Archaeometrical investigation of figurines from the ancient city of Akanthos in Chalkidice

The study focuses on the painting decoration of the figurines of ancient Akanthοs Chalkidice, and in particular, on the identification of their pigments. Special attention was given to development of the appropriate methodology for examining the ancient pigments. The pigments survived on the terracotta’s surfaces were investigated by means of Polarized Ligth Microscopy (PLM) and XRF spectroscopy. To confirm this initial identification, other physicochemical analyzes, were also used (SEM-EDX, FTIR, Raman Spectroscopy). In general, the following inorganic pigments were identified: Red Ocher- Hematite, Vermilion − Cinnabarite, Yellow Ocher − Goethite and Egyptian Blue − Cuprorivaite and copper glass. Since archaeometric studies on the polychrome of terracotta figurines from the Northern Greece are limited, the results of this study are compared with data obtained from similar finds excavated from other sites in central Macedonia that had been previously examined.