In situ x-ray fluorescence analysis of rock art paintings along the coast and valleys of the atacama desert, northern chile

• MARCELA SEPÚLVEDA ^[1] ; SEBASTIAN GUTIERREZ ^[1] ; JOSÉ CARCAMO ^[1] ; ADRIAN OYANEDER ^[1] ; DANIELA VALENZUELA ^[2] ; INDIRA MONTT ^[3] ; CALOGERO M SANTORO ^[4]
  1. [1] Universidad de Tarapacá Departamento de Antropología Laboratorio de Análisis e Investigaciones Arqueométricas
  2. [2] Universidad Alberto Hurtado Departamento de Antropología
  3. [3] Universidad Católica del Norte Instituto de Investigaciones Arqueológicas y Museo
  4. [4] Universidad de Tarapacá Instituto de Alta Investigación

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• Localización: Journal of the Chilean Chemical Society (Boletín de la Sociedad Chilena de Química), ISSN-e 0717-6309, ISSN 0366-1644, Vol. 60, Nº. 1, 2015, págs. 2822-2826
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • Results of exploratory in situ analyses with a portable X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) applied to six rock painting sites, located from Lluta to Camarones coastal valleys in the Atacama Desert, northern Chile, are presented. The results indicate the use of iron oxide as a main component in all paintings, alone or combined with aluminum silicate. Arsenic, a component highly present in water in the region, was also identified, indicating the use of water as a possible binder or thinner. These output allow unraveling painting technology, a step forward to define and understand the stylistic variability of rock art (engravings and paintings) in the context of the social changes and continuities of prehistoric communities. Additionally, it illustrates the effectiveness of portable XRF, a non-destructive analytical tool, applied for the first time in the Atacama Desert.