Books by Aaron Shugar
Archaeometallurgy in Ancient Mesoamerica, Jan 13, 2013
The advent of metallurgy in Mesoamerica followed millennia of non-metallic tool and ornament prod... more The advent of metallurgy in Mesoamerica followed millennia of non-metallic tool and ornament production, during which time sophisticated lithic, ceramic and other material traditions grew and changed throughout the region. In contrast, metal objects appear late in Mesoamerican history and metallurgy developed over a considerably shorter span of time, probably just several centuries. The first copper and alloyed copper objects were produced in West Mexico sometime between AD 600-650 (Hosler 1994) and copper was the predominant metal used throughout ancient Mesoamerica.
While it appears that metal never fully replaced stone, bone or shell for either utilitarian or non-utilitarian purposes, metal objects had clearly been embraced by some Mesoamerican peoples during late precolumbian times (Bray 1971, 1977; Hosler 1994, 2004; Maldonado 2003; Paris 2008; Pendergast 1961; Simmons 2005; Simmons and Shugar 2008). Despite calls more than three decades ago (Bray 1971, 1977; Pendergast 1961) for more intensive study of this important technological innovation, metallurgy in ancient Mesoamerica is still not very well understood.
Fortunately, this situation is changing. In the last decade a number of researchers have begun to address various social, economic and technological aspects of metallurgy in ancient Mesoamerica. This volume aims to highlight the work of a new generation of anthropologists and archaeologists engaged in this research. In this volume we present current approaches to the study of archaeometallurgy in Middle America as well as new perspectives on the significance of metallurgy in the lives of ancient Mesoamericans. The papers in the volume were presented in a Society for American Archaeology symposium held on March 28, 2008 in Vancouver, British Columbia entitled “Current Archaeometallurgical Research in Mesoamerica: New Approaches, Discoveries and Perspectives.”
A central theme of this volume is exploration of the varied social contexts in which metallurgical traditions were organized in ancient Mesoamerica. Specifically, authors examine the ways metallurgy and metal objects were integrated into the multifaceted social and cultural realms of ancient Mesoamerican peoples. Using different theoretical, methodological and interdisciplinary perspectives, the papers here focus on archaeometallurgical investigations that are currently being conducted throughout Middle America. While perspectives may differ the work of each of the volume’s authors is firmly grounded in an anthropologically informed understanding of the past.
Scientific technical studies can provide detailed and very useful information on metallurgical technologies, activities and use. Although discussions of the technological aspects of mining and metallurgy are necessary, particularly since there is still much we do not understand about metallurgical technologies in ancient Mesoamerica, such discussions are seen here as contributing to a larger discourse on the social significance of ancient Mesoamerican metallurgy. Information derived from such analyses is used by the authors of this volume as one method to enhance our understanding of the roles that metal objects played in the larger complex social milieu of ancient Mesoamerican life.
A variety of alternative sources have been used to inform researchers’ perspectives on the ways metal objects were regarded and used in the multi-layered sacred and material worlds of ancient Mesoamericans. Data obtained from archaeological investigations, ethnohistoric sources, ethnographic studies, as well as materials science analyses, are brought to bear on questions related to the integration of metallurgy into local and regional economies, the sacred connotations of copper objects, metallurgy as specialized crafting, and the nature of mining, alloy technology and metal fabrication, among others.
Several authors, including Elizabeth Paris, Carlos Peraza, Laura Richardson Aaron Shugar, Ed Schortman, Patricia Urban, Aaron Shugar, Scott Simmons and John Weeks, examine Postclassic and Spanish Colonial Period archaeological remains of ancient Maya metallurgy in Yucatan, Mexico, western Honduras, northern Belize and western Guatemala. Their studies explore the various contexts in which copper artifacts and production features are found as well as ancient production technologies and the social significance copper held in the lives of the people who made and used them. Hans Roskamp reviews 16th century ethnohistorical sources of information on the sacred origins of Tarascan metallurgy in the West Mexican state of Michoacán. Niklas Schulze presents data and interpretations derived from materials analyses, including geochemical composition and fabrication methods, of copper bells recovered from the Templo Mayor in the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan. Blanca Maldonado provides an overview of recent archaeological, ethnographic and ethnohistorical studies of ancient mining and metallurgy in West Mexico. Dorothy Hosler contributes a concluding chapter wherein she remarks on the contributions current research efforts have had toward illuminating the nature of metallurgical traditions in ancient Mesoamerican societies.
