ARCHAEOLOGY OF COLOURS. SEM-EDX ANALYSIS OF PIGMENT MIXTURES FROM PRE-HISPANIC CERAMICS OF THE PARANA RIVER BASIN (ENTRE RIOS PROVINCE, NORTHEAST ARGENTINA)

This paper presents the initial results of the physical-chemical analysis of red and white pigment mixtures used to decorate archaeological ceramics found at sites in the middle and lower Parana River basin (Entre Rios province, Northeast Argentina). The material analyzed corresponds to ceramic assemblages associated with Goya-Malabrigo groups, chronologically situated at the end of the Late Holocene. The SEM-EDX technique is used to provide a preliminary characterization of the paints' inorganic elements. The analysis revealed high concentrations of Fe in red paints, while white paints displayed some variability in their composition, but with notable levels of Ca and P. These results provide a starting point for a discussion of the groups' technological choices in regard to pigment preparation.