The use of a portable X-ray fluorescence spectrometer revealed the provenance of a shard of a rel... more The use of a portable X-ray fluorescence spectrometer revealed the provenance of a shard of a relief-cut glass bowl which was dedicated to ancient ritual on the sacred island of Okinoshima, Japan over a thousand years ago. The shard was unearthed from one of the ritual sites on the island in the 1950s and is now designated as a national treasure in Japan. A nondestructive and on-site X-ray fluorescence analytical technique was applied to the Okinoshima glass shard to establish where and when it was originally manufactured based on its chemical composition. Clear correspondence of chemical composition between the shard and glass excavated from a Sasanian city site in Mesopotamia demonstrated that the shard was derived from a type of glassware primarily produced in glass workshops within the Sasanian Empire between the fifth and seventh centuries AD. This is the first scientific evidence demonstrating that glass was imported from overseas across thousands of kilometers and then dedicated for the ritual on Okinoshima Island. This simultaneously gives us a glimpse of the specific details of divine rituals conducted on Okinoshima Island in ancient times.
To investigate the chemical compositional features of pigments used in archaeological mural paint... more To investigate the chemical compositional features of pigments used in archaeological mural paintings and paintings of art, this paper proposes a semi-quantitative analytical method involving the X-ray fluorescence spectrum obtained by nondestructive and on-site analysis. The method calculates the abundance of elements as weight per unit of area (g·cm−2) based on the peak intensity detected on the XRF spectrum. To verify the utility of the method proposed in actual application to cultural heritage and art, we carried out nondestructive and onsite X-ray fluorescence analysis of mural paintings of the tomb of Khonsuemheb at al-Khokha Area, in Egypt using a portable X-ray fluorescence spectrometer. Our method revealed the commonality of locality of raw materials used for two different colors of earth pigments, red ocher and yellow ocher. We have confirmed that bronze (Cu-Sn alloy) of similar composition was recycled as a raw material for two synthetic pigments containing Cu, Egyptian Blue and Egyptian Green.
Researchers in Gyeongju National Museum of Korea and Okayama Orient Museum in Japan conducted a j... more Researchers in Gyeongju National Museum of Korea and Okayama Orient Museum in Japan conducted a joint research on some important ancient glass vessels and beads housed in Gyeongju National Museum. Abe Yoshinari in Tokyo University of Science and Madoka Murakushi in the University of Tsukuba were in charge of the analysis of chemical compositions on the glass vessels and glass beads respectively. Also, with the help of Conservation Science Division in National Museum of Korea, CT scans on the glass vessels were carried out. Finds are that a cobalt blue glass vessel and a glass bowl with cut-design excavated in the northern tomb of Hwangnamdaechong and a cobalt blue glass bowl unearthed in the tomb No. 4 of Angye-ri village are categorized as natron glass with low K2O and MgO. It is also found that a blue-colored glass vessel excavated in the southern tomb of Hwangnamdaechong is classified into the plant-ash glass group in Central Asia with high K2O.
Dariali the Caspian Gates in the Caucasus from Antiquity to the Age of the Huns and the Middle Ages, 2020
A total of 212 pieces of glass fragments from Dariali Fort were scientifically analysed and class... more A total of 212 pieces of glass fragments from Dariali Fort were scientifically analysed and classified into 12 compositional types by means of non-destructive X-ray fluorescence analysis. Twenty-eight pieces of plant ash glass and a piece of lead silicate glass were identified as imports, manufactured in Islamic territories, although some fragments were possibly recycled. Sixty-six pieces, including ten fragments of glass bangles, showed a characteristic composition, with a higher content of alumina, which suggests that they might be related to Byzantine Anatolian glass. The remaining 117 pieces of vessel glass are possibly local products made in Georgia or the surrounding area. Our scientific investigation of this glass has, therefore, demonstrated the import of glass products from both the Islamic world and Byzantine Anatolia into Georgia and raised the interesting possibility of large-scale glass production, using various colourants, in Georgia or the wider Transcaucasus region; although further verification focusing on production technique is needed. Especially, as pointed out above, quantification of light elements (B and Li) of these glasses will be necessary to evaluate the possibility that their raw material(s) were derived from borate deposits in Western Anatolia.
Nondestructive X-ray fluorescence analytical techniques were applied to three Shōsōin-style hemis... more Nondestructive X-ray fluorescence analytical techniques were applied to three Shōsōin-style hemispherical facet-cut glass cups from a collection of the Tenri University Sankokan Museum. A the results, it was revealed that two pieces of the cups have a chemical composition typical of natron glass, that is, typical Roman/post-Roman glassware, in contrast to another cup that was regarded as a Sasanian glassware made using a plant ash. These two natron glass cups were classified into two different compositional types of Roman/post-Roman glass produced in different periods. It is interesting that a piece of the cups which has a relatively thin wall was subdivided into a compositional type manufactured during the early stage of imperial Roman Period (first to second centuries AD). Based on these scientific results, we regard the thin wall-type of facet-cut natron glass cup as a "prototype" of Shōsōin-style facet-cut glass cups produced in the Sasanian Empire during the fifth and seventh centuries. The prototype could have been manufactured before the third century at the Mediterranean region and brought to the east side of the Euphrates.
Variscite is a green, lustrous mineral similar to turquoise. While both variscite and turquoise a... more Variscite is a green, lustrous mineral similar to turquoise. While both variscite and turquoise are aluminumbearing, hydrated phosphate minerals, variscite contains no copper. We applied three kinds of portable analytical instruments to a nondestructive, on-site analysis of Late Bronze Age (LBA) artifacts excavated from a royal tomb at Qatna, Syria, including a portable micro-Raman spectrometer, an X-ray powder diffractometer, and an X-ray fluorescence spectrometer. Variscite was positively identified as the raw material for a number of items from the Qatna tomb. Our analytical result is the first scientific evidence of the use of variscite for personal ornaments during the LBA in the Middle East. Because differentiating between variscite and turquoise is difficult with the naked eye, it is possible that variscite artifacts were misidentified as turquoise among Middle Eastern LBA items excavated from other archaeological sites.
