Mortars from the Palace of Knossos in Crete, Greece: A Multi-Analytical Approach

The study of building materials constituting cultural heritage is fundamental to understand their characteristics and predict their behavior. When considering materials from archaeological sites, their characterization can provide not only relevant information for a broader understanding of the site and its importance and significance but can also increase knowledge about ancient materials and their performance. The Palace of Knossos is a very important archaeological site in the European history context, and its preservation benefits from the characterization of the constituent materials. Samples of mortars from this monument were collected under the scope of the H2020 HERACLES project, where a multi-analytical approach was chosen using established protocols for the different sample typologies. Instrumental techniques such as optical microscopy (OM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and simultaneous thermogravimetry and differential thermal analysis (TG–DTA) were used for the chemical, mineralogical, and morphological characterization of these mortar samples. The results indicate that the majority are lime mortars, both aerial and hydraulic, but gypsum-based mortars were also identified. Differences in the chemical composition of the samples in distinct areas of the monument allowed us to reflect on the variety of materials used in the construction of the Palace of Knossos.

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Characterization of Roman and Arabic Mural Paintings of the Archaeological Site of Cercadilla (Cordoba, Spain)

Scanning ◽

10.1155/2019/3578083 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 2019 ◽

pp. 1-14 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Andrea Gil-Torrano ◽

Auxiliadora Gómez-Morón ◽

José María Martín ◽

Rocío Ortiz ◽

Mª del Camino Fuertes Santos ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Archaeological Site ◽

Mural Painting ◽

X Ray Diffraction ◽

X Ray ◽

Mural Paintings ◽

Thermal Zone ◽

Chronological Sequence ◽

Ft Ir ◽

Materials Used

The archaeological site of Cercadilla (Cordoba, Spain) includes a complete chronological sequence from the 3rd to 12th centuries. The most relevant monument is a Roman palace dated between the end of the 3rd century and the beginning of the 4th century AD. It is believed that it was the headquarters of the Emperor Maximiano Herculeo. A bathtub with mural paintings has been found in the thermal zone of the palace. Regarding the occupation of the archaeological site in the medieval period, it should be pointed out that two houses with mural paintings were found; these belong to the Caliphal era (10th-11th centuries). During the Caliphal era, the archaeological site was mostly occupied by one of the large suburbs surrounding the walled city. Cercadilla was gradually abandoned; this process starts at the beginning of the 11th century. This study is focused on the analysis of pigments and preparatory layers of red and white mural paintings of the Roman period in the bath zone and on the analysis of pigments in mural paintings in two houses of the Caliphal era. In the thermal zone, the walls have a white mural painting with vertical and horizontal red bands, while the walls in the two Caliphal houses present the red mural painting decorated with white stripes. Techniques such as Optical Microscopy (OM), Scanning Electron Microscopy in combination with Energy Dispersive X-ray Microanalysis (SEM-EDX), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), micro X-ray Diffraction (μ-XRD), Wavelength Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence (WD-XRF), and Fourier Transform-Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) have been used to study the mural paintings of this archaeological site. The results allowed to determine the composition of the materials used and to understand the differences between the technologies employed in Roman and Caliphal remains studied.

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Non-Invasive Investigation of Pigments of Wall Painting in S. Maria Delle Palate di Tusa (Messina, Italy)

Heritage ◽

10.3390/heritage2030147 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 2 (3) ◽

pp. 2398-2407

Author(s):

Mollica Nardo ◽

Renda ◽

Bonanno ◽

Parrotta ◽

Anastasio ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Archaeological Site ◽

Relevant Information ◽

Wall Painting ◽

Non Invasive ◽

Materials Used ◽

Characterization Of Materials ◽

First Time ◽

The Church

The characterization of materials used in the archaeological field needs an experimental approach in order to avoid the destruction or perturbation of artworks. In order to afford this purpose, a multi-analytical spectroscopic approach is regularly used. We combined non-invasive analysis by using handheld spectroscopic instrumentations (mainly XRF and Raman spectrometers) in order to characterize the wall painting preserved in the church of S. Maria delle Palate at Halaesa Arconidea archeological site (Tusa, Messina, Italy). The aim of the work is the characterization of the nature of pigments used for the realization of the wall painting. The wall painting, probably representing St. Francis in the act of receiving the stigmata, has been subject to cleaning and restoration. Thanks to use of in situ measurement, we have identified hematite and goethite for the red and yellow respectively, and lazurite for the blue. In addition, some relevant information about the black pigment, the technique used for the realization and the conservation state were also obtained. The results obtained during the diagnostic campaign have been a support for the work of restorers. For the first time, the wall painting has been studied, increasing the knowledge of Halaesa Arconidea archaeological site.

