The application of micro-Raman for the analysis of ochre artefacts from Mesolithic palaeo-lake Flixton

TY - JOUR

T1 - The application of micro-Raman for the analysis of ochre artefacts from Mesolithic palaeo-lake Flixton

AU - Croft, Shannon

AU - Kröger, Roland

AU - Robson, Harry K.

AU - Rowley, Charlotte C.A.

AU - Taylor, Barry

AU - Jones, Amy Gray

AU - Conneller, Chantal

AU - Needham, Andrew

N1 - © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. This is an author-produced version of the published paper. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher’s self-archiving policy.

PY - 2018/2/1

Y1 - 2018/2/1

N2 - Ochre is an important mineral pigment used by prehistoric hunter-gatherers across the globe, and its use in the Mesolithic is no exception. Using optical microscopy and Raman spectroscopy with micrometre spatial resolution (micro-Raman), we present evidence that confirms unambiguously the use of ochre by hunter-gatherers at Mesolithic sites surrounding Palaeo-Lake Flixton, Vale of Pickering, North Yorkshire, UK. Our results suggest that people collected ochre and processed it in different ways, likely for diverse purposes. The quality and specificity of chemical characterisation possible with micro-Raman facilitates new avenues for further research on ochreous materials in Britain, including provenancing through chemical ‘fingerprinting’.

AB - Ochre is an important mineral pigment used by prehistoric hunter-gatherers across the globe, and its use in the Mesolithic is no exception. Using optical microscopy and Raman spectroscopy with micrometre spatial resolution (micro-Raman), we present evidence that confirms unambiguously the use of ochre by hunter-gatherers at Mesolithic sites surrounding Palaeo-Lake Flixton, Vale of Pickering, North Yorkshire, UK. Our results suggest that people collected ochre and processed it in different ways, likely for diverse purposes. The quality and specificity of chemical characterisation possible with micro-Raman facilitates new avenues for further research on ochreous materials in Britain, including provenancing through chemical ‘fingerprinting’.

KW - Mesolithic

KW - hunter-gatherers

KW - haematite

KW - ochre

KW - reflected visible light microscopy

KW - Raman microspectroscopy

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85038809963&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.jasrep.2017.12.002

DO - 10.1016/j.jasrep.2017.12.002

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85038809963

SN - 2352-409X

VL - 17

SP - 650

EP - 656

JO - Journal of Archaeological Science Reports

JF - Journal of Archaeological Science Reports

ER -