BIOLOGICAL APPROACHES TO THE RESEARCH OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL ARTIFACTS FROM ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXCAVATION SITES USING THE SPECTROSCOPIC ANALYSIS OF AMBER

Abstract

Biophysical, in particular spectroscopic, research methods are tools for establishing the composition, and studying the structure and mechanisms of interaction in objects of animate and inanimate nature. Biophysical methods are currently used in studying the natural condensed matter, phase, and intermolecular interactions in such systems, particularly for the study of amber. Spectral methods have the advantage of the possibility of non-destructive analysis of the matter, which is important, for example, for archaeological research, and forensics jewelry, where the integrity of the objects of study occupies a key place. Thus, for these industries, FTIR spectroscopy plays an important role in the study of objects, thanks to the use of which it is possible to study the qualitative composition of substances, interpret the results obtained in the context of dating, and establish the origin of materials. The purpose of the work is to use FTIR spectroscopy to determine the material for the manufacture of beads found during archaeological excavations as amber products and to determine the source of their origin. The object of the study was 4 beads from Zolnik-2 sights of Mohrytsya-Zolniki. The FTIR spectroscopy of the disturbed total internal reflection was used to identify the material for the manufacture of beads. The presence in the substance transmission spectra of characteristic peaks inherent in the organic components of amber made it possible to establish that all 4 beads are made of amber, and not of glass, or vegetable resins of other types. In the study of the type of amber, it was determined that bead № 1 is made of Baltic amber, and beads № 2 and № 3 are made of Romanian-type amber. The conclusions are made based on the presence of marker compounds in succinic acid and its salts. The use of infrared spectroscopy to identify amber is an effective non-destructive method for the study of amber. With the help of FTIR spectroscopy, it was possible to determine the content of marker organic matter of amber in archaeological artifacts and, more importantly, to determine the probable type of amber from which the beads are made. These results confirm the importance of applying biophysical methods in related studies. For archaeological research, the results obtained are important, because the invasion of amber products is rare for the monuments of the Scythian time of the Forest-steppe Left Bank, especially ash trees.