The volume has 9 chapters, including an introduction to the volume. Seven of these chapters are from symposium participants and one is an invited paper by John Weeks. The final chapter of the volume is written by Dorothy Hosler, who could not attend the symposium. Her pioneering work in the field of Mesoamerican archaeometallurgy, which has now spanned over two decades, has informed and inspired the work of many of the symposium’s participants; her contribution is more synthetic in nature.
A multinational group of scholars contribute to this volume. These researchers are from the United States (Dorothy Hosler, Elizabeth Paris, Laura Richardson, Ed Schortman, Scott Simmons, Patricia Urban and John Weeks), Canada (Aaron Shugar), Mexico (Blanca Maldonado and Carlos Peraza Lope), Germany (Niklas Shulze) and the Netherlands (Hans Roskamp). The volume will include papers from every nation in Mesoamerica, with the exception of El Salvador."
Book Chapters by Aaron Shugar
Advances in Portable X-Ray Spectrometry
Uncertainty for laboratory instrumentation adheres to the general guide for uncertainty in measur... more Uncertainty for laboratory instrumentation adheres to the general guide for uncertainty in measurement (GUM). However, portable X-ray fluorescence technology does not lend itself comfortably to the GUM framework for two reasons: calibration models are often kept proprietary by manufacturers and uncertainty is needed on single observation measurements. The present chapter outlines an approach that is feasible across instrumentation, regardless of whether calibration methods are disclosed. In addition, a review of quantitative and qualitative uncertainty is provided for reference.
Aluminum: History, Technology, and Conservation: Proceedings from the 2014 International Conference. (eds) Claudia Chemello, Malcolm Collum, Paul Mardikian, Joseph Sembrat, Lisa Young, 2019
Subliming Surfaces: Volatile Binding Media in Heritage Conservation, 2018
Cyclododecane (CDD) is commonly used in the eld of conservation as a temporary consolidant for fr... more Cyclododecane (CDD) is commonly used in the eld of conservation as a temporary consolidant for fragile materials and painted surfaces. Applied as either a hot melt or dissolved in solvent, the volatile binder will solidify, forming elongated crystals; the crystal size depends on the time the CDD takes to set, the application method(s) employed and the atmospheric conditions at the location of application. Normally, CDD will sublime from surfaces of an artefact within a matter of weeks or months (de-pending on its thickness and local environmental conditions), but if wrapped in airtight packaging, it will remain more or less intact on the artefact. However, it has been observed that over time the CDD crystals appear more granular in shape, while the lm becomes less wax-like in appearance. It also appears that the CDD crystals are mobile, and once sublimed they can re-deposit on surrounding packaging materials within airtight enclosures. Concern has been expressed that the growth, uctuating size, and re-deposition of CDD crystals on and within a fragile porous substrate may exert pressure within pores and cracks, causing micro-damage to the artefact that it is meant to be supporting. The objective of this project is to observe the formation and changing structure of CDD crystals and their e ect on painted porous surfaces. To investigate the interaction of CDD with absorbent and weak substrates, mock-ups of fragile painted plaster were prepared using coarse quartz sand, gypsum powder and calcium carbonate, loosely bound with animal glue on wooden supports. Pigment loosely bound in gum arabic was painted onto the surface of the plaster. CDD was applied to each of the mock-ups as either a hot melt or dissolved in Stoddard solvent. Sublimation of the CDD was controlled by placing the mock-ups within polyethy-lene enclosures in order to restrict air movement around them. The temperature within the enclosure was uctuated in order to encourage sublima-tion and re-deposition of crystals. Time-lapse mi-crophotography recorded the behaviour of the CDD crystals regularly over a span of six weeks. Scanning electron microscopy and confocal microscopy were utilised before application and after sublimation of CDD to characterise the surface morphology and porosity of the substrate, and to observe any damage that the CDD crystals may have caused to the surface of the artefact. Three computations were used in conjuction with confocal microscopy in order to analyse the topographic deviations caused by CDD interaction: surface subtraction, pro le extraction, and horizontal contour extraction. Surface subtraction indicated an average change in surface topography totalling-µm. Pro le extraction revealed minute surface variation due to CDD interaction, and horizontal contour extraction revealed alteration in particle morphology. SEM imaging revealed that CDD crystal formation extended cracks and caused cleavage or lifting of the ground layer. It was concluded that CDD may be altering the original surface of the samples by widening pre-existing cracks, altering particle morphology, and inducing minor elevation changes in the overall topography. However, it does not impart a new texture to the plaster nor does it appear to cause new or original cracks in the substrate. Subliming Surfaces: Volatile Binding Media in Heritage Conservation
Ben-Yosef, E. and Goren, Y. (eds.): Mining for Copper: Essays in Honor of Professor Beno Rothenberg, 2018
Copper ores from the Ghassulian Beersheva site of Abu Matar were investigated for their mineralog... more Copper ores from the Ghassulian Beersheva site of Abu Matar were investigated for their mineralogy, micro-chemistry and lead isotope ratios. The results indicate that the majority of the ores excavated on site correspond with the mining site of Feinan. An additional ore type does not correspond with Feinan and offers closer association with ore formations in Anatolia and the Cuasases.
