The Possibilities of FTIR Spectroscopy Method Application for the Archaeological Wood Species Determination

Abstract

FTIR spectroscopy method of a single frustrated total internal reflection was used to study 53 samples of coniferous wood and 77 samples of deciduous wood of the middle zone of Russia. Characteristic absorption bands in IR spectra were described, absorption band places characteristic for coniferous and deciduous wood were revealed. Characteristic differences in the spectra of coniferous and deciduous wood species suitable for their identification were determined. Using the established characteristic differences, the wood species of three archaeological materials were identified. The results of approbation of the previously proposed method of identification of archaeological wood species by IR spectroscopy of a single frustrated total internal reflection were presented. It is shown that the most promising diapason for identification species of archaeological wood samples is 1270-1220 cm-1, where two bands of different intensity were detected. In the spectra of coniferous wood the more intensive band is located in about 1265 cm-1 and in the spectra of deciduous species – about 1230 cm-1.