Photoacoustic Analysis of Pigments from Archeological Ceramics

Photoacoustic spectroscopy (PAS) is widely used for diverse applications in different areas. These include studies in material, environmental, and life sciences. In the present work the study of pigments from pottery surfaces and volumes of Mexican (Aztec) and Poblana cultures that were developed in central Mexico from 1325 to 1521 and 1521 to 1800, respectively, is reported. The optical absorption spectra from each archeological sample was obtained using PAS. The superficial spectra were also compared with standard color pigments and archeological registers. Complementary energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) analysis of these archeological potteries gave us their elemental composition which agreed with other studies about their composition and technology of the pottery manufacturing.