Non-invasive investigation of a pre-Hispanic Maya screenfold book: The Madrid Codex

David Buti; Davide Domenici; Costanza Miliani; Conception García Sáiz; Teresa Gómez Espinoza; Feliz Jímenez Villalba; Ana Verde Casanova; Aldo Romani; Federica Presciutti; Brenda Doherty; Bruno Giovanni Brunetti; Antonio Sgamellotti

doi:10.1016/j.jas.2013.08.008

Non-invasive investigation of a pre-Hispanic Maya screenfold book: The Madrid Codex

David Buti
, Davide Domenici
, Costanza Miliani
, Conception García Sáiz
, Teresa Gómez Espinoza
, Feliz Jímenez Villalba
, Ana Verde Casanova
, Aldo Romani
, Federica Presciutti
, Brenda Doherty
, Bruno Giovanni Brunetti
, Antonio Sgamellotti

CNR-ISTM, Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie Molecolari, Perugia (IT)
Dipartimento di Paleografia e Medievistica, Universita' di Bologna, Piazza S. Giovanni In Monte 2, 40124 Bologna, Italy
Museo de América, Avenida de los Reyes Católicos, 28040 Madrid, Spain
Centro di Eccellenza SMAArt (Scientific Methodologies Applied to Archaeology and Art), Dipartimento di Chimica, Università di Perugia, Via Elce di sotto, 8, IT-06123 Perugia, Italy
Dipartimento di Chimica, Università di Firenze, Polo Scientifico, Via della Lastruccia 3, Sesto Fiorentino, Firenze, Italy

Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review

Abstract

The Madrid Codex, one of only a few existing pre-Hispanic Maya codices that survived the Spanish destruction, has been analysed in situ at the Museo de América in Madrid by means of an array of non-invasive techniques. This investigation has provided information concerning the colouring materials used in its manufacture, namely calcium carbonate, red ochre, vegetal carbon black and Maya blue pigments observing bright blue to grey hues. A discussion of archaeological implications of the materials identified, as well as some comparative observations with those previously acquired on the Central Mexican Codex Cospi have been addressed.

Original language	English
Journal	Journal of Archaeological Science
Volume	42
Pages (from-to)	166-178
ISSN	0305-4403
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2013.08.008
Publication status	Published - 2014
Externally published	Yes

Keywords

Mesoamerican codices
Non-invasive techniques
Maya blue

Access to Document

10.1016/j.jas.2013.08.008

Cite this

Buti, D., Domenici, D., Miliani, C., García Sáiz, C., Gómez Espinoza, T., Jímenez Villalba, F., Verde Casanova, A., Romani, A., Presciutti, F., Doherty, B., Brunetti, B. G., & Sgamellotti, A. (2014). Non-invasive investigation of a pre-Hispanic Maya screenfold book: The Madrid Codex. Journal of Archaeological Science, 42, 166-178. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2013.08.008

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title = "Non-invasive investigation of a pre-Hispanic Maya screenfold book: The Madrid Codex",

abstract = "The Madrid Codex, one of only a few existing pre-Hispanic Maya codices that survived the Spanish destruction, has been analysed in situ at the Museo de Am{\'e}rica in Madrid by means of an array of non-invasive techniques. This investigation has provided information concerning the colouring materials used in its manufacture, namely calcium carbonate, red ochre, vegetal carbon black and Maya blue pigments observing bright blue to grey hues. A discussion of archaeological implications of the materials identified, as well as some comparative observations with those previously acquired on the Central Mexican Codex Cospi have been addressed.",

keywords = "Mesoamerican codices, Non-invasive techniques, Maya blue",

author = "David Buti and Davide Domenici and Costanza Miliani and \{Garc{\'i}a S{\'a}iz\}, Conception and \{G{\'o}mez Espinoza\}, Teresa and \{J{\'i}menez Villalba\}, Feliz and \{Verde Casanova\}, Ana and Aldo Romani and Federica Presciutti and Brenda Doherty and Brunetti, \{Bruno Giovanni\} and Antonio Sgamellotti",

year = "2014",

doi = "10.1016/j.jas.2013.08.008",

language = "English",

volume = "42",

pages = "166--178",

journal = "Journal of Archaeological Science",

issn = "0305-4403",

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Buti, D, Domenici, D, Miliani, C, García Sáiz, C, Gómez Espinoza, T, Jímenez Villalba, F, Verde Casanova, A, Romani, A, Presciutti, F, Doherty, B, Brunetti, BG & Sgamellotti, A 2014, 'Non-invasive investigation of a pre-Hispanic Maya screenfold book: The Madrid Codex', Journal of Archaeological Science, vol. 42, pp. 166-178. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2013.08.008

TY - JOUR

T1 - Non-invasive investigation of a pre-Hispanic Maya screenfold book: The Madrid Codex

AU - Buti, David

AU - Domenici, Davide

AU - Miliani, Costanza

AU - García Sáiz, Conception

AU - Gómez Espinoza, Teresa

AU - Jímenez Villalba, Feliz

AU - Verde Casanova, Ana

AU - Romani, Aldo

AU - Presciutti, Federica

AU - Doherty, Brenda

AU - Brunetti, Bruno Giovanni

AU - Sgamellotti, Antonio

PY - 2014

Y1 - 2014

N2 - The Madrid Codex, one of only a few existing pre-Hispanic Maya codices that survived the Spanish destruction, has been analysed in situ at the Museo de América in Madrid by means of an array of non-invasive techniques. This investigation has provided information concerning the colouring materials used in its manufacture, namely calcium carbonate, red ochre, vegetal carbon black and Maya blue pigments observing bright blue to grey hues. A discussion of archaeological implications of the materials identified, as well as some comparative observations with those previously acquired on the Central Mexican Codex Cospi have been addressed.

AB - The Madrid Codex, one of only a few existing pre-Hispanic Maya codices that survived the Spanish destruction, has been analysed in situ at the Museo de América in Madrid by means of an array of non-invasive techniques. This investigation has provided information concerning the colouring materials used in its manufacture, namely calcium carbonate, red ochre, vegetal carbon black and Maya blue pigments observing bright blue to grey hues. A discussion of archaeological implications of the materials identified, as well as some comparative observations with those previously acquired on the Central Mexican Codex Cospi have been addressed.

KW - Mesoamerican codices

KW - Non-invasive techniques

KW - Maya blue

U2 - 10.1016/j.jas.2013.08.008

DO - 10.1016/j.jas.2013.08.008

M3 - Journal article

SN - 0305-4403

VL - 42

SP - 166

EP - 178

JO - Journal of Archaeological Science

JF - Journal of Archaeological Science

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