EDXRF study of Tupiguarani archaeological ceramics

A set of Indian Brazilian pottery fragments belonging to Tupi-Guarani tradition has been studied by EDXRF. The pottery fragments were accidentally discovered in the Santa Dalmacia farm in 1990, sited near Cambe city at the north of Parana Brazilian State. The main objective was to characterize the ceramic paste, as well as the superficial layer of the ceramic fragments, in order to get information about the pigment composition of the plastic decoration. The Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence (EDXRF) methodology was employed to obtain the ceramic paste composition, as well as the superficial layer of the ceramic fragments. The measurements were carried out at CENA. The experimental set up consisted of 238Pu, 55Fe and 109Cd radioactive sources, a X-ray tube (at 15 kV, 40 mA, Mo target and Zr filter), a Si(Li) detector (30 mm2 , with a Be window ) and a multichannel analyzer. For detection of the elements within the ceramic paste, the fragments were irradiated at the center of the lateral section. While several superficial areas with remaining plastic decoration were also chosen and irradiated at the convex and concave sides of each fragment. X-ray spectra were analyzed at UEL using the AXIL program. A program based on the graphic polygonal representation method was developed and used to correlate the representative intensity data of each fragment. A low Ca content, and a systematic presence of relatively high concentrations of Fe can characterize the ceramic pastes. Ti and Zr are also always present at high levels, and Ni, Cu and in some cases Zn at level of traces; Rb, Sr, Ba and Y are also present at low concentration. The black pigment in the pottery plastic decoration is due to the presence of Mn, the red pigment is due to the presence of Fe, while the white pigment is characterized by the presence of Ba. Other qualitative and quantitative results were obtained for each kind of ceramic fragment groups. For the eleven fragments studied, the polygonal representation method points that the same materials were employed in the pottery production, and the pigments in the plastic decoration were obtained from different inorganic materials. (author)