The Science Of Ochre At Twelve Thousand Years

The red ochre at Anzick has been analyzed by researchers interested in its composition, sourcing, and application technique, providing additional information about the material culture and geographic connections of the people who buried the child.

Red ochre — iron oxide in its most common mineral form, hematite — varies in composition depending on its geological source.

Different deposits have different trace element profiles that can be detected by X-ray fluorescence and other analytical techniques.

In principle, if the ochre used at Anzick can be chemically characterized, it might be possible to identify potential source locations — to find where in the landscape the people who buried this child obtained the mineral pigment they used.