Terahertz transmission spectroscopy of soil minerals for geoarchaeological evaluation of sediments excavated from Pinagbayanan Batangas Philippines

Arven I Cafe, Miguel Bacaoco, Catherine Tugado, Alexander De Los Reyes, Maria Angela Faustino, Lorenzo Lopez Jr, Vito Hernandez, Mark Mabanag, Ian Lipardo, Grace Barretto Tesoro, Elmer S Estacio

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

3 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Sediments consisting of different soil minerals were collected from an archaeological site located in Pingabayanan Batangas Philippines. Each of the soil samples from selected layers or sampling depth was examined and profiled. Standard characterization techniques such as XRF, XRD, and FTIR spectroscopy were then performed for elemental and crystal analysis. All three aforementioned characterization techniques are in good agreement with the archaeological descriptions of sediments profile. Moreover, terahertz (THz) transmission spectroscopy was also performed to explore the feasibility of utilizing this novel spectroscopy for characterizing soil minerals. Terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) results show good agreement to the standard characterization results in terms of detection of trace metals and minerals. Hence, the THz transmission spectra can provide necessary information related to the sedimentation profile and archaeological recordings that were conducted. Results suggest that THz-TDS may prove as a quick and non-destructive method to study soil samples, complementary to standard techniques for geoarchaeological surveys.

Original languageEnglish
Article number103568
Number of pages8
JournalInfrared Physics and Technology
Volume111
Early online date16 Nov 2020
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Dec 2020
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Geoarchaeology
  • Sediments
  • Soil minerals
  • Terahertz time-domain spectroscopy

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