"Copper-red" is a technique used to provide red color by the reduction firing of Cu-bearing glass... more "Copper-red" is a technique used to provide red color by the reduction firing of Cu-bearing glass. To reveal the production techniques of copper-red glass in ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia during the second millennium BC, nondestructive X-ray analytical techniques, X-ray fluorescence analysis and X-ray absorption near-edge structure analysis, were applied to archaeological copper-red glass artifacts produced in these regions. As the results, Cu2O micro-crystal was commonly identified as a coloring agent for both ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia, although added amount of Cu showed obvious difference between ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. In the case of Mesopotamian copper-red glass, Pb was also added intentionally to encourage the melting of an excess amount of Cu colorant into the glass matrix. Two difference thermal reducing agents, Sn and Sb, were identified in ancient Egyptian and Mesopotamian copper-red glass artifacts, respectively. It is thus concluded that individual production techniques to make copper-red glass using different raw materials and recipes were developed and used in ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia during the second millennium BC, the earliest stage of copper-red glass production.
In 1964, a fragment of a colorless facet-cut glass vessel was collected at the Kamigamo Shrine, l... more In 1964, a fragment of a colorless facet-cut glass vessel was collected at the Kamigamo Shrine, located in Kyoto, which was the capital city of Japan from late 8th century AD through the mid-19th century AD. X-ray fluor-escence analytical techniques were applied to this fragment in a nondestructive manner with the aim of scientific provenancing based on its chemical compositional features. It was found that, the chemical composition of the fragment closely matched that of one compositional group in Sasanian glass which was characterized by the use of a pure silica source and magnesia-rich plant ash as the raw materials. Given the discoveries of facet-cut glassware from the region of the Sasanian Empire that are very similar to this fragment, it is concluded that the primary production and possibly subsequent production processes (i.e., secondary production and a facet-cut decoration) of this glass were carried out at the Sasanian glass workshops. This study is the second case of an investigation that has identified a specific provenance of one of the few glass vessels introduced into ancient Japan through the Silk Road.
This article examines the morphological and compositional variations of faience objects
collected... more This article examines the morphological and compositional variations of faience objects collected from a number of Indus sites in the Ghaggar Valley. While no clear‐cut variation was observed, the results exhibit homogenous features in the styles and production of faience objects that characterize the Urban and Post‐Urban Indus periods in the Ghaggar Valley.
X-ray fluorescence analytical techniques were applied to two pieces of glass fragments because th... more X-ray fluorescence analytical techniques were applied to two pieces of glass fragments because they are believed to be sampled from two pieces of important glassware, a facet-cut bowl and a deeply-blue colored dish, excavated from Niizawa Senzuka Tumulus No.126, Nara, Japan (late fifth century). Two different provenances were estimated as primary production area for the two glass fragments. One fragment has a chemical composition being a good match with that of Sasanian glass excavated at Veh Ardašīr in central Iraq. Conversely, composition of another fragment is consistent with common blue-green colored Roman glass manufactured during the imperial period. If these glass fragments are actually identical to the ancient glassware excavated from Nara, our results can provide scientific evidence how various cultures were introduced to and accepted by ancient Japan. Concomitantly, they are also evidence of an extremely widespread Silk Road trading from the Mediterranean and West Asia to the Far East of Japan during the 1st millennium AD.
A portable X-ray powder diffractometer (p-XRD) PT-APXRD III has been developed for on-site analys... more A portable X-ray powder diffractometer (p-XRD) PT-APXRD III has been developed for on-site analysis of paintings and archaeological samples. By using a Cu anode X-ray tube and a silicon drift diode (SDD) detector, diffraction patterns with a high signal-noise (S/N) ratio can be recorded. The X-ray tube can be operated at a maximum voltage of 60 kV, which makes it possible to simultaneously record X-ray fluorescence spectra up to the high-energy region. The total weight of this instrument is 16 kg, which can be carried anywhere and the goniometer unit (5.6 kg) can be placed on a tripod for analysis of mural paintings. We brought the instrument to the Rijksmuseum in the Netherlands to examine its applicability for the analysis of oil paintings. We successfully analyzed two seventeenth-century oil paintings by Johannes Vermeer and Jan Davidsz de Heem (copy after). Ultramarine blue, lead-tin yellow type I, and Naples yellow were identified from the diffraction patterns, demonstrating the high practicality of this instrument. Furthermore, it was found from the SEM-EDX analysis of a paint cross section that the yellow pigment was applied in separate layers rather than being mixed. This diffractometer will be commercially available in the near future and will have many applications in the field of material analysis.
We have developed a portable X-ray powder diffractometer suitable for analysis of paintings. The ... more We have developed a portable X-ray powder diffractometer suitable for analysis of paintings. The diffractometer is composed of − type goniometer, light weight MAGPROTM X-ray tube and SDD. We can change X-ray tube from Cu to Cr, easily. 60 kV X-ray tube is suitable for XRF analysis utilizing white X-rays from high energy exciting source. Thus, we can obtain diffraction data and XRF data from the same sample point. We obtained a chance to analyze painting of Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849) using this diffractometer and demonstrated the performance of the new diffractometer. We brought a set of portable analytical instruments necessary for analysis of paintings to Hokusaikan in Obuse, Nagano: i.e. X-ray powder diffractometer, X-ray f luorescence spectrometer, Raman spectrometer, infrared camera, and conducted nondestructive onsite analysis of the paintings. The analyzed samples include the ceiling painting “Onami” and “Menami” (1845) drawn by Hokusai in his eighties and the pair of hanging scroll “Kikuzu”(1840-1849). First, focusing on blue pigments, we succeeded in identifying multiple blue pigments, including Prussian blue. Analysis of the yellow pigment used in “Kiku-zu” revealed the use of As-S glass, an artificial new yellow pigment, just developed in Europe at that time, was identified and offering a new knowledge from the art historical point of view. Furthermore, we have revealed use of multiple red colors showing attractive coloration. It was proved scientifically that Hokusai was drawing vivid colors by using various colorants.
The purpose of the present study is to construct a nation-wide forensic soil database, which allo... more The purpose of the present study is to construct a nation-wide forensic soil database, which allows for the identification of soil evidence based on heavy element and heavy mineral signatures determined by two synchrotron radiation (SR) X-ray techniques, i.e., a high-energy synchrotron radiation X-ray fluorescence analysis and a synchrotron-radiation X-ray powder diffraction analysis, respectively. The heavy element and heavy mineral compositions of the stream sediments collected at 3024 points located all over Japan were measured by the two SR X-ray techniques. The present paper focuses on a regional characterization of the sediments collected from the Hokkaido areas. The concentrations of heavy elements and heavy minerals in the Hokkaido areas were visualized as maps that enable us to compare the heavy element and heavy mineral compositions with the geological context of the samples. Based on a hierarchical cluster analysis using the semi-quantitative compositions of the heavy minerals, we could successfully classify the sediments into six groups corresponding to their background geologies. A Bonferroni multiple comparison demonstrated that these six groups also have significant differences in the heavy element composition. From these examinations, we could demonstrate that detailed regional identification of unknown samples is possible by analyzing both heavy element and heavy mineral compositions of each sample.