University Press of Colorado, 2013
Chapter 4 in Archaeometallurgy in Mesoamerica (Shugar and Simmons), 2013
This chapter seeks to contribute to our understanding of the role metallurgy played in southern M... more This chapter seeks to contribute to our understanding of the role metallurgy played in southern Mesoamerican prehistory. We do this by describing in some detail evidence of a copper workshop that came to light at the Terminal Classic (AD 800-1000) center of El Coyote, northwestern Honduras; detailing evidence concerning dates for copper processing there; and briefly considering the implications of these finds for understanding past political economies that operated on multiple spatial scales in southern Mesoamerica. The chapter concludes with some suggestions for future research into metallurgy among populations generally thought to have been consumers, not producers, of metal goods.
In Archaeological Chemistry VIII, 173-193. American Chemical Society., Oct 2013
Handheld XRF for Art and Archaeology - Leuven University Press, 2012
Reprint from "Handheld XRF" -ISBN 978 90 5867 907 9 -© Leuven University Press
Studies in Archaeological Sciences - Leuven University Press, 2012
Reprint from "Handheld XRF" -ISBN 978 90 5867 907 9 -© Leuven University Press
Leuven University Press, Dec 2012
Reprint from "Handheld XRF" -ISBN 978 90 5867 907 9 -© Leuven University Press
Leuven University Press, Dec 2012
Reprint from "Handheld XRF" -ISBN 978 90 5867 907 9 -© Leuven University Press
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Books by Aaron Shugar
While it appears that metal never fully replaced stone, bone or shell for either utilitarian or non-utilitarian purposes, metal objects had clearly been embraced by some Mesoamerican peoples during late precolumbian times (Bray 1971, 1977; Hosler 1994, 2004; Maldonado 2003; Paris 2008; Pendergast 1961; Simmons 2005; Simmons and Shugar 2008). Despite calls more than three decades ago (Bray 1971, 1977; Pendergast 1961) for more intensive study of this important technological innovation, metallurgy in ancient Mesoamerica is still not very well understood.
Fortunately, this situation is changing. In the last decade a number of researchers have begun to address various social, economic and technological aspects of metallurgy in ancient Mesoamerica. This volume aims to highlight the work of a new generation of anthropologists and archaeologists engaged in this research. In this volume we present current approaches to the study of archaeometallurgy in Middle America as well as new perspectives on the significance of metallurgy in the lives of ancient Mesoamericans. The papers in the volume were presented in a Society for American Archaeology symposium held on March 28, 2008 in Vancouver, British Columbia entitled “Current Archaeometallurgical Research in Mesoamerica: New Approaches, Discoveries and Perspectives.”
A central theme of this volume is exploration of the varied social contexts in which metallurgical traditions were organized in ancient Mesoamerica. Specifically, authors examine the ways metallurgy and metal objects were integrated into the multifaceted social and cultural realms of ancient Mesoamerican peoples. Using different theoretical, methodological and interdisciplinary perspectives, the papers here focus on archaeometallurgical investigations that are currently being conducted throughout Middle America. While perspectives may differ the work of each of the volume’s authors is firmly grounded in an anthropologically informed understanding of the past.
