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The pigments were important in the funerary customs of the ancient Maya. They could be introduced as an offering inside the tombs or burials, and were also used to wrap the dead bodies, as if it were a funeral shroud. In the tombs and burials of royalty and high social classes the use of pigments for this purpose is well documented, and physicochemical studies are focused on their identification. This scientific contribution shows the results obtained when analyzing two reddish pigmenting materials from the grave goods of the tomb 19 of the archaeological site of Rio Azul, (Guatemalan Department of Petén), using a multi-technique approach including microscopy, diffraction, spectroscopic, electrochemical and chromatographic techniques. The results have enabled the identification of the inorganic and organic materials composing these pigmenting materials found in a ceramic posthumous offering dish and further discussion mainly has been focused on the geological source of the inorganic materials and the possible origin of the organic matter accompanying these two pigmenting materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The present paper reports the chemical data obtained on samples of pigmenting materials contained in 31 miniature vessels found in a burial found in Teopancazco, a multiethnic neighborhood center located in the southeastern sector of the archaeological site of Teotihuacan (Central Mexico) and the analytical protocol established for the complete characterization of these archaeological materials. For this purpose a multi-technique approach based on the combination of several non destructive and micro-destructive instrumental techniques, namely, light microscopy (LM), scanning electron microscopy-X-ray microanalysis (SEM–EDX), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), voltammetry of microparticles (VMP), X-ray microdiffraction (μXRD), X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV–Vis spectrophotometry, FTIR spectroscopy and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) has been developed in an attempt to completely characterize these materials. These instrumental techniques provide reliable and complementary data including elemental and mineralogical composition, identification of functional groups as well as speciation studies of electroactive species. Among the most relevant findings, volcanic pyroclastic rocks and clayey soils, most probably, from the Teotihuacan valley as well as galena, jarosite and mica from other provenances in Mesoamerica, have been identified. Charcoal and Ocote resin have also been identified. The chemical composition of the samples is discussed with a view to the possible function as cosmetic materials and their use in funerary rites. The results have been critically compared with those others obtained in other ancient civilizations. The study carried out on the materials found in the burial 105 is especially relevant insofar it represents the first evidence, scientifically characterized, of the use of cosmetics in Mesoamerica at this early period (AD 200–550). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The study and the characterisation of modern and contemporary oil paintings is still a challenging issue, in particular considering the significant changes in paint production across the 19th and 20th centuries. This paper presents the results of the first physico-chemical integrated study of the artistic materials used in six paintings from the School of Art and Higher Design of Valencia (Escola d'Art i Superior de Disseny, EASD-Valencia), artworks created between 1871 and 1943 by four famous Valencian artists: Salustiano Asenso Arozarena, Salvador Abril I Blasco, Enrique Navas Escuriet and José Bellver Delmás. A wide range of inorganic and organic compounds was identified through a multi-analytical approach by means of visible reflectance spectroscopy, XRF, μ-Raman, FTIR and GC–MS. The investigation on the binding media suggests the use of commercial paint formulations including mixtures of drying, slow- and non-drying oils and the presence of Gum Arabic as well. Traditional pigments (such as vermillion, earth pigments, lead white) and modern pigments (such as zinc white, cobalt and chromium-based pigments) were identified together with fillers and extenders. Degradation products, in particular zinc and lead soaps having strong conservation implications, were also detected. This work, focusing on the identification of the palettes and the binding media used by the selected artists, aims at providing meaningful data and interesting case studies that are useful beyond the Valencian painters solely. This study provides new insight into the use of 19th–20th century commercial oil paints and the selection of painters' palette and their artistic production techniques. Besides, this work highlights the necessity of a multi-analytical approach to obtain valuable information for documentation and preventive conservation. Unlabelled Image • New insights into the knowledge of the composition of modern oil paints. • First holistic spectroscopic study on 19th–20th century Valencian painters. • Suitability of complementary non-invasive and micro-invasive analyses on modern paintings have been demonstrated. • The use of complex lipid mixtures in commercial paint formulations has been found. • The identification of pigments and fillers in Valencian artists' palettes are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Identifying indigoid compounds in archaeological Maya blue. [•] Clarifying the multicomponent composition of Maya blue. [•] Chemometric analysis carried out by using the set of Py-GC–MS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Analytical studies using extraction/liquid chromatography, pyrolysis–silylation gas chromatography–mass spectrometry, visible and infrared spectroscopies, solid state voltammetry and electron microscopy on a set of spherical greenish pellets discovered in the Structure 4H1 of the ancient Maya site of La Blanca (Peten Department, Guatemala), dated in the Terminal Classic period, confirm the presence of indigoids (dehydroindigo, indigo) associated to palygorskite. The appearance of such pieces, whose origin and function is uncertain, but most likely correspond to residuals of a decorative plaster, can be considered as indicative of the use of Maya Blue in a quotidian context, thus suggesting that the materials used for Maya Blue preparation where used not only in ritual contexts. This would be consistent with the idea that the Mayas could make a versatile use of such materials and that their symbolic value could vary with time during the evolution of Maya culture. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]