This paper reports on how the application of macro X-ray fluorescence (MA-XRF) imaging, in combin... more This paper reports on how the application of macro X-ray fluorescence (MA-XRF) imaging, in combination with the re-examination of existing paint cross-sections, has led to the discovery of a new pigment in Rembrandt’s palette: artificial orpiment. In the NWO Science4Arts ‘ReVisRembrandt’ project, novel chemical imaging techniques are being developed and applied to the study of Rembrandt’s late paintings in order to help resolve outstanding questions and to gain a better understanding of his late enigmatic painting technique. One of the selected case studies is the Portrait of a Couple as Isaac and Rebecca, known as ‘The Jewish Bride’, dated c. 1665 and on view in the Rijksmuseum. During the re-installation of the Rijksmuseum in 2013, the picture was scanned using the Bruker M6 Jetstream MAXRF scanner. The resulting elemental distribution maps made it possible to distinguish many features in the painting, such as bone black remains of the original hat (P, Ca maps), and the now discolored smalt-rich background (Co, Ni, As, K maps). The arsenic (As) map also revealed areas of high-intensity in Isaac’s sleeve and Rebecca’s dress where it could be established that it was not related with the pigment smalt that also contains arsenic. This pointed to the presence of a yellow or orange arsenic-containing pigment, such as realgar or orpiment that is not associated with the artist’s palette. Subsequent examination of existing paint cross-sections from these locations taken by Karin Groen in the 1990s identified isolated, almost perfectly round particles of arsenic sulfide. The round shape corresponds with published findings on a purified form of artificial orpiment glass obtained by dry processing, a sublimation reaction. In bright field, the particles characteristically exhibit a dark cross in the middle caused by internal light reflections. The results of additional non-invasive techniques (portable XRD and portable Raman) are discussed, as well as the implications of this finding and how it fits with Rembrandt’s late experimental painting technique.
The use of a portable X-ray fluorescence spectrometer revealed the provenance of a shard of a rel... more The use of a portable X-ray fluorescence spectrometer revealed the provenance of a shard of a relief-cut glass bowl which was dedicated to ancient ritual on the sacred island of Okinoshima, Japan over a thousand years ago. The shard was unearthed from one of the ritual sites on the island in the 1950s and is now designated as a national treasure in Japan. A nondestructive and on-site X-ray fluorescence analytical technique was applied to the Okinoshima glass shard to establish where and when it was originally manufactured based on its chemical composition. Clear correspondence of chemical composition between the shard and glass excavated from a Sasanian city site in Mesopotamia demonstrated that the shard was derived from a type of glassware primarily produced in glass workshops within the Sasanian Empire between the fifth and seventh centuries AD. This is the first scientific evidence demonstrating that glass was imported from overseas across thousands of kilometers and then dedicated for the ritual on Okinoshima Island. This simultaneously gives us a glimpse of the specific details of divine rituals conducted on Okinoshima Island in ancient times.
To investigate the chemical compositional features of pigments used in archaeological mural paint... more To investigate the chemical compositional features of pigments used in archaeological mural paintings and paintings of art, this paper proposes a semi-quantitative analytical method involving the X-ray fluorescence spectrum obtained by nondestructive and on-site analysis. The method calculates the abundance of elements as weight per unit of area (g·cm−2) based on the peak intensity detected on the XRF spectrum. To verify the utility of the method proposed in actual application to cultural heritage and art, we carried out nondestructive and onsite X-ray fluorescence analysis of mural paintings of the tomb of Khonsuemheb at al-Khokha Area, in Egypt using a portable X-ray fluorescence spectrometer. Our method revealed the commonality of locality of raw materials used for two different colors of earth pigments, red ocher and yellow ocher. We have confirmed that bronze (Cu-Sn alloy) of similar composition was recycled as a raw material for two synthetic pigments containing Cu, Egyptian Blue and Egyptian Green.
Researchers in Gyeongju National Museum of Korea and Okayama Orient Museum in Japan conducted a j... more Researchers in Gyeongju National Museum of Korea and Okayama Orient Museum in Japan conducted a joint research on some important ancient glass vessels and beads housed in Gyeongju National Museum. Abe Yoshinari in Tokyo University of Science and Madoka Murakushi in the University of Tsukuba were in charge of the analysis of chemical compositions on the glass vessels and glass beads respectively. Also, with the help of Conservation Science Division in National Museum of Korea, CT scans on the glass vessels were carried out. Finds are that a cobalt blue glass vessel and a glass bowl with cut-design excavated in the northern tomb of Hwangnamdaechong and a cobalt blue glass bowl unearthed in the tomb No. 4 of Angye-ri village are categorized as natron glass with low K2O and MgO. It is also found that a blue-colored glass vessel excavated in the southern tomb of Hwangnamdaechong is classified into the plant-ash glass group in Central Asia with high K2O.
Dariali the Caspian Gates in the Caucasus from Antiquity to the Age of the Huns and the Middle Ages, 2020
A total of 212 pieces of glass fragments from Dariali Fort were scientifically analysed and class... more A total of 212 pieces of glass fragments from Dariali Fort were scientifically analysed and classified into 12 compositional types by means of non-destructive X-ray fluorescence analysis. Twenty-eight pieces of plant ash glass and a piece of lead silicate glass were identified as imports, manufactured in Islamic territories, although some fragments were possibly recycled. Sixty-six pieces, including ten fragments of glass bangles, showed a characteristic composition, with a higher content of alumina, which suggests that they might be related to Byzantine Anatolian glass. The remaining 117 pieces of vessel glass are possibly local products made in Georgia or the surrounding area. Our scientific investigation of this glass has, therefore, demonstrated the import of glass products from both the Islamic world and Byzantine Anatolia into Georgia and raised the interesting possibility of large-scale glass production, using various colourants, in Georgia or the wider Transcaucasus region; although further verification focusing on production technique is needed. Especially, as pointed out above, quantification of light elements (B and Li) of these glasses will be necessary to evaluate the possibility that their raw material(s) were derived from borate deposits in Western Anatolia.
