X-ray Fluorescence in Member States: Peru. Recent Activities in X ray Fluorescence Laboratory of the Peruvian Institute of Nuclear Energy - Peru

Multielemental X ray fluorescence non-destructive analysis of the bony remainders attributed to the conqueror Mr. Francisco Pizarro for a study of contamination post-mortem, kind of diet and paleopathologies: The elementary chemical analysis of bones provides very important information that allows studying topics like post mortem contamination, diet and diverse paleopathologies that are observed based on the concentration of the elements identified. The bony remains of the conqueror Don Francisco Pizarro were analyzed by using an energy dispersive X ray fluorescence system with a Cd-109 source of 25 mCi. The spectra were analyzed by IAEA-AXIL-QXAS software. The quantification was carried out with the option of simple quantitative analysis, with the method of elemental sensitivity. The presence of the elements: Ca, Fe, Cu, Zn, Sr and Pb was mainly observed confirming a vegetarian diet and the presence of the surrounding materials. Archaeometric study of metallic pieces from Museo Inka - Universidad Nacional San Antonio Abad from Cusco, Peru: An archaeometric study of metallic pieces, pins (tupus), has been presented. These pieces were found in excavation of Sacsayhuaman strength, Cusco - Peru, from the Inca culture. Metallographic, X ray diffraction and X ray fluorescence analysis of these pieces reveal that pins presents neither the same technology of preparation nor the same elemental composition. All the pieces include copper, as major element, combined with As or Pb. Some of them have a superficial layer of gold and/or silver. Ornamental Nasca ceramics pigments identification by X ray diffraction and X ray fluorescence analysis. The Nasca culture was developed in the southern coast of Peru (100 BC to 650 AD), during the Early Intermediate Period. The most significant remain of the Nasca Culture is the fine polychrome pottery. The goal of this work is to identify the pigments used in 54 pottery fragments recovered nearby Palpa and Cahuachi by using XRF and XRD analysis. The XRD was performed using synchrotron radiation at the Spanish Line in the ESRF, Grenoble, France. The XRF spectra were taken at the IPEN. The non destructive XRF analyses of the pottery surfaces coloured of brown, orange and yellow show a high content of iron, as well as calcium and manganese. The high proportion of iron is the result of the intensive use of iron oxides, especially hematite (Fe2O3), observed also by XRD analysis, almost pure in the red pigments and mixed with other minerals to obtain different shades and colours. (author)