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Solid-state electrochemical analysis of Inka pottery from Qotakalli archeological site in the Cusco (Perú) area

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Abstract

A series of sherds from the archeological site of Qotakalli in the area of Cusco (Perú), corresponding to four different Inka periods, were studied by means of square wave voltammetry of immobilized particles (VIMP) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Ceramic microparticles were placed on a graphite working electrode and were characterized by VIMP and EIS in contact with 0.10 M H2SO4 aqueous electrolyte. Voltammetric features of the sherds, corresponding to the reduction of Fe(III) and Mn(IV) minerals and the oxidation of Fe(II), provided characteristic voltammetric features able to differentiate between different types of ceramic production and Inka periods. A consistent grouping was obtained from VIMP and EIS measurements, mainly responsive to porosity and microstructure variations of the ceramic samples, being also consistent with attenuated total reflectance—Fourier transformed infrared (ATR-FTIR) measurements, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and optical and structural observations. Grouping of ceramic samples is important to support the archeological proposal of a diverse origin and production of pottery in Qotakalli.

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Funding

This study was financially supported by the Convenio de Cofinanciamiento 018-2016-FONDECYT, the MINECO Project CTQ2017-85317-C2-1-P supported by MINECO, ERDF, and AEI funds.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento Académico de Química, Universidad Nacional de San Antonio Abad de Cusco, Av. De la Cultura 773, Cusco, Perú

    Lyda La-Torre-Riveros, Wilber Huahuasoncco-Condori & Dino Quispe Guzmán

  2. Departamento de Química Analítica, Universitat de València, Dr. Moliner, 50, 46100, Burjassot, València, Spain

    Antonio Doménech-Carbó

  3. Department of Chemistry, University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus, San Juan, 00931, Puerto Rico

    Carlos R. Cabrera

  4. Institut de Restauració del Patrimoni, Universitat Politècnica de València, Camí de Vera 14, 46022, Valencia, Spain

    María Teresa Doménech-Carbó

  5. Ministerio de Cultura, Dirección Desconcentrada Cusco, Av. De la Cultura 238, Cusco, Wanchaq, Perú

    María del Carmen Gutiérrez-Castillo, Katia Carmona-Ochoa & Amelia Pérez-Trujillo

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  1. Lyda La-Torre-Riveros
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  2. Antonio Doménech-Carbó
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Correspondence to Lyda La-Torre-Riveros or Antonio Doménech-Carbó.

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La-Torre-Riveros, L., Doménech-Carbó, A., Cabrera, C.R. et al. Solid-state electrochemical analysis of Inka pottery from Qotakalli archeological site in the Cusco (Perú) area. J Solid State Electrochem 23, 1541–1552 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10008-019-04243-3

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