On The X-Ray Fluorescence Analysis of Paints on the Erkurgan Fresco (Uzbekistan)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24852/2587-6112.2026.5.230.243Keywords:
archaeology, monumental painting, Erkurgan fortified settlement, palace complex (3rd century AD), city temple (3rd-4th centuries AD), fresco, mineral paints, elemental composition, x-ray fluorescence analysis, portable xrf-spectrometer, UzbekistanAbstract
The paper deals with the results of an elemental analysis of scattered fragments of monumental painting from the ancient fortified settlement of Erkurgan in the Kashkadarya region of Uzbekistan are presented. A part of the fragments found in the excavation of the city temple, dated from the 3rd-4th centuries AD, can be identified as fragments of a fresco based on the results of the inspection. The fragments found in the excavation of the palace complex, dated to the 3rd century AD, have been identified as fragments of loess-based paintings made using the dry plaster painting technique typical for Central Asia. To confirm the identification of the temple fragments, the elemental composition of red, yellow, white and black paints was determined on four fragments of a potential fresco. For comparison, an analysis was also conducted on pigments from seven painting fragments found in the palace complex. The calcium content on the surface of the paint layer of the potential fresco is significantly higher than the calcium content on the surface of the painting applied to dry plaster. This indicates the presence of a calcite layer on the surface of the samples from the temple. This is a sign that the painting of the temple complex was done with paints on wet lime plaster, i.e. it is indeed a fresco. Elemental analysis made it possible to identify the mineral pigments from which the paints were made. Iron-containing minerals such as ochre or hematite were used for red and yellow paints, and calcite or gypsum – for white one. The energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence portable spectrometer vanta element was used for analysis.
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