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The Ferroelectric and Electrical Properties of CaBi4Ti4O15 Thin Films Prepared by Sol-Gel Technology

Advanced Materials Research ◽

10.4028/www.scientific.net/amr.239-242.891 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 239-242 ◽

pp. 891-894 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Tsung Fu Chien ◽

Jen Hwan Tsai ◽

Kai Huang Chen ◽

Chien Min Cheng ◽

Chia Lin Wu

Keyword(s):

Thin Film ◽

Thin Films ◽

Sol Gel ◽

Morphological Characterization ◽

Experimental Result ◽

X Ray Diffraction ◽

Solution Deposition ◽

Capacitance Voltage ◽

Preferential Crystal Orientation

In this study, thin films of CaBi4Ti4O15with preferential crystal orientation were prepared by the chemical solution deposition (CSD) technique on a SiO2/Si substrate. The films consisted of a crystalline phase of bismuth-layer-structured dielectric. The as-deposited CaBi4Ti4O15thin films were crystallized in a conventional furnace annealing (RTA) under the temperature of 700 to 800°C for 1min. Structural and morphological characterization of the CBT thin films were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and field-emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM). The impedance analyzer HP4294A and HP4156C semiconductor parameters analyzer were used to measurement capacitance voltage (C-V) characteristics and leakage current density of electric field (J-E) characteristics by metal-ferroelectric-insulator- semiconductor (MFIS) structure. By the experimental result the CBT thin film in electrical field 20V, annealing temperature in 750°C the CBT thin film leaks the electric current is 1.88x10-7A/cm2and the memory window is 1.2V. In addition, we found the strongest (119) peak of as-deposited thin films as the annealed temperature of 750°C

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Looking beyond appearances: a multi-analytical approach on the prehistoric clay weights

Heritage Science ◽

10.1186/s40494-019-0326-2 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Bogdan Manea ◽

Mircea Lechintan ◽

Gabriel Popescu ◽

Theodor Ignat ◽

Vasile Opriş ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Material Culture ◽

Analytical Approach ◽

Experimental Archaeology ◽

Relevant Information ◽

Archaeological Sites ◽

Cultural Complex ◽

Multiple Dimensions ◽

Size Modification ◽

Multiple Meanings ◽

Transformation Processes

Abstract In this paper we analyzed a batch of 64 clay weights from three archaeological sites located in Romania (Gumelniţa, Măgura-Jilava, and Sultana) that belong to Kodjadermen-Gumelniţa-Karanovo VI cultural complex (4600–3900 cal. BC). Our approach includes an interdisciplinary investigation based on technological analysis, experimental archaeology, and X-ray CT scans coupled with statistical analysis. This investigation has a high potential to reveal relevant information regarding the technological background (e.g., inclusion, voids, temper, etc.), manufacturing stages (e.g., modeling, shaping, kneading, etc.), or transformation processes (e.g., drying and firing vs. weight and size modification) in order to identify, explain and understand the chaîne operatoire for this type of artefacts. Moreover, correlation of the results with the experimental archaeology could offer an integrative interpretation about the material culture of past humans and its multiple meanings, but also critical information about the multiple dimensions of manufacture for these objects (e.g., time, effort, physical–chemical processes, etc.). The multi-analytical approach proposed here also includes a comparative study of technological aspects of these clay weights across the three archaeological sites investigated, as well as the experimental replicas.

