FF-XRF, XRD, and PIXE for the Nondestructive Investigation of Archaeological Pigments

This chapter discusses the integration of particle-induced X-ray emission (PIXE), full-field X-ray fluorescence (FF-XRF), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) for the analysis of archaeological pigments. It summarizes the research activity performed for developing these innovative, custom-built, and portable instruments. A novel analytical protocol has been developed by combining these techniques with the aim of performing an in situ quantitative characterization of painted materials. The potentiality of using this approach is demonstrated for manganese black used in archaeological pottery manufactured over time by different cultures.