Les matières colorantes rouges et noires et les matières minérales dures de couleur verte

Résumé Fr En

Le site de Klimonas a livré des matériaux en roches vertes et des matières colorantes rouges, jaunes et noires. Ils ont fait l’objet d’un examen préliminaire et une sélection d’entre eux (N = 30) a été caractérisée par diffraction des rayons X (DRX) et élémentaires par spectrométrie de fluorescence des rayons X (XRF) afin d’en préciser la nature. Les analyses ont montré une composition homogène des matières colorantes, et quatre grands types de roches vertes. L’examen macroscopique de l’ensemble du corpus archéologique des matières colorantes (N = 143), a permis de distinguer sept groupes résultant de l’exploitation de différents types de matériaux. Quatre blocs portent des traces d’abrasion et 30 % des blocs ont des arêtes vives suggérant une préparation par concassage puis broyage, activité attestée par le colorant porté par une partie de l’outillage macrolithique. Les prospections géologiques réalisées ont permis d’identifier des gites de roches vertes et notamment un gîte primaire de picrolite. Des sources de matières colorantes rouges et jaunes ont été identifiées, mais elles diffèrent des matériaux de Klimonas.

The Klimonas site yielded greenstone materials and red, yellow and black colouring materials. These materials were examined and a selection (N = 30) were characterised in order to determine their nature. Preliminary geological surveys were also carried out in an attempt to determine their origin. The examination of the colouring materials (samples > 1 cm; N = 143) was based on the recording of about ten macroscopic parameters. These studies distinguished seven groups resulting from different types of materials. Four blocks bore traces of use resulting from direct abrasion, while 30% of the blocks have sharp edges suggesting preparation by crushing and then grinding, an activity attested by the colouring material residues on the grindstones. The analyses included 14 green and 16 red, yellow and black fragments. These were analysed mineralogically by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and elementally by X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF). The XRD results of the green materials distinguished four associations: i) quartz/phyllites (# 5); ii) heulandite and analcime (# 6), with illite, with quartz (#14), with alteration or metamorphic products (#10): jarosite (pyrite), malachite (copper), anthophyllite (olivine; # 6, 10, 14); iii) copper oxidation minerals: brochantite (# 9), malachite (# 8) with gypsum, albite, illite, variscite (# 16); iv) picrolite (serpentine; # 12, 13, 15, 18), serpentine and actinote (# 7, 11, 17). XRD results of the colouring materials showed the presence of hematite and goethite. Nevertheless, three associations can be distinguished: i) kaolinite (rare illite), hematite/goethite/quartz (# 19, 22, 25, 27, 29, 32, 33); ii) iron oxides/kaolinite/calcite (# 31, 34); iii) apatite/hematite (# 30). XRF analysis gave results comparable to those of XRD. The green and red samples contained mainly silica and silicates. In addition to high Si contents, they contained K, Fe, Al. Cu dominates in the malachite, and is associated with sulphur in # 16. The samples from metamorphic contexts are characterised by the presence of Si, Ca, Al and Fe. K is systematically absent. Ni and Cr are associated with ophiolites. The colouring matters vary slightly: Fe, Si, Al dominate (clay matrix), and the minors and traces are numerous and redundant. Geological surveys have attempted to identify the sources of colouring and green materials. The bibliography shows that in Cyprus, several types of formations contain iron oxides: umbers of the Perapedhi formation and gossan in contact with pillow basalts. For green materials, the bibliography located picrolite deposits at the top of the Troodos. The Kouris and Karyotis rivers carry it to the coast. Malachite is associated with copper deposits on the island. Geological surveys have located colouring materials in radiolarites and gossan, but these materials are unfortunately very different from those found in Klimonas. However, the systematic prospection of the Kouris Valley (southern flank of the Troodos) allowed us to identify a primary picrolite deposit, and sources of malachite and heulandite were identified in the southern margin of the Troodos.