Archaeometric characterization of a blue ingot from the palace of Sargon II at Karkemish (Turkey) and the distribution and function of egyptian blue in the Near East during the iron age

Several fragments of a blue ingot were found during the 2016 excavation campaign at Karkemish in the Iron III palace of Sargon II (Area C). In order to identify it as Egyptian blue, the microstructure and chemical composition of the ingot have been investigated by means of X-ray fluorescence (XRF), Raman microspectrometry and FT-IR spectroscopy. Moreover, we analyzed the archaeological context from which they have been recovered to tentatively provide its functional interpretation. Lastly, we compared the Karkemish ingot with other published specimens from stratigraphically defined contexts, with the aim of understanding the distribution and function of the Egyptian blue in the Near East between the early Iron Age and the Achaemenid period. Finally, we discussed the chronological, geographic and functional trends in light of the historical events of these periods.