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Investigations of M3Al8O15:Eu3+,Dy3+ (M = Ba, Ca, Mg) phosphors

Materials Science-Poland ◽

10.1515/msp-2016-0047 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 34 (2) ◽

pp. 412-417

Author(s):

Esra Öztürk

Keyword(s):

Electron Microscopy ◽

Solid State Reaction Method ◽

Morphological Characterization ◽

X Ray Diffraction ◽

Reaction Method ◽

X Ray ◽

Three Samples ◽

Scanning Electron ◽

The Eu

AbstractIn this work, aluminate type phosphorescence materials were synthesized via the solid state reaction method and the photoluminescence (PL) properties, including excitation and emission bands, were investigated considering the effect of trace amounts of activator (Eu3+) and co-activator (Dy3+). The estimated thermal behavior of the samples at certain temperatures (> 1000 °C) during heat treatment was characterized by differential thermal analysis (DTA) and thermogravimetry (TG). The possible phase formation was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The morphological characterization of the samples was performed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The PL analysis of three samples showed maximum emission bands at around 610 nm, and additionally near 589 nm, 648 nm and 695 nm. The bands were attributed to typical transitions of the Eu3+ ions.

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Fabrication and Characterization of Sol-Gel Derived PZT/WO3 Ceramics

Advanced Materials Research ◽

10.4028/www.scientific.net/amr.55-57.369 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 55-57 ◽

pp. 369-372 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

T. Sreesattabud ◽

Anucha Watcharapasorn ◽

Sukanda Jiansirisomboon

Keyword(s):

Lead Zirconate Titanate ◽

Sol Gel ◽

Rhombohedral Phase ◽

Lead Zirconate ◽

X Ray Diffraction ◽

Calcination Process ◽

Materials Used ◽

Phase Characterization ◽

Gel Processing

Lead zirconate titanate/tungsten oxide (PZT/WO3) ceramics were prepared from the powders synthesized by a modified triol sol-gel processing method. In this study, the starting materials used for synthesis of PZT-sol were zirconium (IV) propoxide, titanium (IV) isopropxide, lead (II) acetate trihydrate and 1,1,1,- tris (hydroxymethyl) ethane. To prepare PZT/xWO3 powders (where x = 0, 0.5, 1 and 3 wt%), nano-sized WO3 was ultrasonically dispersed and mixed with the PZT sol, dried and calcined at 600°C for 4 h. X-ray diffraction results indicated that fully crystallized powders were obtained. Phase characterization suggested that at high WO3 concentration, the reaction between PZT and WO3 occurred during the calcination process. To prepare PZT/xWO3 ceramics, the powders were pressed and sintered at 1100°C for 6 h. Phase characterization by XRD indicated that the content of WO3 significantly affected tetragonal-to-rhombohedral phase transition. Microstructure of thermally etched samples showed that increasing the content of WO3 decreased grain size of the ceramics.

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Morphological Characterization of Shape-Controlled TiO2 Anatase through XRPD Analysis

Zeitschrift für Physikalische Chemie ◽

10.1515/zpch-2015-0715 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 230 (9) ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Mauro Coduri ◽

Michela Maisano ◽

Maria Vittoria Dozzi ◽

Elena Selli

Keyword(s):

Morphological Characterization ◽

Morphological Investigation ◽

X Ray Diffraction ◽

Preferential Growth ◽

Rietveld Refinements ◽

X Ray ◽

Tio2 Anatase ◽

Shape Controlled ◽

Scherrer Equation

AbstractPreferential growth of anatase crystallites along different directions is known to deeply affect their photocatalytic properties, especially with respect to the exposure of the reactive {001} facets. Its extent can be easily quantified through simple geometric calculations, on the basis of crystal sizes extracted for specific directions by means of X-Ray Diffraction data analysis. Nevertheless, the actual results depend on the method employed for such a quantification. Here we report on a comparative morphological investigation, performed by employing the Scherrer equation and the line profile from Rietveld refinements, on shape-controlled anatase photocatalysts produced by employing HF as capping agent. Compared to the Rietveld-based method, the use of the Scherrer equation produces a systematic underestimation of crystallite dimensions, especially concerning the [100] direction, which in turn causes the percentage of exposed {001} crystal facets to be underestimated. Neglecting instrumental-related effects may further reduce the estimate.

