Pisu Francesca Assunta, Porcu Stefania, Carboni Raffaela, Mameli Valentina, Cannas Carla, Naitza Stefano, Melis Rita Teresa, Mussi Margherita, Chiriu Daniele
Department of Physics, University of Cagliari, 09042 Monserrato, Italy.
Department of Physics, University of Cagliari, 09042 Monserrato, Italy; National Interuniversity Consortium of Materials Science and Technology (INSTM), Cagliari Unit, 50121 Florence, Italy.
Spectrochim Acta A Mol Biomol Spectrosc. 2025 Mar 15;329:125581. doi: 10.1016/j.saa.2024.125581. Epub 2024 Dec 10.
Red ochre, typically derived from iron oxides and hematite, has been used since Pleistocene times for a range of different applications, practical as well as symbolic, including cave paintings and use in prehistoric burials. The importance to discover new methods for provenance determination, based on non-destructive portable techniques, represents a new challenge in the field of diagnostics of cultural heritage. This study presents the data obtained from the analysis of several non-flaked tools and ochre-stained bones, showing evidence of ochre processing at the Mesolithic site of S'omu e S'Orku in Sardinia (Italy). To investigate the provenance of the ochre (hematite phase) found on a massive stone from the site and also used to cover the bones, we propose three distinct approaches derived from high-resolution Raman spectra of ochres, aiming to identify the maximum number of observables that can be reconducted to unicity criteria. The reliability of this method enables the development of an automatic algorithm of Artificial Intelligence able to recognize the provenance of raw materials used in a range of activities. Furthermore, this study sheds light on one of the earliest and most distinctive Mesolithic burials uncovered in Sardinia to date, providing valuable insights into the human colonization of the island and the symbolic practices of its inhabitants during the Holocene epoch.
红赭石通常源自氧化铁和赤铁矿，自更新世以来就被用于一系列不同的用途，包括实际用途和象征用途，如洞穴壁画以及在史前墓葬中的使用。基于无损便携式技术发现新的产地确定方法的重要性，是文化遗产诊断领域的一项新挑战。本研究展示了对几件未剥落的工具和赭石染色骨头进行分析所获得的数据，这些数据显示了在意大利撒丁岛的索穆-索尔库中石器时代遗址存在赭石加工的证据。为了调查在该遗址一块巨石上发现的、也用于覆盖骨头的赭石（赤铁矿相）的产地，我们提出了三种源自赭石高分辨率拉曼光谱的不同方法，旨在识别能够归结为唯一性标准的最大数量的可观测特征。这种方法的可靠性使得能够开发一种人工智能自动算法，该算法能够识别一系列活动中所使用原材料的产地。此外，本研究揭示了撒丁岛迄今发现的最早且最具特色的中石器时代墓葬之一，为该岛的人类殖民以及全新世时期岛上居民的象征性行为提供了宝贵的见解。
