Reconstructing a medieval recipe for red lead (Pb₃O₄): an archaeometric approach
In this study, we experimentally reconstructed a medieval synthesis of red lead based on recipes from Theophilus’s 12th-century treatise. Controlled transformation rate thermal analysis (CRTA) combined with high temperature diffraction provided insights into the ph...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article ou chapitre numérique |
| Language: | Français |
| Published: |
2026
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | Accès Université d'Orléans et IFPM Accès Université d'Orléans et IFPM |
| Summary: | In this study, we experimentally
reconstructed a medieval synthesis of red lead based on recipes from
Theophilus’s 12th-century treatise. Controlled transformation rate
thermal analysis (CRTA) combined with high temperature diffraction
provided insights into the phase transitions occurring during this
preparation. Our results indicate that the pigment referred to as
“minium” in historical sources does not always correspond to pure
Pb₃O₄, but may involve mixtures of PbCO₃, PbCO₃·2PbO, α-PbO, and
β-PbO, depending on the thermal and atmospheric conditions. This
variability reflects both the metastability of Pb₃O₄ and the
technological diversity of historical lead-based pigments. By bridging
experimental archaeology, historical reconstruction, and advanced
materials characterization, this work contributes to a better
understanding of medieval pigment production and its underlying
chemical mechanisms. It highlights how archaeometry approaches can
illuminate the interplay between craft knowledge and material science
in the Middle Ages.
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