https://www.geopolymer.org Promoting the geopolymer science since 1979 Tue, 12 Jan 2021 11:25:59 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 https://www.geopolymer.org/library/gpsa/2020-gara-tiahuancao-pumapunku/ Tue, 29 Dec 2020 17:28:26 +0000 https://www.geopolymer.org/?p=5258 Journal on Geopolymer Science Applied to Archaeology
2020, Vol. 1, p. 44-53

 

By Thomas A. Gara, Schongauer Institute, Munich (Germany)
Prof. Joseph Davidovits, Geopolymer Institute (France).
Frédéric Davidovits, Ph. D., Geopolymer Institute (France).

https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.36569.75366/1

Abstract:

The studies carried out in 2015-2018 on the monumental stones constituting the Pumapunku site in Bolivia (South America) provide evidence that the stones are ancient artificial geopolymers. The two types of lithics under consideration are large platforms and ‘sculptures’ exhibiting characteristics that would have been extremely difficult, if not impossible, to achieve with the tools thought to be available to the Tiahuanacans’ of 1500-2000 years ago. For examples, big lithics exhibit perforations of unique characteristics. These holes, believed to be boreholes, are found in andesite artifacts. In number, they approach 900 perforations. The holes/perforations of 3 or 4 mm diameter could have been created with wooden dowels forced into the plastic geopolymer, as well as reed or copper tubes forced into the material in the same way cookie cutters remove the cookie from the dough. The paper also discusses other geopolymer lithics.

PDF file for free download:

Click on the image below to download the PDF file.

]]> https://www.geopolymer.org/library/gpsa/2020-davidovits-andesite-sand/ Tue, 29 Dec 2020 15:55:26 +0000 https://www.geopolymer.org/?p=5251 Journal on Geopolymer Science Applied to Archaeology
2020, Vol. 1, p. 36-43

 

By Prof. Joseph Davidovits, Geopolymer Institute (France).
Frédéric Davidovits, Ph. D., Geopolymer Institute (France).

https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.10021.93929/2

Abstract:

The studies carried out in 2017-2018 on the monumental stones constituting the Pumapunku site in Bolivia (South America) provided evidence that the stones are ancient artificial geopolymers (Parts I to III). To make geopolymer andesite stone, around AD 600 to AD 700, the builders could have transported an andesite stony material having the consistence of sand from the Cerro Khapia volcano site, and added an organo-mineral geopolymer binder manufactured with local biomass ingredients. They did not use the many quadrangular volcanic blocks, the famous “piedras cansadas”, the tired stones, which are still lying on both sides of the lake Titicaca. The present paper describes how the builders of Pumapunku / Tiwanaku exploited a natural volcanic andesite sand from the volcano Cerro Khapia, transported and stored it at the shore village of Iwawe, Stratum (V) in the excavation by Isbell & Burkholder, (2002). For the making of their andesite geopolymer monuments, they did not need to crush andesite rock. This andesite sand is similar to one of the pozzolana sands found in the best ancient Roman mortars and coined in Latin “carbunculus”, 2000 years ago.

PDF file for free download:

Click on the image below to download the PDF file.

]]> https://www.geopolymer.org/library/gpsa/2020-demotier-pyramids-egypt/ Wed, 18 Nov 2020 13:38:05 +0000 https://www.geopolymer.org/?p=5208 Journal on Geopolymer Science Applied to Archaeology
2020, Vol. 1, p. 1-9

 

By Guy Demortier, Emeritus professor of physics, University of Namur (Belgium).

https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.33958.75844

Abstract:

Concentrations of light elements using micro-PIXE and micro-PIGE reveal the elemental composition of the various materials used for the construction of the pyramids. Light elements (mainly Na, Cl and S) show a very heterogeneous distribution for the pyramid’s material in contrast with the extremely homogeneous distribution of these elements in natural limestone from quarries of Turah and Maadi and the bedrock of Saqqarah. The micro-PIXE elemental maps present new evidence for the application of a molding procedure.

PDF file for free download:

Click on the image below to download the PDF file.

]]>