This article summarises the history of cinnabar, from its first uses in burials to modern oils on
canvas. After a brief introduction on mercury and contamination issues, the article gets to the …

Naturally occurring minerals or their synthetic analogues have been important as pigments
used in artistic and cosmetic contexts in global antiquity. The analysis and identification of …

Always very enlightening, the knowledge of the composition and production of ancient
cosmetics has attracted the interest of diverse characterisation studies on archaeological …

Fresco wall paintings are one of the oldest artforms in our cultural heritage, dating back to
the second millennium BC. In this work, we carry out a thorough review on the evolution of …

Direct identification of organic colourants in heterogeneous matrices of cultural heritage
objects with very little or no sampling remains a challenging analytical task. A Raman …

The 200-kiloannus (ka) use of red ochre and shells by humans is interpreted as a simple
clue of symbolic thinking. Integration of multiple lines of evidence supports the opinion that …

This article reviews the analytical techniques and procedures used in the study of ancient
cosmetics, therapeutic chemicals, and remedies found in historical and archaeological sites …

Cosmetics have a long history in China, but their origins remain unclear. Cosmetic industry
potentially originated in the Spring and Autumn Period (770–476 bce), but little is known …

The enormous strides that have been made at the Arts/Science interface by the meticulous
application of Raman microscopy to the study of artwork and archaeological artefacts are …

The impact of Raman microscopy on the study of artwork and archaeological artefacts is
outlined. Important recent case studies are presented to illustrate the power of the technique …