Romano‐egyptian Red Lead Pigment
A Subsidiary Commodity of Spanish Silver Mining and Refinement
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 8352378 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Marc Walton (0000-0002-4436-3546, Getty Conservation Institute, corresponding author), M S WALTON, Karen Trentelman (0000-0002-2125-6166, Getty Conservation Institute) |
| Year | 2009 |
| Volume | 51 |
| Issue | 5 |
| Pages | 845-860 |
| Publication date | 2009-10-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Archaeometry (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0003-813X • E-ISSN: 1475-4754 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1111/j.1475-4754.2008.00440.x |
| OpenAlex | W1970046178 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 14 |
| References cited | 24 |
Samples of red pigment from a group of seven Roman‐period Egyptian mummies, known as red‐shroud mummies, are investigated. Elemental analysis by inductively coupled plasma time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry (ICP–TOFMS) shows that the samples contain mostly Pb (83–92% by weight), along with 0.2–2.0% Sn. All of the samples are found to have similar trace element distributions when normalized to the continental crust, suggesting that they share a common geological origin. Lead isotope ratios are found to match the mixed lead sources typically associated with Rio Tinto, Spain – a site extensively mined for silver during the first century ad . Raman microspectroscopy identifies the major phase of each sample to be red lead (Pb 3 O 4 ) with a minor phase of lead tin oxide (Pb 2 SnO 4 ). Lead tin oxide does not occur naturally, and its incidental occurrence within the sample indicates that the material was heated under oxidative conditions at temperatures in excess of 650°C. In archaeological contexts, the high‐temperature oxidative treatment of lead is typically associated with metallurgical refinement processes such as cupellation. Based on this evidence, it is argued that the pigment was produced out of litharge associated with silver cupellation at the Rio Tinto site
Archaeology · Cassiterite · Geochemistry · Geography · Lead (geology) · Metallurgy · Mineralogy · Pigment · Tin · Trace element · Building materials and conservation · Chemistry · Conservation Techniques and Studies · Cultural Heritage Materials Analysis · Geology · Materials Science · Paleontology
Evidence for the trade of Mesopotamian and Egyptian glass to Mycenaean Greece
Pigments—Lead-based whites, reds, yellows and oranges and their alteration phases
Analysis and Conservation of Two Post-Pharaonic Burial Shrouds in the Collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum
Characterization of grounds, pigments, binding media, and varnish coating of the Angel Michael' icon, 18th century, Egypt
Provenancing ancient pigments
Chemical characterization of black and red inks inscribed on ancient Egyptian papyri
Mints not Mines
Cinnabar provenance of Chalcolithic red pigments in the Iberian Peninsula
Unraveling the mummy's shroud
Pretia Victoriae or Just an Occasional Bonus? Analysis of Iron Age Lead Artefacts from the Somerset Lake Villages
A Roman Egyptian Painting Workshop
Lead isotope analysis of Meroitic period glass from Nubia with LA‐MC‐ICP‐MS
Esparto crafting under empire
Two centuries of painted plasters from the Lateran suburban villa (Rome)
De re metallica
Library of FT-Raman spectra of pigments, minerals, pigment media and varnishes, and supplement to existing library of Raman spectra of pigments with visible excitation
Litharge from Laurion. A medical and metallurgical commodity from South Attika
Trace element discriminants between Egyptian and Mesopotamian Late Bronze Age glasses
Evidence for glass ‘recycling’ using Pb and Sr isotopic ratios and Sr-mixing lines
The Roman Denarius Under the Julio‐claudian Emperors
Lead Isotope Data From the Isotrace Laboratory, Oxford
Lead Isotope Data From the Isotrace Laboratory, Oxford
Application of Lead Isotope Analysis to a Wide Range of Late Bronze Age Egyptian Materials
Lead Isotope Data From the Isotrace Laboratory, Oxford
The Determination of Lead Isotope Ratios by Multiple Collector Icp‐Ms
The origins of Byzantine glass from Maroni Petrera, Cyprus
Discovery, Production and Use of Tin‐based Opacifiers in Glasses, Enamels and Glazes From the Late Iron Age Onwards
Isotope Studies of Ancient Lead
| Unique citing works | 14 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0.82 |
| Citation span | 2009 - 2026 (18) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 13 |