Petrographic and spectral analysis of pigment-containing materials in the collection of Malaya Syya-site

Data of the petrographic and mineralogical identification and spectral elemental analysis of pigment-containing materials found in the collection of Malaya Syya site are described. The materials were collected during the excavation of the site in 1975-1980s by expeditions of the IIFF SB AS USSR under the leadership of V. Ye. Larichev. In this publication, attention is paid to the description of the pigment-containing raw materials, since its characteristics and use are significant for the cultural identification of the complex. The collection contains pigment-containing materials including magnetite, hematite, goethite, malachite-containing samples. The study is based on the data of analyses by scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX) indicating that in the early Upper Paleolithic, people used natural and unprocessed pigments in the form of coarse raw materials and made up composite artificial paints.