Nondestructive X-ray fluorescence analytical techniques were applied to three Shōsōin-style hemis... more Nondestructive X-ray fluorescence analytical techniques were applied to three Shōsōin-style hemispherical facet-cut glass cups from a collection of the Tenri University Sankokan Museum. A the results, it was revealed that two pieces of the cups have a chemical composition typical of natron glass, that is, typical Roman/post-Roman glassware, in contrast to another cup that was regarded as a Sasanian glassware made using a plant ash. These two natron glass cups were classified into two different compositional types of Roman/post-Roman glass produced in different periods. It is interesting that a piece of the cups which has a relatively thin wall was subdivided into a compositional type manufactured during the early stage of imperial Roman Period (first to second centuries AD). Based on these scientific results, we regard the thin wall-type of facet-cut natron glass cup as a "prototype" of Shōsōin-style facet-cut glass cups produced in the Sasanian Empire during the fifth and seventh centuries. The prototype could have been manufactured before the third century at the Mediterranean region and brought to the east side of the Euphrates.
Variscite is a green, lustrous mineral similar to turquoise. While both variscite and turquoise a... more Variscite is a green, lustrous mineral similar to turquoise. While both variscite and turquoise are aluminumbearing, hydrated phosphate minerals, variscite contains no copper. We applied three kinds of portable analytical instruments to a nondestructive, on-site analysis of Late Bronze Age (LBA) artifacts excavated from a royal tomb at Qatna, Syria, including a portable micro-Raman spectrometer, an X-ray powder diffractometer, and an X-ray fluorescence spectrometer. Variscite was positively identified as the raw material for a number of items from the Qatna tomb. Our analytical result is the first scientific evidence of the use of variscite for personal ornaments during the LBA in the Middle East. Because differentiating between variscite and turquoise is difficult with the naked eye, it is possible that variscite artifacts were misidentified as turquoise among Middle Eastern LBA items excavated from other archaeological sites.
"Copper-red" is a technique used to provide red color by the reduction firing of Cu-bearing glass... more "Copper-red" is a technique used to provide red color by the reduction firing of Cu-bearing glass. To reveal the production techniques of copper-red glass in ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia during the second millennium BC, nondestructive X-ray analytical techniques, X-ray fluorescence analysis and X-ray absorption near-edge structure analysis, were applied to archaeological copper-red glass artifacts produced in these regions. As the results, Cu2O micro-crystal was commonly identified as a coloring agent for both ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia, although added amount of Cu showed obvious difference between ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. In the case of Mesopotamian copper-red glass, Pb was also added intentionally to encourage the melting of an excess amount of Cu colorant into the glass matrix. Two difference thermal reducing agents, Sn and Sb, were identified in ancient Egyptian and Mesopotamian copper-red glass artifacts, respectively. It is thus concluded that individual production techniques to make copper-red glass using different raw materials and recipes were developed and used in ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia during the second millennium BC, the earliest stage of copper-red glass production.
In 1964, a fragment of a colorless facet-cut glass vessel was collected at the Kamigamo Shrine, l... more In 1964, a fragment of a colorless facet-cut glass vessel was collected at the Kamigamo Shrine, located in Kyoto, which was the capital city of Japan from late 8th century AD through the mid-19th century AD. X-ray fluor-escence analytical techniques were applied to this fragment in a nondestructive manner with the aim of scientific provenancing based on its chemical compositional features. It was found that, the chemical composition of the fragment closely matched that of one compositional group in Sasanian glass which was characterized by the use of a pure silica source and magnesia-rich plant ash as the raw materials. Given the discoveries of facet-cut glassware from the region of the Sasanian Empire that are very similar to this fragment, it is concluded that the primary production and possibly subsequent production processes (i.e., secondary production and a facet-cut decoration) of this glass were carried out at the Sasanian glass workshops. This study is the second case of an investigation that has identified a specific provenance of one of the few glass vessels introduced into ancient Japan through the Silk Road.
This article examines the morphological and compositional variations of faience objects
collected... more This article examines the morphological and compositional variations of faience objects collected from a number of Indus sites in the Ghaggar Valley. While no clear‐cut variation was observed, the results exhibit homogenous features in the styles and production of faience objects that characterize the Urban and Post‐Urban Indus periods in the Ghaggar Valley.
X-ray fluorescence analytical techniques were applied to two pieces of glass fragments because th... more X-ray fluorescence analytical techniques were applied to two pieces of glass fragments because they are believed to be sampled from two pieces of important glassware, a facet-cut bowl and a deeply-blue colored dish, excavated from Niizawa Senzuka Tumulus No.126, Nara, Japan (late fifth century). Two different provenances were estimated as primary production area for the two glass fragments. One fragment has a chemical composition being a good match with that of Sasanian glass excavated at Veh Ardašīr in central Iraq. Conversely, composition of another fragment is consistent with common blue-green colored Roman glass manufactured during the imperial period. If these glass fragments are actually identical to the ancient glassware excavated from Nara, our results can provide scientific evidence how various cultures were introduced to and accepted by ancient Japan. Concomitantly, they are also evidence of an extremely widespread Silk Road trading from the Mediterranean and West Asia to the Far East of Japan during the 1st millennium AD.
A portable X-ray powder diffractometer (p-XRD) PT-APXRD III has been developed for on-site analys... more A portable X-ray powder diffractometer (p-XRD) PT-APXRD III has been developed for on-site analysis of paintings and archaeological samples. By using a Cu anode X-ray tube and a silicon drift diode (SDD) detector, diffraction patterns with a high signal-noise (S/N) ratio can be recorded. The X-ray tube can be operated at a maximum voltage of 60 kV, which makes it possible to simultaneously record X-ray fluorescence spectra up to the high-energy region. The total weight of this instrument is 16 kg, which can be carried anywhere and the goniometer unit (5.6 kg) can be placed on a tripod for analysis of mural paintings. We brought the instrument to the Rijksmuseum in the Netherlands to examine its applicability for the analysis of oil paintings. We successfully analyzed two seventeenth-century oil paintings by Johannes Vermeer and Jan Davidsz de Heem (copy after). Ultramarine blue, lead-tin yellow type I, and Naples yellow were identified from the diffraction patterns, demonstrating the high practicality of this instrument. Furthermore, it was found from the SEM-EDX analysis of a paint cross section that the yellow pigment was applied in separate layers rather than being mixed. This diffractometer will be commercially available in the near future and will have many applications in the field of material analysis.