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Effects of strain on La0.67-x Prx Ca0.33 MnO3, LaMn1-x Cox O3 and LaMn1-x Nix O3 magnetite samples

DYNA ◽

10.15446/dyna.v86n211.78081 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 86 (211) ◽

pp. 278-287

Author(s):

Javier Alberto Olarte Torres ◽

María Cristina Cifuentes Arcila ◽

Harvey Andrés Suárez Moreno

Keyword(s):

Compressive Strength ◽

Magnetic Susceptibility ◽

Sol Gel ◽

Morphological Characterization ◽

Electric Resistivity ◽

The Other ◽

X Ray Diffraction ◽

Metal Insulator ◽

X Ray

This paper presents the results obtained from the synthesis and morphological characterization of different magnetite samples: La0.67-x Prx Ca0.33 MnO3.LaMn1-x Cox O3 and LaMn1-x Nix O3 at 0.13 ≤ 𝑥𝑥 ≤ 0.67 produced by a solid-state reaction mechanism and 𝐿𝐿𝐿𝐿𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀1−𝑥𝑥(𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶/𝑁𝑁𝑁𝑁)𝑥𝑥𝑂𝑂3 at 0.0 ≤ 𝑥𝑥 ≤ 0.5 produced by the sol-gel method. These samples were characterized using X-ray diffraction spectroscopy and by measuring electric resistivity and magnetic susceptibility which were carried out as a function of temperature. Notably, the effects of strain and compressive strength on the lattices of magnetite samples were highly dependent on the concentration of 𝑃𝑃𝑟𝑟, 𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶, and 𝑁𝑁𝑁𝑁. Moreover, the transition temperatures of metal-insulator and ferromagnetic-paramagnetic phases also largely depend on these strength effects, e.g., at higher concentrations of 𝑃𝑃𝑟𝑟, effects of increased strain strength were observed, relocating the shifts of ferromagnetic-paramagnetic transitions to lower temperatures. On the other hand, effects of increased compressive strength were observed at higher concentrations of 𝑁𝑁𝑁𝑁 and 𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶, relocating the shifts of ferromagnetic-paramagnetic and metal-insulator transitions to higher temperatures.

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Structural and morphological characterization of rare earth modified lead titanate

Cerâmica ◽

10.1590/s0366-69132007000400017 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 53 (328) ◽

pp. 422-447

Author(s):

F. C. D. Lemos ◽

D. M. A. Melo ◽

P. S. de Lima ◽

C. A. Paskocimas ◽

E. Longo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Rare Earth ◽

Lead Titanate ◽

Pechini Method ◽

Morphological Characterization ◽

X Ray Diffraction ◽

X Ray ◽

Different Temperatures ◽

Crystallite Sizes ◽

Modifier Cation

Rare earth modified lead titanate powders Pb1-xRExTiO3 (REPT), x = 0.01, 0.05, 0.07 and RE = Yb, Y, were prepared by the Pechini method. The materials were calcined under flowing oxygen at different temperatures from 300 to 700 ºC. Nanostructured REPT were investigated using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and surface area analysis (BET). The results suggest that the modifier cation incorporated into the system has notable influence in the microstructure and a notable decrease in the crystallite sizes.

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Preparation and Characterization of Natural Zeolite Modified with Iron Nanoparticles

Journal of Nanomaterials ◽

10.1155/2015/364763 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 2015 ◽

pp. 1-8 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Alvaro Ruíz-Baltazar ◽

Rodrigo Esparza ◽

Maykel Gonzalez ◽

Gerardo Rosas ◽

Ramiro Pérez

Keyword(s):

Kinetic Models ◽

Iron Nanoparticles ◽

Morphological Characterization ◽

Adsorption Kinetic ◽

X Ray Diffraction ◽

Modified Zeolite ◽

X Ray ◽

Transmission Electron ◽

Zeolite Modification

This study is aimed at investigating the structural and morphological characterization of natural and modified zeolite obtained from the state of Oaxaca (Mexico). Iron nanoparticles were used for the zeolite modification. The iron nanoparticles were loaded on the zeolite surface by homogeneous nucleation. Adsorption kinetic models of pseudo first and second order were surveyed. The characterization of pristine and modified zeolite was performed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). From the results, three main phases were identified: clinoptilolite, mordenite, and feldspar. We could also determine the adsorption capacity of the zeolites by means of adsorption kinetic models.

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