Fingerprinting of iron-rich natural pigments commonly known as ochre, provides the opportunity to trace the cultural movement of these ochres in the archaeological past. This manuscript presents a proof-of-concept approach to the analysis and characterisation of ochre deposits, through the application of magnetic analytical methods. The use of measurements such as room temperature – saturation isothermal remnant magnetisation (RT-SIRM), isothermal magnetisation sweeps (hysteresis loops) and zero-field-cooled/field-cooled (ZFC-FC) remanence allow for the identification of a magnetic mineral profile in the ochre samples, which can, in turn, be used to fingerprint sources. Using low-temperature remanence and hysteresis measurements, we have demonstrated the ability to discriminate between geological contexts and thereby contribute to the greater goal of tracing cultural exchange via the movement of ochre from their original sources.

中文翻译：

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一种使用矿物磁测量对赭石源进行指纹识别的新方法


对通常称为赭石的富含铁的天然色素进行指纹识别，为追溯这些赭石在考古历史上的文化运动提供了机会。本手稿通过应用磁性分析方法提出了一种分析和表征赭石矿床的概念验证方法。使用室温-饱和等温残余磁化 （RT-SIRM）、等温磁化扫描（磁滞回线）和零场冷/场冷 （ZFC-FC） 剩磁等测量方法，可以识别赭石样品中的磁性矿物分布，进而可用于指纹源。使用低温剩磁和磁滞测量，我们已经证明了区分地质环境的能力，从而有助于通过赭石从原始来源移动来追踪文化交流的更大目标。