论文标题：Absolute dating of lead carbonates in ancient cosmetics by radiocarbon

期刊：Communications Chemistry

作者：Lucile Beck, Ingrid Caffy, Emmanuelle Delqué-Koli?, Christophe Moreau, Jean-Pascal Dumoulin, Marion Perron, Hélène Guichard & Violaine Jeammet

发表时间：2018/06/28

数字识别码：10.1038/s42004-018-0034-y

原文链接：

https://www.nature.com/articles/s42004-018-0034-y?utm_source=Other_website&utm_medium=Website_links&utm_content=RenLi-Nature-Communications_Chemistry-Chemistry-China&utm_campaign=NEWCOMMS_USG_rlp8212_lead_sciencenet_article_July_1st

近期《通讯-化学》发表的一篇论文Absolute dating of lead carbonates in ancient cosmetics by radiocarbon提供了一种新方法，可以直接测定古希腊和古埃及时期化妆品的年代。考古学家或许还能通过这一方法测定远古艺术品和化妆品的年代。

图1：卢浮宫收藏的古埃及化妆罐，大多数仍装有化妆品。

CEA/Laurence Godart l.godart@free.fr

十九世纪前使用的白色颜料中常含有碳酸铅，而像碳酸铅这样的无机样本很难直接进行年代测定，因为碳测年法主要用于测定生物物质，例如骨骼。虽然碳酸铅含有放射性碳，但之前一直没能找到直接测定碳酸铅年代的方法。

图2：卢浮宫收藏的埃及和希腊的化妆品。

Beck et al./ Musée du Louvre, LMC14, C2RMF

现在，法国巴黎-萨克雷大学的Lucile Beck及合作者给出了一种测定碳酸铅年代的方法，并用该方法测定了古埃及和古希腊墓穴（公元前1500-公元前200年）中发现的化妆品样品的年代。由于这一方法检测的是制作碳酸铅时混入其中的空气中的碳，因此可以区分自然颜料和人造样品。

埃及化妆品的碳测年。四种角铅矿粉及其木制容器的历史可追溯至公元前（校正）1763至1216年。

Beck et al

作者指出，这一研究为考古学家测定古代物质的年代提供了有价值的方法。由于碳酸铅在历史上常被用作白色颜料，这一方法或许还能用来测定艺术品和画作的年龄。

摘要：Lead carbonate is one of the major compounds of art and archeology used as an ingredient in paint and cosmetics since Antiquity. Accelerator mass spectrometry radiocarbon dating is usually applied to organic remains. Here we extend radiocarbon dating to lead carbonate, an inorganic material. We demonstrate that lead carbonates can be dated. We also show that natural and manufactured make-up powders can be discriminated by radiocarbon. We find that cerussite used for cosmetics was a natural mineral during the Egyptian Kingdom and then a synthesized compound manufactured by the ancient Greeks. Furthermore, we confirm that phosgenite was artificially produced by the Egyptians about 3500 years ago. Our results confirm the expertize of ancient Egyptians and Greeks in the chemical synthesis of cosmetics. The detection of radiocarbon in lead carbonate holds great promise for art history and provides a new tool for the authentication of paintings by dating the lead white pigment.

阅读论文全文请访问：https://www.nature.com/articles/s42004-018-0034-y?utm_source=Other_website&utm_medium=Website_links&utm_content=RenLi-Nature-Communications_Chemistry-Chemistry-China&utm_campaign=NEWCOMMS_USG_rlp8212_lead_sciencenet_article_July_1st

期刊介绍：Communications Chemistry is an open access journal from Nature Research publishing high-quality research, reviews and commentary in all areas of the chemical sciences. Research papers published by the journal represent significant advances bringing new chemical insight to a specialized area of research.

（来源：科学网）