Description du projet :
Since its beginnings, radiocarbon dating (14C) has become indispensable for
establishing the chronology of past events, particularly in the field of archaeology 1-2.
However, the method reaches its limits when there are few remnants of the original layout of archaeological sites and little organic material is found. Recent advances, such as the reduction in sample size required to obtain a 14C age, have encouraged the development of innovative strategies encompassing a wider range of materials that can be used for dating in the field of cultural heritage 3,19-24. In particular, it has been shown that the most commonly use white pigment, a basic lead carbonate pigment, retains the 14C signature of atmospheric CO2 during its production and can therefore be used as a dating indicator 25-32. In the proposed project, we argue that similarly to lead carbonates, copper carbonate corrosion products formed in mineralised textiles retain valuable chronological information that can be accessed by 14C dating. These textiles are preserved owing to their close association with corroded
copper-based metal artefacts, as in burial contexts. They are ideal for dating
archaeological sites, as they result of one of the earliest craft technologies developed by humans in time and can therefore be directly linked to their activities 4-8. For a better interpretation of the obtained 14C ages, the nucleation and authigenic growth of these carbonates will be studied using a multimodal tomographic approach combining both X-rays and neutrons.
Premise: The study of mineralised textiles using advanced imaging techniques and molecular analysis has shown that they retain important sources of knowledge 14,33-34,52. However, no age information can be obtained using standard 14C protocols, which only target organic material. Although, carbonates are known to preserve chronological information, no study has yet explored the potential of copper carbonates from mineralised textiles for establishing the chronology of archaeological sites.
Specific Aims: In this work, we aim to (i) explore the potential of copper (II) carbonate corrosion products as time capsules for 14C dating and (ii) characterise and elucidate the authigenesis of these neo-formed carbonates, leading to the exceptional state of preservation of mineralised textiles in temperate climates.
Novelty and potential impact: An innovative 14C dating strategy targeting copper (II) carbonates will be developed to extract temporal information from highly mineralised textiles. An approach that could offer a new route for dating archaeological sites in the absence of organic remains, and could thus stimulate the revision of many 'cold' archaeological cases. The underlying physico-chemical mechanism responsible for the nucleation and growth of these carbonates, and for the exceptional preservation of the textiles, will be assessed using a multimodal tomographic approach combining X-rays and neutrons. This will allow the interpretation of the 14C ages obtained and offer new insights into textile production, craftsmanship and the social practices of past
societies.
Equipe de recherche au sein de la HES-SO:
Iacconi Clémence
, Portmann Cyril
, Hendriks Laura
Durée du projet:
01.03.2025 - 28.02.2026
Statut: En cours
SWITCH edu-ID
Administration
