Development of a Method for Identifying Wood Species in Archaeological Materials by IR Spectroscopy

Abstract

We investigated 53 coniferous wood samples and 77 deciduous wood samples of trees in the central Russia by single-reflection attenuated total reflection IR spectroscopy. The characteristic absorption bands in the IR spectra of the samples are described, and the regions of absorption bands characteristic of coniferous and deciduous wood are identified. Characteristic differences in the spectra of coniferous and deciduous wood species suitable for their identification are found. Wood species of three archaeological materials were identified using these characteristic differences.