Analytical results allow to study the artistic evolution occurred during the time in different cultures, to determine the authenticity of artifacts, to evidence the presence of earlier restorations and to suggest guidelines for a conservation policy. A non-destructive approach and the use of portable instruments devoted to the determination of the chemical and mineralogical composition of pigments, are mandatory when the analysis concerns painted artifacts of high-artistic or high-historical value, that can-not be moved from their safe-keeping places. This work illustrates the combined use of the portable PIXE-alpha and XRD non-destructive techniques developed at the LANDIS laboratory of Catania (Italy) for the compositional and mineralogical characterization of the painted Hellenistic pottery manufactured in the area of Centuripe (Sicily) in the period III-II century B.C. PIXE-alpha technique, due to its limited penetration depth, is optimal for the elemental analysis of the painted layer. Atomic species detected in the PIXE spectra, are used as chemical filter for the analysis of the diffraction pattern measured by the use of the XRD system. Finally, the mineral phases identified by XRD, allow to define the matrix composition to be used for the quantitative calculation of the PIXE data. This way concentration values of the mineral pigments are possible. The investigation on the polychromatic pottery of Centuripe was focused to the analysis of different shades of colors (pink, brown, white, blue, yellow, red). Analytical results supported the archaeological studies, allowing to identify both original materials and earlier restorations present in some of the investigated artifacts.
Combined use of portable PIXE-alpha and portable XRD techniques for the non-destructive compositional and mineralogical characterization of polychromatic Hellenistic pottery
2013
Abstract
Analytical results allow to study the artistic evolution occurred during the time in different cultures, to determine the authenticity of artifacts, to evidence the presence of earlier restorations and to suggest guidelines for a conservation policy. A non-destructive approach and the use of portable instruments devoted to the determination of the chemical and mineralogical composition of pigments, are mandatory when the analysis concerns painted artifacts of high-artistic or high-historical value, that can-not be moved from their safe-keeping places. This work illustrates the combined use of the portable PIXE-alpha and XRD non-destructive techniques developed at the LANDIS laboratory of Catania (Italy) for the compositional and mineralogical characterization of the painted Hellenistic pottery manufactured in the area of Centuripe (Sicily) in the period III-II century B.C. PIXE-alpha technique, due to its limited penetration depth, is optimal for the elemental analysis of the painted layer. Atomic species detected in the PIXE spectra, are used as chemical filter for the analysis of the diffraction pattern measured by the use of the XRD system. Finally, the mineral phases identified by XRD, allow to define the matrix composition to be used for the quantitative calculation of the PIXE data. This way concentration values of the mineral pigments are possible. The investigation on the polychromatic pottery of Centuripe was focused to the analysis of different shades of colors (pink, brown, white, blue, yellow, red). Analytical results supported the archaeological studies, allowing to identify both original materials and earlier restorations present in some of the investigated artifacts.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
