Characterization of black deposit associated with rock paintings in Little Lost River Cave, Idaho using Pyrolysis GC

<p>A black, shiny coating overlies rock paintings in Little Lost River Cave no. 1, located in southeastern Idaho. If this coating is the result of human activity within the cave – a condensate from cooking fires, for example – then a radiocarbon date on the coating would provide a minimum age for the underlying paintings. The work reported here was undertaken to test the assumption that the coating has an anthropomorphic origin. Using pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (py-GC-MS) and thermally-assisted hydrolysis/methylation-GC-MS, we have compared samples of the black coating from Idaho to humic acid, a geologic material; an experimental cooking residue; and amberat from packrats. The results show that the coating is not amberat but bears the most similarity to humic acid, which would indicate a geologic origin for the coating. The age of the coating, then, is not related to the age of the paintings.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science (MS)

Level thesis:degree_level

Open Access Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Chemistry

Year

2005

Author dc:creator

• Fezzey, Sarah Therese

Contributors dc:contributor

• Ruth Ann Armitage, Ph.D.
• Heather Holmes, Ph.D.
• Rosemary Brady

• Mass spectrometry
• Gas chromatography
• Chemical reactions
• Pyrolysis
• Cave paintings
• Rock paintings Idaho Little Lost River Cave
• Chemistry

Repository record dc:identifier

https://commons.emich.edu/theses/115

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:commons.emich.edu:theses-1114