Matching Trace Element Distribution to Mineralogical Phases in Ancient Biotechnology-Derived Metallic Salts: a Multimodal Analysis
Abstract
Conventional X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis applied to the investigation of ancient metal salts used as pigments and/or therapeutics provide bulk average compositions in two stand-alone data sets; however, major elements aside, these two sets cannot inform on the spatial distribution of one with respect to the other. To address this issue, we present here a multimodal approach incorporating spatially resolved XRF, XRD and nanoscale X-ray imaging applied to the analysis of archaeological and experimental samples of synthetic lead carbonate (PbCO3 - Greek psimythion); psimythion was used in antiquity as a cosmetic and/or a therapeutic for external applications. The experimental sample was produced according to a well-documented recipe dated to the 4th century BCE. In this paper we demonstrate that by using a multimodal approach we can confidently assign trace elements to individual crystalline or to infer the existence of non-crystalline phases. Although the assignment of an element to a phase (i.e. the location) is now possible, the origin underlying it (i.e. the mechanism) is not always clear. Trace elements do not 'control' chemical/mineralogical composition, but they can influence it. Our approach is particularly suited to following changes in the artefact's chemical/mineralogical profile, from its manufacture, to use and burial, to excavation and conservation.
Related
- Phase-Matching Quantum Key Distribution with Heralded Single-Photon Sources and Local Detection
- Signatures of rare-earth elements in mineralogical form using laser-ablation dual-comb spectroscopy
- Metallic mean quasicrystals and their topological invariants
- Cascade at local yield strain for silica and metallic glass
- Measurement of the interfacial strain energy release rate of adhesively bonded structures with metallic substrates before and after water ageing
BibTeX
@misc{rehman2026matching,
title = {{Matching Trace Element Distribution to Mineralogical Phases in Ancient Biotechnology-Derived Metallic Salts: a Multimodal Analysis}},
author = {Sumera Rehman and Spyridon Panagiotopoulos and Georgios E Christidis and Athena Athanassiadou and Alessandro Olivo and Effie Photos-Jones and Silvia Cipiccia},
howpublished = {arXiv},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2607.28492},
eprint = {2607.28492},
archivePrefix = {arXiv},
url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2607.28492},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Matching Trace Element Distribution to Mineralogical Phases in Ancient Biotechnology-Derived Metallic Salts: a Multimodal Analysis
AU - Sumera Rehman
AU - Spyridon Panagiotopoulos
AU - Georgios E Christidis
AU - Athena Athanassiadou
AU - Alessandro Olivo
AU - Effie Photos-Jones
AU - Silvia Cipiccia
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/01
PB - arXiv
DO - 10.48550/arxiv.2607.28492
UR - https://arxiv.org/abs/2607.28492
AB - Conventional X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis applied to the investigation of ancient metal salts used as pigments and/or therapeutics provide bulk average compositions in two stand-alone data sets; however, major elements aside, these two sets cannot inform on the spatial distribution of one with respect to the other. To address this issue, we present here a multimodal approach incorporating spatially resolved XRF, XRD and nanoscale X-ray imaging applied to the analysis of archaeological and experimental samples of synthetic lead carbonate (PbCO3 - Greek psimythion); psimythion was used in antiquity as a cosmetic and/or a therapeutic for external applications. The experimental sample was produced according to a well-documented recipe dated to the 4th century BCE. In this paper we demonstrate that by using a multimodal approach we can confidently assign trace elements to individual crystalline or to infer the existence of non-crystalline phases. Although the assignment of an element to a phase (i.e. the location) is now possible, the origin underlying it (i.e. the mechanism) is not always clear. Trace elements do not 'control' chemical/mineralogical composition, but they can influence it. Our approach is particularly suited to following changes in the artefact's chemical/mineralogical profile, from its manufacture, to use and burial, to excavation and conservation.
ER -