Analysis of Two Sherds Recovered from an Underwater Site along the Atlantic Coast of Terra del Fuego, Argentina

Summary

This is an abstract from the session entitled "Plus Ultra: An examination of current research in Spanish Colonial/Iberian Underwater and Terrestrial Archaeology in the Western Hemisphere." , at the 2020 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

Two sherds recovered from an underwater site along the Atlantic coast of Terra del Fuego, Argentina were analyzed by neutron activation analysis (NAA) and laser ablation inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). The purpose of the analysis was to determine if they might be of Spanish origin, which in turn might support – although not prove – they might have come from the Spanish merchant vessel Purisima Concepción which wrecked in this area in 1765. The NAA data from the sherds were compared to a worldwide ceramics database (>100,000 sherds) to identify their most probable origin. The results suggest a probable origin of Spain and more specifically the Sevilla region. Analyses of the paints and glaze present on the sherds by LA-ICP-MS indicate the use of a copper-based green pigment and lead-tin glaze.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for Historical Archaeology 2020   •
• Plus Ultra: An examination of current research in Spanish Colonial/Iberian Underwater and Terrestrial Archaeology in the Western Hemisphere.

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Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 531