| About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
MS&T22: Materials Science & Technology
|
| Symposium
|
Art and Cultural Heritage: Discoveries during the Pandemic Year
|
| Presentation Title |
Complementary Scientific Techniques for the Study of Mesoamerican Greenstone Objects |
| Author(s) |
Willow N. Knight, Faith Gantz, Matthew Carl, Marcus L. Young, Brigitte Kovacevich, Dawn Crawford, Elena Torok, Fran Baas |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Willow N. Knight |
| Abstract Scope |
Jade and greenstone objects have been highly valued by many cultures because of their limited known sources worldwide, unique optical and mechanical properties, and symbolism. In recent years, scientific studies on jade and greenstone objects have assisted to establish provenance and usage, identify composition, and verify mineral presence. Their results suggest using multiple complementary analytical techniques for characterizing cultural heritage objects. In our study, a set of Mesoamerican jade and greenstone objects from a Dallas Museum of Art collection were examined using multiple non-destructive techniques, including scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and handheld X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy. After a brief review of the techniques, we present our results, which are supported by archaeological and historical context, and emphasize the importance of using multiple techniques. We used previously collected data and met virtually with the Dallas Museum of Art to maintain progress through the pandemic. |