Scientific technical studies can provide detailed and very useful information on metallurgical technologies, activities and use. Although discussions of the technological aspects of mining and metallurgy are necessary, particularly since there is still much we do not understand about metallurgical technologies in ancient Mesoamerica, such discussions are seen here as contributing to a larger discourse on the social significance of ancient Mesoamerican metallurgy. Information derived from such analyses is used by the authors of this volume as one method to enhance our understanding of the roles that metal objects played in the larger complex social milieu of ancient Mesoamerican life.
A variety of alternative sources have been used to inform researchers’ perspectives on the ways metal objects were regarded and used in the multi-layered sacred and material worlds of ancient Mesoamericans. Data obtained from archaeological investigations, ethnohistoric sources, ethnographic studies, as well as materials science analyses, are brought to bear on questions related to the integration of metallurgy into local and regional economies, the sacred connotations of copper objects, metallurgy as specialized crafting, and the nature of mining, alloy technology and metal fabrication, among others.
Several authors, including Elizabeth Paris, Carlos Peraza, Laura Richardson Aaron Shugar, Ed Schortman, Patricia Urban, Aaron Shugar, Scott Simmons and John Weeks, examine Postclassic and Spanish Colonial Period archaeological remains of ancient Maya metallurgy in Yucatan, Mexico, western Honduras, northern Belize and western Guatemala. Their studies explore the various contexts in which copper artifacts and production features are found as well as ancient production technologies and the social significance copper held in the lives of the people who made and used them. Hans Roskamp reviews 16th century ethnohistorical sources of information on the sacred origins of Tarascan metallurgy in the West Mexican state of Michoacán. Niklas Schulze presents data and interpretations derived from materials analyses, including geochemical composition and fabrication methods, of copper bells recovered from the Templo Mayor in the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan. Blanca Maldonado provides an overview of recent archaeological, ethnographic and ethnohistorical studies of ancient mining and metallurgy in West Mexico. Dorothy Hosler contributes a concluding chapter wherein she remarks on the contributions current research efforts have had toward illuminating the nature of metallurgical traditions in ancient Mesoamerican societies.
The volume has 9 chapters, including an introduction to the volume. Seven of these chapters are from symposium participants and one is an invited paper by John Weeks. The final chapter of the volume is written by Dorothy Hosler, who could not attend the symposium. Her pioneering work in the field of Mesoamerican archaeometallurgy, which has now spanned over two decades, has informed and inspired the work of many of the symposium’s participants; her contribution is more synthetic in nature.
A multinational group of scholars contribute to this volume. These researchers are from the United States (Dorothy Hosler, Elizabeth Paris, Laura Richardson, Ed Schortman, Scott Simmons, Patricia Urban and John Weeks), Canada (Aaron Shugar), Mexico (Blanca Maldonado and Carlos Peraza Lope), Germany (Niklas Shulze) and the Netherlands (Hans Roskamp). The volume will include papers from every nation in Mesoamerica, with the exception of El Salvador."
Book Chapters by Aaron Shugar
While it appears that metal never fully replaced stone, bone or shell for either utilitarian or non-utilitarian purposes, metal objects had clearly been embraced by some Mesoamerican peoples during late precolumbian times (Bray 1971, 1977; Hosler 1994, 2004; Maldonado 2003; Paris 2008; Pendergast 1961; Simmons 2005; Simmons and Shugar 2008). Despite calls more than three decades ago (Bray 1971, 1977; Pendergast 1961) for more intensive study of this important technological innovation, metallurgy in ancient Mesoamerica is still not very well understood.
Fortunately, this situation is changing. In the last decade a number of researchers have begun to address various social, economic and technological aspects of metallurgy in ancient Mesoamerica. This volume aims to highlight the work of a new generation of anthropologists and archaeologists engaged in this research. In this volume we present current approaches to the study of archaeometallurgy in Middle America as well as new perspectives on the significance of metallurgy in the lives of ancient Mesoamericans. The papers in the volume were presented in a Society for American Archaeology symposium held on March 28, 2008 in Vancouver, British Columbia entitled “Current Archaeometallurgical Research in Mesoamerica: New Approaches, Discoveries and Perspectives.”
