'Not all that is white is lime' - white substances from archaeological burial contexts: Analyses and interpretations

Schotsmans, E. M. J., Toksoy-Köksal, F., Brettell, R. C., Bessou, M., Corbineau, R., Lingle, A. M., Bouquin, D., Blanchard, P., Becker, K., Castex, D., Knüsel, C. J., Wilson, A. S. and Chapoulie, R. 2019. 'Not all that is white is lime' - white substances from archaeological burial contexts: Analyses and interpretations. Archaeometry 61 (4) , pp. 809-827. 10.1111/arcm.12453

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Abstract

Archaeological burial contexts may include a variety of white substances, but few analyses have been published. This study reports on the physico‐chemical characterization of such residues from seven archaeological sites. It is often assumed that white materials from burial contexts are lime. Our findings demonstrate that they can be gypsum, calcite (chalk), aragonite, brushite, degraded metal, natural (gum) resins or synthetic polymer–based products. These may be present as the result of diagenetic processes, funerary practices or modern contamination. This paper provides an analytical approach for the holistic investigation of white materials encountered in burial contexts.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	History, Archaeology and Religion
Publisher:	Wiley
ISSN:	0003-813X
Date of Acceptance:	12 November 2018
Last Modified:	04 Jan 2023 02:06
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/133311

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