示了人类象征行为的巨大时间深度。通过新颖的地球化学技术，我们对Ocher的出处研究增强了我们对进化意义的理解以及使用色素的古代象征意义的理解，尤其是通过电感耦合等离子体 - 质谱法进行的微小破坏性的痕量元素指纹。在过去十年中，该项目通过为Ocher来源创建痕量元素和稳定的同位素（锶，铅和铁）指纹的数据库来建立该方法的改进。 Maasai和Samburu是东非剩下的少数人，具有活跃的摇滚艺术和Ocher的自我支持传统。他们提供了研究现代人类如何出于象征目的与地质环境互动的最佳机会。完成后，源数据库将用于确定ocher文物和石器时代的岩石艺术油漆的地质出处，并在现场和博物馆研究中进行采样。这将允许研究有关象征性介导的矿物沉积剥削，ocher颜料运输和贸易的假设以及最不可能的（最近的源）模型，以及优先使用特定颜料的颜色。此外，源指纹数据库将在网上免费提供，以便其他科学家在项目完成后自己的研究中使用。