THE ORIGIN AND GEOCHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF RED OCHRES FROM THE TITO BUSTILLO AND MONTE CASTILLO CAVES (NORTHERN SPAIN)* |
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| Authors: | E IRIARTE A FOYO M A SÁNCHEZ C TOMILLO J SETIÉN |
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| Institution: | 1. Instituto Internacional de Investigaciones Prehistóricas de Cantabria, E.T.S. Ingenieros de Caminos, Canales y Puertos, Universidad de Cantabria, Avda. Los Castros s/n, 39005 Santander, Spain;2. Dpto. Ciencias e Ingeniería del Terreno y los Materiales, E.T.S. Ingenieros de Caminos, Canales y Puertos, Universidad de Cantabria, Avda. Los Castros s/n, 39005 Santander, Spain |
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| Abstract: | Ochres were the most common source materials for pigments used in Palaeolithic rock art paintings. This work analyses the petrographic and geochemical signatures of different ochre samples from outcrops inside Tito Bustillo Cave and the Monte Castillo Caves using the most common techniques (petrography, XRD, SEM–EDS and ICP–MS) in archaeological pigment characterization studies. The results obtained permit the identification and characterization of the different source ochre types and, furthermore, allow the establishment of mineralogical and geochemical proxies for the study of questions related to ochre characterization, formation processes and provenance. |
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| Keywords: | OCHRE RED PIGMENTS PETROGRAPHY GEOCHEMISTRY X‐RAY DIFFRACTION (XRD) SEM– EDS ICP– MS RARE EARTH ELEMENTS (REE) TITO BUSTILLO CAVE MONTE CASTILLO CAVES |
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