We have developed a portable X-ray powder diffractometer suitable for analysis of paintings. The ... more We have developed a portable X-ray powder diffractometer suitable for analysis of paintings. The diffractometer is composed of − type goniometer, light weight MAGPROTM X-ray tube and SDD. We can change X-ray tube from Cu to Cr, easily. 60 kV X-ray tube is suitable for XRF analysis utilizing white X-rays from high energy exciting source. Thus, we can obtain diffraction data and XRF data from the same sample point. We obtained a chance to analyze painting of Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849) using this diffractometer and demonstrated the performance of the new diffractometer. We brought a set of portable analytical instruments necessary for analysis of paintings to Hokusaikan in Obuse, Nagano: i.e. X-ray powder diffractometer, X-ray f luorescence spectrometer, Raman spectrometer, infrared camera, and conducted nondestructive onsite analysis of the paintings. The analyzed samples include the ceiling painting “Onami” and “Menami” (1845) drawn by Hokusai in his eighties and the pair of hanging scroll “Kikuzu”(1840-1849). First, focusing on blue pigments, we succeeded in identifying multiple blue pigments, including Prussian blue. Analysis of the yellow pigment used in “Kiku-zu” revealed the use of As-S glass, an artificial new yellow pigment, just developed in Europe at that time, was identified and offering a new knowledge from the art historical point of view. Furthermore, we have revealed use of multiple red colors showing attractive coloration. It was proved scientifically that Hokusai was drawing vivid colors by using various colorants.
The purpose of the present study is to construct a nation-wide forensic soil database, which allo... more The purpose of the present study is to construct a nation-wide forensic soil database, which allows for the identification of soil evidence based on heavy element and heavy mineral signatures determined by two synchrotron radiation (SR) X-ray techniques, i.e., a high-energy synchrotron radiation X-ray fluorescence analysis and a synchrotron-radiation X-ray powder diffraction analysis, respectively. The heavy element and heavy mineral compositions of the stream sediments collected at 3024 points located all over Japan were measured by the two SR X-ray techniques. The present paper focuses on a regional characterization of the sediments collected from the Hokkaido areas. The concentrations of heavy elements and heavy minerals in the Hokkaido areas were visualized as maps that enable us to compare the heavy element and heavy mineral compositions with the geological context of the samples. Based on a hierarchical cluster analysis using the semi-quantitative compositions of the heavy minerals, we could successfully classify the sediments into six groups corresponding to their background geologies. A Bonferroni multiple comparison demonstrated that these six groups also have significant differences in the heavy element composition. From these examinations, we could demonstrate that detailed regional identification of unknown samples is possible by analyzing both heavy element and heavy mineral compositions of each sample.
This paper reports on how the application of macro X-ray fluorescence (MA-XRF) imaging, in combin... more This paper reports on how the application of macro X-ray fluorescence (MA-XRF) imaging, in combination with the re-examination of existing paint cross-sections, has led to the discovery of a new pigment in Rembrandt’s palette: artificial orpiment. In the NWO Science4Arts ‘ReVisRembrandt’ project, novel chemical imaging techniques are being developed and applied to the study of Rembrandt’s late paintings in order to help resolve outstanding questions and to gain a better understanding of his late enigmatic painting technique. One of the selected case studies is the Portrait of a Couple as Isaac and Rebecca, known as ‘The Jewish Bride’, dated c. 1665 and on view in the Rijksmuseum. During the re-installation of the Rijksmuseum in 2013, the picture was scanned using the Bruker M6 Jetstream MAXRF scanner. The resulting elemental distribution maps made it possible to distinguish many features in the painting, such as bone black remains of the original hat (P, Ca maps), and the now discolored smalt-rich background (Co, Ni, As, K maps). The arsenic (As) map also revealed areas of high-intensity in Isaac’s sleeve and Rebecca’s dress where it could be established that it was not related with the pigment smalt that also contains arsenic. This pointed to the presence of a yellow or orange arsenic-containing pigment, such as realgar or orpiment that is not associated with the artist’s palette. Subsequent examination of existing paint cross-sections from these locations taken by Karin Groen in the 1990s identified isolated, almost perfectly round particles of arsenic sulfide. The round shape corresponds with published findings on a purified form of artificial orpiment glass obtained by dry processing, a sublimation reaction. In bright field, the particles characteristically exhibit a dark cross in the middle caused by internal light reflections. The results of additional non-invasive techniques (portable XRD and portable Raman) are discussed, as well as the implications of this finding and how it fits with Rembrandt’s late experimental painting technique.
Progress in Earth and Planetary Science About Articles Submission Guidelines, 2021
The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) accident in March 2011 emitted a considerable a... more The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) accident in March 2011 emitted a considerable amount of radioactive materials. This study isolated radiocesium-bearing microparticles (CsMPs), a form of radioactive materials emitted from the FDNPP at the early stage of the accident, from aerosols collected hourly on filter tapes at seven monitoring stations at the greater Kanto Region, including the Tokyo metropolitan area, on 15 March 2011. The aerosols had a spherical shape~1 μm in diameter with activity of less than 1 Bq of 137 Cs per particle. Their physical and chemical characteristics, including radioactivity ratio 134 Cs/ 137 Cs as well as chemical composition and state, are essentially the same as previously reported CsMPs. This study demonstrated that air parcels containing CsMPs emitted from the FDNPP were widespread over the greater Kanto Region, more than 250 km away from the FDNPP, during the daytime of 15 March. Trajectory analysis indicated that these particles were emitted from the reactor No. 2 of FDNPP between 14 March evening and 15 March early morning. The information obtained on the widespread distribution of CsMPs can be useful for assessing the actual impacts of radioactive contamination from the FDNPP accident on the environment and human health.
