Raman spectroscopic study of 3000-year-old human skeletal remains from a sambaqui, Santa Catarina, Brazil

• Published in: Journal of Raman spectroscopy Vol. 32; no. 1; pp. 17 - 22
• Main Authors: Edwards, H. G. M., Farwell, D. W., de Faria, D. L. A., Monteiro, A. M. F., Afonso, M. C., De Blasis, P., Eggers, S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chichester, UK John Wiley & Sons, Ltd 01.01.2001
• ISSN: 0377-0486; 1097-4555
• DOI: 10.1002/1097-4555(200101)32:1<17::AID-JRS658>3.0.CO;2-1

A Raman spectroscopic study of red‐pigmented human bones from a 3000‐year‐old sambaqui burial was undertaken for the first time. Visible (633 nm) and near‐infrared (1064 nm) excitation were used to characterize the pigment and its substrate; the red pigment is haematite, iron(III) oxide, which proved to be of a pure form and for which no previous heat treatment processing had been adopted. There is clear evidence in heavily pigmented areas of a ‘limewash’ layer which had been applied to the body of the deceased prior to treatment with ochre. Comparisons made with previous Raman studies of archaeological bone from a separate excavation indicate that mineralization of the present specimens is well advanced, with evidence of calcium carbonate incorporation into the hydroxyapatite phosphatic matrix. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.