CHAPTER FORTY ONE FINDING CHEMICAL AND PHYSICAL EVIDENCE OF HEAT TREATMENT OF OCHRE BY USING NON-DESTRUCTIVE METHODS: A PRELIMINARY STUDY (original) (raw)

2017, The Exploitation of Raw Materials in Prehistory: Sourcing, Processing and Distribution

Many Middle Stone Age (MSA) sites such as Rose Cottage and Sibudu Caves yield large quantities of ochre pieces (9000 pieces from Sibudu alone). Physico-chemical characterisation is required to add value to the prior studies of ochre use traces. This project involves a non-destructive and multi-analytical approach (including Raman spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray fluorescence) to characterise ochre pieces. The main goal of these analyses is to establish a method to identify heated ochre pieces. This is investigated here predominantly through experimental heat treatment of geological pieces to create a database of heated ochre. Heat treatment is an indicator of advanced technological practices; this research will ultimately help to gain deeper understanding of behaviour and cognition of people living in the MSA.