Synchrotron radiation (SR) X-ray microbeam analyses revealed the detailed chemical nature of radi... more Synchrotron radiation (SR) X-ray microbeam analyses revealed the detailed chemical nature of radioactive aerosol microparticles emitted during the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) accident, resulting in better understanding of what occurred in the plant during the early stages of the accident. Three spherical microparticles (2 μm, diameter) containing radioactive Cs were found in aerosol samples collected on March 14th and 15th, 2011, in Tsukuba, 172 km southwest of the FDNPP. SR-μ-X-ray fluorescence analysis detected the following 10 heavy elements in all three particles: Fe, Zn, Rb, Zr, Mo, Sn, Sb, Te, Cs, and Ba. In addition, U was found for the first time in two of the particles, further confirmed by U L−edge X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectra, implying that U fuel and its fission products were contained in these particles along with radioactive Cs. These results strongly suggest that the FDNPP was damaged sufficiently to emit U fuel and fission products outside the containment vessel as aerosol particles. SR-μ-XANES spectra of Fe, Zn, Mo, and Sn K−edges for the individual particles revealed that they were present at high oxidation states, i.e., Fe3+, Zn2+, Mo6+, and Sn4+ in the glass matrix, confirmed by SR-μ-X-ray diffraction analysis. These radioactive materials in a glassy state may remain in the environment longer than those emitted as water-soluble radioactive Cs aerosol particles.
Two types of radioactive particles were isolated from environmental samples collected at various ... more Two types of radioactive particles were isolated from environmental samples collected at various distances from the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Station. “Type A” particles are 2–10 mm in diameter and display characteristic Cs X-ray emissions when analyzed using energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDS). “Type B” particles are considerably larger, up to 400 mm in diameter, with Cs concentrations too low to be detectable with EDS. These larger particles were isolated from the region north of the nuclear reactor site, which was contaminated on March 12, 2011. The specific activity of Type B particles is much lower than Type A, and the mean 134Cs/137Cs ratios are ~0.93 and 1.04, respectively. The Type B ratio indicates that power station Unit 1 is the source, implying that these larger radioactive particles were discharged on March 12. This study found that different type of radioactive particles were released not only on March 15 but also on March 12.
Chemical state of cadmium in a hepatopancreas of a scallop (Patinopecten yessoensis) was studied ... more Chemical state of cadmium in a hepatopancreas of a scallop (Patinopecten yessoensis) was studied by means of synchrotron radiation-based X-ray analytical techniques. X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) imaging were used to identify the chemical state and the distribution of cadmium in the hepatopancreas, respectively. The results of in vivo Cd K-edge XAFS suggested that the neighboring atoms of the cadmium in the hepatopancreas are of sulfur. Therefore, we propose that cadmium was accumulated by a metalloprotein with sulfur. Micro XRF imaging of thin sections of the hepatopancreas showed that cadmium is distributed on the surface of intestinal epithelia and concentrated in the internal tissue of the hepatopancreas. These results indicated that scallops accumulate cadmium inside the hepatopancreas through the intestinal epithelium.
This paper reports on the behavior of rare-earth elements (REE) in plants studied by LA-ICP-MS. T... more This paper reports on the behavior of rare-earth elements (REE) in plants studied by LA-ICP-MS. The REE distribution in the leaves of, ‘Athyrium yokoscense ’, could be uccessfully visualized by LA-ICP-MS. The results showed that the LREE and HREE distributions in the leaf of Athyrium yokoscense exhibited two kinds of correlation, depending on the position of the leaf tissues. A semi-quantitative analysis of the REE distribution in a leaf was successfully carried out using in house standard samples prepared by employing cellulose powder.
For the characterization of Japanese sake, the trace-element composition and isotope ratio of the... more For the characterization of Japanese sake, the trace-element composition and isotope ratio of the light elements of the sake (rice wine) were analyzed by means of an inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy/mass spectrometry and isotope ratio mass spectrometry with the aim of chemical characterization of sake related to their origins and grades. The origin of trace elements in sake was investigated by comparing the trace-element composition between sake and water for brewing sake. It was found that the hydrogen stable isotope ratio of sake shows a latitude effect, which is related to that of the river water and groundwater of the surrounding area. Certain trace elements, such as V and Sr, were related to the geological origin of the water source, indicating the region of the brewery. We have discovered that certain trace elements are related to the rise polishing ratio, which determines the quality of Japanese sake, which is hence useful for evaluating the sake’s grade. Specially designated sake (Tokutei meisho-shu) and regular sake (Futsu-shu) could be distinguished by combining the use of the isotope ratios of hydrogen and carbon. Consequently, the present study has demonstrated the effectiveness of trace-element composition and isotope ratio of light elements for the chemical discrimination of factors directly linked to the sales price of Japanese sake, i.e., the rice-polishing ratio, the region of breweries and the addition of brewing alcohol into sake.
Seven radioactive particles were separated from a soil sample collected at the Northwest region o... more Seven radioactive particles were separated from a soil sample collected at the Northwest region of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP). It has been pointed out that the soil is contaminated by radioactive materials emitted from reactor 1 of the FDNPP by the accident that occurred in March, 2011. The physical characteristics of these radioactive particles with –100 μm in diameter and non-uniform shape are clearly different from those of spherical microparticles, known as Cesium-balls, thought to be emitted from the FDNPP reactor 2. Three kinds of synchrotron radiation-based X-ray analyses (X-ray fluorescence analysis, X-ray absorption near edge structure analysis and X-ray diffraction analysis) were nondestructively applied to radioactive particles using a micro-focused X-ray beam at the SPring-8 to investigate their detailed chemical properties. Various elements related to fission products of nuclear fuel and components of the reactor were detected from the particles emitted from the FDNPP reactor 1 with an obvious heterogeneous elemental distribution. In particular, the chemical compositional feature of these particles was characterized by several elements (Sr, Ba etc.), which were easily volatilized in a reducing atmosphere. Although a main component of the particles was identified as silicate glass similar to the Cesium-balls, some crystalline materials were also found in microscopic regions containing Fe and other metallic elements. We concluded that these radioactive particles were emitted from reactor 1 to the atmosphere during 12th to 13th March, 2011. Our results suggest the fact that the nuclear fuel and the reactor vessels around the fuel were melted together at a very early stage of the accident. In addition, it was demonstrated that chemical compositional information of individual radioactive materials can be a new indicator as an alternative to the radioactive ratio to estimate the source of emissions.
The purpose of the present study is to develop a new method for forensic soil analysis by focusin... more The purpose of the present study is to develop a new method for forensic soil analysis by focusing trace element composition of volcanic glass in a soil determined by LA-ICP-MS. First, we have established the LA-ICP-MS analysis of trace-element compositions of the volcanic glass originated from the typical 8 tephra distributed in Japan. We succeeded in discriminating all tephra samples without ambiguity by applying linear discriminant analysis using 6 trace-element compositions of the analyzed volcanic glass shards. Finally, as a case-study experiment, we conducted forensic comparisons of soil samples collected in a certain forest in Japan (Sample A) and those collected in the car (Sample B) used for the collection process of Sample A. According to the trace element analysis of the volcanic glasses contained in each samples, it was estimated that both samples have the same origin. From these observations, we have demonstrated that volcanic glass can be a useful index for soil identification in Japan and LA-ICP-MS analysis is appropriate for this purpose.
