Chemistry and archaeology

Although in this volume we focus on the interaction between chemistry and archaeology or archaeological chemistry, chemistry is relevant to most if not all... 

There have been significant additions to the literature of chemistry and archaeology. Two new and major sites have been identified. One is in the centre of Paris, associated... 

Meschel (1978) Meschel, S.V Chemistry and archaeology a creative bond Archaeological chemistry II. Based on a symposium sponsored by the division of the history of chemistry at the 174th meeting of the American Chemical Society, Chicago, August 31-September 1, 1977. Advances in Chemistry Series 171 (1978) 1-24... 

Pollard, A. M., C. M. Batt, B. Stern, and S. M. M. Young (2007), Analytical Chemistry in Archaeology, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 

Rowell, R. M. and R. J. Barbour (eds.) (1990), Archaeological Woods Properties, Chemistry and Preservation, Advances in Chemistry Series, American Chemical Society, Washington, DC. 

N. Robinson, R.P. Evershed, W.J. Higgs, K. Jerman, Eglinton, G., Proof of a pine wood origin for pitch from Tudor (Mary Rose) and Etruscan shipwrecks application of analytical organic chemistry in archaeology, Analyst, 112, 637 643 (1987). 

K. Evans and C. Heron, Glue, disinfectant and chewing gum natural products chemistry in archaeology, Chem. Ind., 12, 446 449 (1993). 

A. M. Pollard and C. Heron, The chemistry and use of resinous substances, in Archaeological Chemistry, RSC Paperbacks, Cambridge, 1996. 

In the present chapter, we first provide some general information concerning the chemistry of waxes and lipids currently encountered in various items from our cultural heritage and we detail the main protocols based on direct mass spectrometry that have been developed so far. We then discuss the mass spectra obtained by EI-MS on a range of reference substances and materials sampled from museum and archaeological artefacts. We then focus on the recent possibilities supplied by electrospray ionisation for the elucidation of the structure of biomarkers of beeswax and animal fats. 

J. S. Mills, R. White, Natural resins of art and archaeology their sources, chemistry and identification, Stud. Conserv., 22, 12 31 (1977). 

The development of scientific procedures that are able to use very minute samples (a few micrograms), together with the increased availability of advanced analytical instrumentation, have led to great interest in the chemical study of materials used in cultural heritage. This has given rise to a sharp increase in research studies at the interface between art, archaeology, chemistry and the material sciences. As a result, successful multidisciplinary collaborations have flourished among researchers in museums, conservation institutions, universities and scientific laboratories. 

Bishop, R. L., Western Lowland Maya Ceramic Trade An Archaeological Application of Nuclear Chemistry and Geological Data Analysis, PhD Thesis, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, 1975. 

Brill, R.H. (ed.) (1971). Science and Archaeology Symposium on Archaeological Chemistry 1968, Atlantic City. MIT Press, Cambridge, Mass. 

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