| Launch：2022-05-19 |
The "scientific and technological archaeology" currently being talked about generally includes two levels: one is "archaeological science and technology", that is, some scientific and technological means or methods used in archaeological exploration, excavation and research, such as ground penetrating radar, geographic information systems, remote sensing and aerial photography; the second is "disciplinary archaeology", such as metallurgical archaeology, animal archaeology and agricultural archaeology, that is, the use of archaeological excavation data to conduct research on the history of ancient science and technology, and is characterized by the use of modern scientific detection methods, with the development of scientific instruments and the depth of intersection of different disciplines. More and more modern analytical instruments have been added to the research of "disciplinary archaeology", such as scanner transmission electron microscopy, hyperspectral analyzer, micro-area X-ray fluorescence analyzer, optical spectrum analyzer and so on.
As a member of scientific and technological archaeology, Raman spectroscopy can react to material composition information from the molecular level, and its advantages of low sample demand, non-destructive, and rapid detection have attracted the attention of more and more archaeological experts and scholars. As a relatively "novel" technology, Raman spectroscopy has been preliminarily studied and applied in different types of archaeological artifacts, including: ceramics, ancient pigments, stone artifacts, metal artifacts, textiles and plant fibers, resins, waxes, organic residues, biological materials, etc.
Recently, we have launched a series of work around the identification and identification of pigments on ancient artworks. Pigments on ancient artworks were analytically tested using scientific-grade Raman spectroscopy equipment (as shown in the figure below) and the relevant results were further discussed.
Scientific grade Raman spectroscopy equipment for pigment detection
The wavelength of the scientific grade 532nm laser Raman spectroscopy equipment used is scattered light that can cover 0~3500cm-1, the diameter of the detection spot is in the μm level, the amount of pigment is less than 1μg, and rapid detection can be carried out directly without pre-sample preparation, as shown in the following figure.
Sample test process diagram
The experimental results show that the 532nm Raman spectroscopy equipment successfully detected the Raman spectra of pigments on ancient artworks (as shown below), and its green pigment composition was identified as stone green, and the sample consumption of this experiment was very small, which could reach the scientific research level.
Raman spectra of stone green in pigments
The stone green detected in the experiment, also known as malachite, is named because its color resembles the green color of the spots on the peacock feathers, and was widely used as a green pigment in ancient China, and malachite was used as a green pigment in many places in the Mural paintings of the Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang. The use of Raman spectroscopy to study the production process of pigments and other ancient artworks is a beneficial way to explore, enrich the research method of the production process, make the analysis of the production process more comprehensive.It is of great significance for further exploring the painting techniques and artistic value of ancient artworks, the history of restoration and the later protection and restoration.
The experimental results showed that the scientific research-grade Raman spectroscopy equipment independently developed by Oceanhood can provide an efficient analysis method for scientific and technological archaeology, which is very suitable for the identification of ancient artworks, pigments and related components of ancient tomb murals.
It is believed that with the understanding of the application of Raman spectroscopy in archaeology, Raman spectroscopy analysis technology will play an important role in the research of precious cultural relics around the world.
