RECONNAISSANCE SURVEY OF THE COMPOSITION OF COLORING AGENTS ON CARVED HORN OBJECTS FROM THE NECROPOLES OF THE EARLY IRON AGE IN SOUTHERN SIBERIA

Abstract

The study of the composition of ancient coloring agents is an actual topic of archaeological research. Nevertheless, the studies of paint on organic surfaces, including carved horn objects of the Early Iron Age from the archaeological monuments of Southern Siberia have hardly been performed. Determination of the chemical composition of such coloring agents is not only of material importance for bone carving industry of the paleometal and the rituals with the use of the coloring agents, but of an artistic importance as well. The energy-dispersive analysis (performed with the help of the Hitachi ТМ 3000 cBrulcerQuantax 70 electronic microscope) allowed determining a composition of coloring agents of a series of carved horn objects depicting horned griffins included into the details of the bridle and harness from the necropolis of Berel in Altai and Ob’ezdnoe-1 on the Ob Region plateau. Most of the objects were painted with the use of coloring agents related to natural cinnabar. These mineral deposits are typical enough of various territories of the Altai Mountains. Determination of the chemical composition of the horn basis of the objects from the Berel necropolis allowed establishing a relative degree of degradation of coloring agents manufactured on the basis of natural cinnabar. Another important result was the identification of unregistered restoration impacts upon painted areas of ancient objects with the use of modern paints containing cadmium. The carved horn objects from Ob’ezdnoe-1 are painted with the help of another method that is similar to incrustation. Quite a thick layer of a coloring agent might be fastened on the horn basis with the help of an organic adhesive substance. Besides, such a technology of a coloring agent application much better contributes to its chemical composition preservation than its application on the surface of objects (Berel). In conclusion, it should be noted that in case of later unregistered restoration interference, modern coloring agents are well identified by an energy dispersive method. It is very important for painted horn objects of the Berel necropolis for the restoration of the general scheme of painting of these objects which is supplemented with coating from various metals (gold, stannum). In this case, to achieve the highest possible efficiency of the use of natural scientific methods by determining ancient coloring agents, one should conduct an analysis of both samples of paint (without an organic background impact) and use of the whole set of these methods.