Abstract
The ability to discriminate between objects manufactured from animal horn and
chelonian (turtle, tortoise, or terrapin) shell is important from a cultural and
archeological perspective such that it may allow conservators to determine the
appropriate treatment and long-term care solution. It would also aid curators in
identifying and cataloging items manufactured from these materials. Discrimination
and classification is also a valuable tool for those involved in tracking the
illegal trade in restricted materials of this nature. Attenuated total reflection
infrared (ATR-IR) spectroscopy, using a single reflection diamond internal
reflection element (IRE), coupled with discrimination analysis was used to analyze a
total of thirty-nine samples (29 calibration samples, 10 validation samples). A
discrimination analysis model was constructed using Mahalanobis distances to
classify spectra into one of two classes. The model was then subsequently used to
successfully classify all validation samples and correctly identify them as animal
horn or chelonian shell based on second-derivative spectra of the amide I and II
regions. This technique requires minimal to no sample preparation and may be used to
nondestructively identify very small samples successfully without performing
detailed secondary structural curve-fitting routines. This model should be a
valuable resource to museums, conservators, and wildlife management programs for
rapidly and reliably discriminating between animal horn and chelonian
shell.
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