Quartz Crystallite Size and Moganite Content as Indicators of the Mineralogical Maturity of the Carboniferous Chert: The Case of Cherts from Eastern Asturias (Spain)

Minerals

Pedro Álvarez-Lloret¹  Celia Marcos¹  María de Uribe-Zorita¹  Patricia Fernández²  Pablo Arias²  Alaa Adawy³ 

[1] Departamento Geología, University of Oviedo, Jesús Arias de Velasco s/n, 33005 Oviedo, Spain;Instituto Internacional de Investigaciones Prehistóricas de Cantabria, Edificio Interfacultativo, University of Cantabria, Av. de los Castros, 52, 39005 Santander, Spain;Laboratory of High-Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy, Edificio Severo Ochoa s/n, Campus de El Cristo, Institute for Scientific and Technological Resources, University of Oviedo, 33006 Oviedo, Spain;

关键词: chert;    crystallite size;    moganite;    Carboniferous;   

DOI  :  10.3390/min11060611

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Chert samples from different coastal and inland outcrops in the Eastern Asturias (Spain) were mineralogically investigated for the first time for archaeological purposes. X-ray diffraction, X-ray fluorescence, transmission electron microscopy, infrared and Raman spectroscopy and total organic carbon techniques were used. The low content of moganite, since its detection by X-ray diffraction is practically imperceptible, and the crystallite size (over 1000 Å) of the quartz in these cherts would be indicative of its maturity and could potentially be used for dating chert-tools recovered from archaeological sites. Also, this information can constitute essential data to differentiate the cherts and compare them with those used in archaeological tools. However, neither composition nor crystallite size would allow distinguishing between coastal and inland chert outcrops belonging to the same geological formations.

【 授权许可】

Unknown