Two synchrotron radiation X-ray analyses, i.e., a high-energy synchrotron radiation X-ray fluores... more Two synchrotron radiation X-ray analyses, i.e., a high-energy synchrotron radiation X-ray fluorescence analysis and a synchrotron radiation X-ray powder diffraction analysis, were applied to analyze the heavy element and heavy mineral composition of 362 samples of stream sediments collected in the Kyushu region, Japan, to develop a nation-wide forensic soil sediment database for Japan. The visualization of heavy elements and the heavy mineral composition of stream sediments as distribution maps enables one to understand the behaviors of heavy elements and heavy minerals, as well as correlations with a geological background in the Kyushu region. We found characteristic behaviors of heavy elements in the Kyushu region that have not been found in other regions. To objectively classify the soils in the Kyushu region for the forensic provenance estimations, we successfully introduced a multiple classification analysis and a statistical analysis to characterize soil by their heavy element and heavy mineral compositions. As a result, we could classify the soils into 7 groups corresponding to their geological backgrounds.
The purpose of the present study is to construct a nation-wide forensic soil database, which allo... more The purpose of the present study is to construct a nation-wide forensic soil database, which allows for the identification of soil evidence based on heavy element and heavy mineral signatures determined by two synchrotron radiation (SR) X-ray techniques, i.e., a high-energy synchrotron radiation X-ray fluorescence analysis and a synchrotron-radiation X-ray powder diffraction analysis, respectively. The heavy element and heavy mineral compositions of the stream sediments collected at 3024 points located all over Japan were measured by the two SR X-ray techniques. The present paper focuses on a regional characterization of the sediments collected from the Hokkaido areas. The concentrations of heavy elements and heavy minerals in the Hokkaido areas were visualized as maps that enable us to compare the heavy element and heavy mineral compositions with the geological context of the samples. Based on a hierarchical cluster analysis using the semi-quantitative compositions of the heavy minerals, we could successfully classify the sediments into six groups corresponding to their background geologies. A Bonferroni multiple comparison demonstrated that these six groups also have significant differences in the heavy element composition. From these examinations, we could demonstrate that detailed regional identification of unknown samples is possible by analyzing both heavy element and heavy mineral compositions of each sample.The purpose of the present study is to construct a nation-wide forensic soil database, which allows for the identification of soil evidence based on heavy element and heavy mineral signatures determined by two synchrotron radiation (SR) X-ray techniques, i.e., a high-energy synchrotron radiation X-ray fluorescence analysis and a synchrotron-radiation X-ray powder diffraction analysis, respectively. The heavy element and heavy mineral compositions of the stream sediments collected at 3024 points located all over Japan were measured by the two SR X-ray techniques. The present paper focuses on a regional characterization of the sediments collected from the Hokkaido areas. The concentrations of heavy elements and heavy minerals in the Hokkaido areas were visualized as maps that enable us to compare the heavy element and heavy mineral compositions with the geological context of the samples. Based on a hierarchical cluster analysis using the semi-quantitative compositions of the heavy minerals, we could successfully classify the sediments into six groups corresponding to their background geologies. A Bonferroni multiple comparison demonstrated that these six groups also have significant differences in the heavy element composition. From these examinations, we could demonstrate that detailed regional identification of unknown samples is possible by analyzing both heavy element and heavy mineral compositions of each sample.
We have started the construction of a nationwide forensic soil sediment database for Japan based ... more We have started the construction of a nationwide forensic soil sediment database for Japan based on the heavy mineral and trace heavy element compositions of stream sediments collected at 3024 points all over Japan obtained by high-resolution synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction (SR-XRD) and high-energy synchrotron X-ray fluorescence analysis (HE-SR-XRF). In this study, the performance of both techniques was demonstrated by analyzing soil sediments from two different geological regions, the Kofu and Chiba regions in Kanto province, to construct database that can be applied in the future to provenance analysis of soil evidence from a crime scene. The sediments from the quaternary volcanic lithology of the Chiba region were found to be dominated by heavy minerals of volcanic origin – orthopyroxene, clinopyroxene, and amphibole, and the REEs (rare earth elements) within the region showed similar geochemical behavior. On the other hand, four distinct heavy mineral groups were identified in the sediments of the Kofu region, where there is a great variety of underlying bedrock, and the geochemical behavior of the REEs in the sediments also varied accordingly to their geological origins. As such, our study shows that high-resolution SR-XRD data can provide information on the spatial distribution patterns of heavy minerals in stream sediments, playing an important role in determining their likely geographical origin. Meanwhile, the highly sensitive HE-SR-XRF data allow us to study the geochemical behavior of trace heavy elements, especially the REEs in the sediments, providing additional support to further constrain the likely geographical origin of the sediments determined by heavy minerals.
High-energy (116 keV) synchrotron radiation X-ray fluorescence analysis has for the first time be... more High-energy (116 keV) synchrotron radiation X-ray fluorescence analysis has for the first time been applied to the quantitative analysis of trace heavy elements of geological samples. Calibration curves for the determination of trace heavy elements were obtained by measuring 7 reference rock samples and showed good linearity because of the high penetrating power of the high-energy X-rays. It is found that this method is suitable for rapid and nondestructive quantitative characterization of trace heavy elements in trace amount of soil samples for forensic investigation.
The extraterrestrial materials returned from asteroid (162173) Ryugu consist predominantly of low... more The extraterrestrial materials returned from asteroid (162173) Ryugu consist predominantly of low-temperature aqueously formed secondary minerals and are chemically and mineralogically similar to CI (Ivuna-type) carbonaceous chondrites. Here, we show that high-temperature anhydrous primary minerals in Ryugu and CI chondrites exhibit a bimodal distribution of oxygen isotopic compositions: 16 O-rich (associated with refractory inclusions) and 16 O-poor (associated with chondrules). Both the 16 O-rich and 16 O-poor minerals probably formed in the inner solar protoplanetary disk and were subsequently transported outward. The abundance ratios of the 16 O-rich to 16 O-poor minerals in Ryugu and CI chondrites are higher than in other carbonaceous chondrite groups but are similar to that of comet 81P/Wild2, suggesting that Ryugu and CI chondrites accreted in the outer Solar System closer to the accretion region of comets.
