Analysis of archaeological samples and local clays using ICP-AES, TG–DTG and FTIR techniques

The spectrochemical and thermal analysis of different archaeological samples as bricks, terra-cotta and local clays were carried out. The concentration of major and minor elements of samples was determined by sequential inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry. The method was tested by determining Si, Al, Fe, Ca, Mg, Mn, Pb, Cu, Zn, Ti, Na and K in the standard solutions and reference material GXR-4. The precision of the determination (relative standard deviation) ranged from 0.4 to 1.54%. The clay minerals are the main materials for the production of bricks and terra-cotta figures. Thermogravimetric (TG) and differential (TG–DTG) analysis and Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR) methods can be used for the study of characteristic reactions, associated with the course of the heating. The TG–DTG curves were obtained in the temperature range 25–900°C, and the dynamic experiment was carried out in the air and nitrogen atmosphere. The infrared evolved gas analysis was performed using FTIR in the dynamic nitrogen atmosphere.