The ceramics of Malpaís of Zacapu, Michoacán, Mexico, during the Early and Middle Postclassic periods (900–1450 AD): Micro-chemical characterization of surface paintings

Elsa Jadot (1, 2) , Nick Schiavon (3) , Marta Manso (4)

1 ArchAm - Archéologie des Amériques
2 CEMCA UMIFRE16 - Centre d'études mexicaines et centroaméricaines
3 HERCULES - Laborarorio HERança CULtural, Estudos e Salvaguarda
4 LIBPhys-UNL - Laboratorio de Instrumentaçao, Engenharia Biomédica e Fisica da Radiaçao

Tarascan ceramic sherds from two Postclassical archaeological sites (900–1450 AD) at the Malpaís of Zacapu, Michoacán, Mexico, were investigated by combining Back-Scattered Scanning Electron Microscopy and Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (BSEM-EDS), μ-X-Ray Diffractometry (μ-XRD), μ-X-ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy (μ-XRF) and μ-Raman Spectroscopy. These sherds are famous for their forms and decorations although the composition of its raw materials remains so far unknown and focused only on the composition of the ceramic paste. For the purpose of surface decoration characterization, the pigments used in slips and paintings were identified as hematite, magnetite, amorphous carbon, graphite and lignite. Furthermore chemical and molecular structure determination allowed the identification of technological aspects such as the firing temperatures and atmospheres used in ceramics production.

Mots clés: μ-XRF; Tarascan ceramics; μ-Raman; μ-XRD; BSEM-EDS

Domaines: Archéologie et Préhistoire

Elsa Jadot, Nick Schiavon, Marta Manso. The ceramics of Malpaís of Zacapu, Michoacán, Mexico, during the Early and Middle Postclassic periods (900–1450 AD): Micro-chemical characterization of surface paintings. XXXIXe Colloquium Spectroscopicum Internationale, Aug 2018, Figueira da Foz, Portugal. 2015. ⟨hal-01818607⟩