A central theme of this volume is exploration of the varied social contexts in which metallurgical traditions were organized in ancient Mesoamerica. Specifically, authors examine the ways metallurgy and metal objects were integrated into the multifaceted social and cultural realms of ancient Mesoamerican peoples. Using different theoretical, methodological and interdisciplinary perspectives, the papers here focus on archaeometallurgical investigations that are currently being conducted throughout Middle America. While perspectives may differ the work of each of the volume’s authors is firmly grounded in an anthropologically informed understanding of the past.
Scientific technical studies can provide detailed and very useful information on metallurgical technologies, activities and use. Although discussions of the technological aspects of mining and metallurgy are necessary, particularly since there is still much we do not understand about metallurgical technologies in ancient Mesoamerica, such discussions are seen here as contributing to a larger discourse on the social significance of ancient Mesoamerican metallurgy. Information derived from such analyses is used by the authors of this volume as one method to enhance our understanding of the roles that metal objects played in the larger complex social milieu of ancient Mesoamerican life.
A variety of alternative sources have been used to inform researchers’ perspectives on the ways metal objects were regarded and used in the multi-layered sacred and material worlds of ancient Mesoamericans. Data obtained from archaeological investigations, ethnohistoric sources, ethnographic studies, as well as materials science analyses, are brought to bear on questions related to the integration of metallurgy into local and regional economies, the sacred connotations of copper objects, metallurgy as specialized crafting, and the nature of mining, alloy technology and metal fabrication, among others.
Several authors, including Elizabeth Paris, Carlos Peraza, Laura Richardson Aaron Shugar, Ed Schortman, Patricia Urban, Aaron Shugar, Scott Simmons and John Weeks, examine Postclassic and Spanish Colonial Period archaeological remains of ancient Maya metallurgy in Yucatan, Mexico, western Honduras, northern Belize and western Guatemala. Their studies explore the various contexts in which copper artifacts and production features are found as well as ancient production technologies and the social significance copper held in the lives of the people who made and used them. Hans Roskamp reviews 16th century ethnohistorical sources of information on the sacred origins of Tarascan metallurgy in the West Mexican state of Michoacán. Niklas Schulze presents data and interpretations derived from materials analyses, including geochemical composition and fabrication methods, of copper bells recovered from the Templo Mayor in the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan. Blanca Maldonado provides an overview of recent archaeological, ethnographic and ethnohistorical studies of ancient mining and metallurgy in West Mexico. Dorothy Hosler contributes a concluding chapter wherein she remarks on the contributions current research efforts have had toward illuminating the nature of metallurgical traditions in ancient Mesoamerican societies.
The volume has 9 chapters, including an introduction to the volume. Seven of these chapters are from symposium participants and one is an invited paper by John Weeks. The final chapter of the volume is written by Dorothy Hosler, who could not attend the symposium. Her pioneering work in the field of Mesoamerican archaeometallurgy, which has now spanned over two decades, has informed and inspired the work of many of the symposium’s participants; her contribution is more synthetic in nature.
A multinational group of scholars contribute to this volume. These researchers are from the United States (Dorothy Hosler, Elizabeth Paris, Laura Richardson, Ed Schortman, Scott Simmons, Patricia Urban and John Weeks), Canada (Aaron Shugar), Mexico (Blanca Maldonado and Carlos Peraza Lope), Germany (Niklas Shulze) and the Netherlands (Hans Roskamp). The volume will include papers from every nation in Mesoamerica, with the exception of El Salvador."
advancements have allowed for larger scan areas (30x40cm using the DeWitt MPS-400) which can be stitched together to create a full field scan.
Currently, the smallest beam size offered by manufacturers is 1mm. The
advancement presented here focus on the development of small beam
collimators with increased photon output. Collimators have been developed with as low as a 0.47mm diameter bore. Making additional alterations to the shape of the collimator has resulted in improved signal per pixel at a sub millimeter resolution revealing more detail than previously allowed using handheld XRF instruments. This has potential implications for scanning archaeological samples, smaller artifacts, illuminated manuscripts and philately.