[Aztlan] DISCOVERY AND CHARACTERIZATION OF AN UNKNOWN BLUE-GREEN MAYA PIGMENT: VESZELYITE

[Mario Cabrejos]

Archaeometry
Volume 50 Issue 4, Pages 658 - 667
Published Online: 31 Jan 2008

DISCOVERY AND CHARACTERIZATION OF AN UNKNOWN BLUE-GREEN MAYA PIGMENT: VESZELYITE
R. GARCIA MORENO 1Rg.moreno at ulg.ac.be ?, F. MATHIS 1 , V. MAZEL 2 , M. DUBUS 2 , T. CALLIGARO 2 and D. STRIVAY 1 
  1 Centre Européen d'Archéométrie de l'Université de Liège (CEA-ULg), Sart Tilman, Bat. B5, 4000 Liege, Belgium 
  2 Centre de Recherche et de Restauration des Musées de France (C2RMF), Quai François Mitterrand, Palais du Louvre, 75001, Paris, France 

ABSTRACT

Blue-green mosaic and polychrome masks and funerary offerings from the royal tombs of Calakmul, Mexico, were analysed by scanning electron microscope equipped with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and particle induced X-ray emission (PIXE). This led to the first identification of the use of veszelyite, a rare hydrated copper-zinc phosphate, as green pigment. Analyses of a geological sample of this mineral have been done to confirm the characterization of this Mayan pigment, which might help determine pre-Columbian trade routes of precious and luxury objects in the ancient Maya Classic period (ad 250-800).