Microanalysis of Late Stone Age Rock Art Ochre Pigments in Eswatini

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2024: Individual Abstracts" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Eswatini is home to several rock art sites of the Late Stone Age in Southern Africa. Ochres, iron-oxide rich pigments, are present in many of these sites but their compositions are yet unknown. Previous studies of ochres have shown the potential for the identification of trade, resource management, and other aspects of human behavior. The analysis of ochres in Eswatini rock art has implications for mineral selection in the Late Stone Age and could lead to future studies of ochre sourcing in Eswatini. Samples were taken from seven sites in northern (Sibebe, Nsangwini, Ntjoni, Mkhumbane, Nkamberi), southern (Nhlonhleni), and eastern (Muti Muti) Eswatini and were analyzed by SEM-EDS and Raman spectroscopy. The preliminary microanalysis is presented here and shows iron oxides, iron-rich clays, manganese oxides, and other mineral compounds.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• SAA 2024: Individual Abstracts   •
• Society for American Archaeology 89th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA (2024)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 38949.0