Little is known about the origin of the spectral diversity of asteroids and what it says about co... more Little is known about the origin of the spectral diversity of asteroids and what it says about conditions in the protoplanetary disk. Here, we show that samples returned from Cb-type asteroid Ryugu have Fe isotopic anomalies indistinguishable from Ivuna-type (CI) chondrites, which are distinct from all other carbonaceous chondrites. Iron isotopes, therefore, demonstrate that Ryugu and CI chondrites formed in a reservoir that was different from the source regions of other carbonaceous asteroids. Growth and migration of the giant planets destabilized nearby planetesimals and ejected some inward to be implanted into the Main Belt. In this framework, most carbonaceous chondrites may have originated from regions around the birthplaces of Jupiter and Saturn, while the distinct isotopic composition of CI chondrites and Ryugu may reflect their formation further away in the disk, owing their presence in the inner Solar System to excitation by Uranus and Neptune.
Abstract All-solid-state ion-selective electrodes as potentiometric ion sensors for the determina... more Abstract All-solid-state ion-selective electrodes as potentiometric ion sensors for the determination of chloride (Cl−) or nitrate (NO3−) ions were designed by inserting an electrodeposited composite layer consisting of manganese dioxide and poly(allylamine), a polymeric cation, as the inner solid-contact layer between the electrode substrate and poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC)-based ion-sensitive membrane containing the corresponding ionophores for Cl− or NO3− ions. The double-layered ion-selective electrodes exhibited selective and quick (≤10 s) potential response for the anions; moreover, the Nernstian slopes of the calibration curves of the electrodes were adequate, and the electrodes presented a wide detection range (10−5–10−1 mol dm−3). As the poly(allylamine)-manganese dioxide composites presented anion-insertion redox activity, the insertion of composite layers was highly effective in stabilizing the membrane potential of PVC because it lowered the impedance at the electrode interface, resulting in quicker responses to the anion activity in analytes than those of the corresponding electrodes without composite layers.
Re-suspension processes of radioactive Cs emitted by the FNDPP accident in summer and autumn – po... more Re-suspension processes of radioactive Cs emitted by the FNDPP accident in summer and autumn – possibility of biosphere-atmosphere circulation of radioactive Cs *K. KITA, T. KINASE, H. DEMIZU, Y. IGARASHI, K. ADACHI, M. KAJINO, K. YAMADA, S. TOYODA, N. YOSHIDA, K. NINOMIYA, A. SHINOHARA, H. OKOCHI, M. ISHIZUKA, T. MAKI, Y. ABE, I. NAKAI, J. FURUKAWA, AND Y. ONDA 1 Faculty of Science, Ibaraki Univ., 2-1-1 Bunkyo, Mito, Japan(*coreesponding: [email protected]) MRI, Tsukuba, Japan ([email protected]) TiTech, Yokohama, Japan ([email protected]) Osaka U. Toyonaka, Japan ([email protected]) Waseda,U., Tokyo, Japan ([email protected]) Kagawa U.,Takamatsu, Japan ([email protected]) Kanazawa U., Kanazawa, Japan ([email protected]) TUS, Tokyo, Japan ([email protected]) Tsukuba U., Tsukuba, Japan ([email protected])
The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) accident in March 2011 emitted a considerable a... more The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) accident in March 2011 emitted a considerable amount of radioactive materials. This study isolated radiocesium-bearing microparticles (CsMPs), a form of radioactive materials emitted from the FDNPP at the early stage of the accident, from aerosols collected hourly on filter tapes at seven monitoring stations at the greater Kanto Region, including the Tokyo metropolitan area, on 15 March 2011. The aerosols had a spherical shape ~ 1 μm in diameter with activity of less than 1 Bq of 137Cs per particle. Their physical and chemical characteristics, including radioactivity ratio 134Cs/137Cs as well as chemical composition and state, are essentially the same as previously reported CsMPs. This study demonstrated that air parcels containing CsMPs emitted from the FDNPP were widespread over the greater Kanto Region, more than 250 km away from the FDNPP, during the daytime of 15 March. Trajectory analysis indicated that these particles were emi...
The use of a portable X-ray fluorescence spectrometer revealed the provenance of a shard of a rel... more The use of a portable X-ray fluorescence spectrometer revealed the provenance of a shard of a relief-cut glass bowl which was dedicated to ancient ritual on the sacred island of Okinoshima, Japan over a thousand years ago. The shard was unearthed from one of the ritual sites on the island in the 1950s and is now designated as a national treasure in Japan. A nondestructive and on-site X-ray fluorescence analytical technique was applied to the Okinoshima glass shard to establish where and when it was originally manufactured based on its chemical composition. Clear correspondence of chemical composition between the shard and glass excavated from a Sasanian city site in Mesopotamia demonstrated that the shard was derived from a type of glassware primarily produced in glass workshops within the Sasanian Empire between the fifth and seventh centuries AD. This is the first scientific evidence demonstrating that glass was imported from overseas across thousands of kilometers and then dedicated for the ritual on Okinoshima Island. This simultaneously gives us a glimpse of the specific details of divine rituals conducted on Okinoshima Island in ancient times.
This article examines the morphological and compositional variations of faience objects collected... more This article examines the morphological and compositional variations of faience objects collected from a number of Indus sites in the Ghaggar Valley. While no clear‐cut variation was observed, the results exhibit homogenous features in the styles and production of faience objects that characterize the Urban and Post‐Urban Indus periods in the Ghaggar Valley.
L’Association internationale pour l’histoire du verre, 2005
Typological and Scientific Observations on Udjat Eyes in Ohara
Museum of Art
– New Insight on the... more Typological and Scientific Observations on Udjat Eyes in Ohara Museum of Art – New Insight on the tradition of coloring mixtures during the Third Intermediate Period to the Late Period-
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collected from a number of Indus sites in the Ghaggar Valley. While no clear‐cut variation was observed,
the results exhibit homogenous features in the styles and production of faience objects that characterize
the Urban and Post‐Urban Indus periods in the Ghaggar Valley.
collected from a number of Indus sites in the Ghaggar Valley. While no clear‐cut variation was observed,
the results exhibit homogenous features in the styles and production of faience objects that characterize
the Urban and Post‐Urban Indus periods in the Ghaggar Valley.
Museum of Art
– New Insight on the tradition of coloring mixtures during the Third
Intermediate Period to the Late Period-