The roads of colouring materials: from sources to residues

Economic systems and social relationships gain an increasing complexity in prehistoric periods. Despite their symbolic value and their informative potential in these issues, colouring materials (“ochre”, iron oxi(hydrxi)des, cinnabar, etc.) had received scant attention compare to obsidian, flint, metals or igneous rocks. Since the 2000’s, trace elemental analysis (PIXE, XRF, INAA, ICP-MS) and petrographic studies give keys to collect gitological and sourcing data. This methodology has recently improved quantitative knowledge on colouring material’s acquisition modalities and on global technic system itself. Contrasting situations are indeed highlight: archaeological corpus may consist of several raw colouring materials, unequally shared, providing from site range, close diffusion area or far diffusion area. Furthermore, the status of the different geomaterials, the diffusion modalities – direct acquisition, direct or indirect exchanges – and the identity of exporters, transporters and receivers (if any) stay unclear.
Two main topics should liven up this session: a fruitful debate on different methodologies depending on geographical contexts and diachronic revue of colouring material procurement through the lens of cultural contexts and site’s status.