ATR-FTIR applied to worn iron oxides in Colombian Amazonia: an approximation to the mineralogical composition on the raw materials of the Cerro Montoya archaeological site, Serranía de la Lindosa, Guaviare-Colombia.
My master’s research focused on analysing iron oxides from the Cerro Montoya archaeological site in Serranía de La Lindosa (Colombia) during the Late Pleistocene and Holocene. I examined the mineralogical composition and use-wear marks of such materials. Mineralogical analysis led to the identification of various minerals, including hematite, ochre, red earth, and others, with most of them displaying use-wear marks. These marks suggest diverse activities such as painting walls, human skin and hair, animal hides, and wooden items.
The most frequently used materials throughout the sequence were hematite, ochre, and red earth. Techniques employed by ancient peoples to obtain chromophore powder from those materials predominantly involved grinding and scoring. The data suggested that material procurement was local and not random since mineralogical preferences were evident throughout time. Additionally, intentional modifications to raw materials were identified from the early stages of human occupation dating back to 11,80-11,50 cal. ka BP.