Cathodoluminescence Signature of White Marble Artefacts
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CATHODOLUMINESCENCE SIGNATURE OF WHITE MARBLE ARTEFACTS
VINCENT BARBIN., K. RAMSEYER" , S. J. BURNS", D. DECROUEZ', J. L. MAIER` AND J. CHAMAY'". "*Museum d'Histoire naturelle, 1 route de Malagnou, C.P 434, CH-1211 Geneve 6, Suisse "Geologisches Institut, Universitat Bern, Baltzerstrasse 1, CH-3012 Bern, Schweiz ""Musee d'Art et d'Histoire, 2 rue Charles-Galland, C.P 516, CH-1211 Geneve 3, Suisse
ABSTRACT The cathodoluminescence characteristics of more than 500 white marble samples from known classical quarrying sites and surrounding areas in Greece, Turkey and Italy were analysed to develop a rapid and low-cost method for the characterization of white marbles. In most cases, the observed cathodoluminescence colors, intensity and intensity distribution form a distinct "cathodomicrofacies" which is commonly unique for a given area, quarry or parts of a quarry. In cases where the cathodomicrofacies is common to more than one quarrying area, the stable isotope signature of the white marbles provides an effective complement to cathodoluminescence, and allows additional distinctions between marbles to be made. The study of field samples from ancient quarrying areas can identify the source of white marble used for ancient sculptures and buildings. This new approach has been successfully tested on ancient marble sculptures and sarcophaguses from the collection of the Art and History Museum in Geneva.
INTRODUCTION The problem of determining the source locality of marble artefacts is an old one and has important applications in archeological research, reassembling separated fragments of statuary, and in detecting forgeries. Since Lepsius in 1890 [1] many different geological, chemical as well as physical methods have been applied to the problem (see the State of the Art in [2]). To date, however, no single method or combinations of methods can unambiguously determine the source quarries of marble artefacts. We report here on a new technique based upon the phenomenon of cathodoluminescence, which shows great promise in providing diagnostic signatures for many ancient marble quarries. One of the characteristics of cathodoluminescence is that the original structure and texture of the sample is utilized and no homogenization of the chemical information is necessary. In fact, the chemical heterogeneity of the sample is what produces often an unique signature of different marbles. The first attempt in using cathodoluminescence to differentiate white marbles, was Renfrew and Peacey in 1968
Mat. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc. Vol. 185.
1991 Materials Research Society
300
[3]. Their results were not conclusive as their instrument could not record faint luminescence. The cathodoluminescence instrument which we have used (hot cathode) allows observation and a resolution of very faint luminescence intensities, greatly increasing the potential of the method. An important data base of white marbles from the main classical Mediterranean quarries has been collected by us from Greece (Naxos, Paros, Peloponnese, Eubee, Othrys and Attic). Samp
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