Iron Compounds in Brazilian Pre-Columbian Pigments Identified by \u3csup\u3e57\u3c/sup\u3eFe Mossbauer Spectroscopy and X-Ray Powder Diffraction

Mossbauer spectroscopy and X-ray powder diffraction have been used to identify iron compounds in pre-Columbian pigments, probably used for art decorating, collected from the oldest archaeological site of Early Man presently known in American at Sao Raimundo Nonato, in Northeastern Brazil. The iron compounds were identified as being alpha-Fe203 (haematite) with full Morin transition supressed and small particles of alpha-FeOOH (goethite)

Observation of Substitutional Site Preference in a Quasicrystal and Implication on Local Structure

A combination of magnetic susceptibility and Mössbauer measurements on quasicrystalline i-Al74Mn20-xFexSi6 (0.02≤x≤7.5) establishes that Mn atoms in i-Al74Mn20Si6 occupy two distinct classes of sites, and that Fe substitutes for only one of them. The two classes are distinguished by the possession or otherwise of a localized magnetic moment. The data are consistent with a structure of interconnecting Mackay icosahedra (MI) in which localized moments are possessed only by Mn atoms adjacent to broken MI connections. The implied connectivity of the resulting MI network is close to that anticipated for a packing of MI on a three-dimensional Penrose-tile lattice

Magnetic properties of [(CO)3MoFe3S4(SR)3]3- (R=Bz,Et,Ph), a synthetic cubane-type cluster simulating three-iron centers in proteins.

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/29196/1/0000250.pd

Ferritins: furnishing proteins with iron

Ferritins are a superfamily of iron oxidation, storage and mineralization proteins found throughout the animal, plant, and microbial kingdoms. The majority of ferritins consist of 24 subunits that individually fold into 4-α-helix bundles and assemble in a highly symmetric manner to form an approximately spherical protein coat around a central cavity into which an iron-containing mineral can be formed. Channels through the coat at inter-subunit contact points facilitate passage of iron ions to and from the central cavity, and intrasubunit catalytic sites, called ferroxidase centers, drive Fe2+ oxidation and O2 reduction. Though the different members of the superfamily share a common structure, there is often little amino acid sequence identity between them. Even where there is a high degree of sequence identity between two ferritins there can be major differences in how the proteins handle iron. In this review we describe some of the important structural features of ferritins and their mineralized iron cores and examine in detail how three selected ferritins oxidise Fe2+ in order to explore the mechanistic variations that exist amongst ferritins. We suggest that the mechanistic differences reflect differing evolutionary pressures on amino acid sequences, and that these differing pressures are a consequence of different primary functions for different ferritins

A bottom-up view of food surplus: using stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis to investigate agricultural strategies and diet at Bronze Age Archontiko and Thessaloniki Toumba, northern Greece

We use stable isotope analysis of crop, faunal and human remains to investigate agricultural strategies and diet at EBA-LBA Archontiko and MBA-LBA Thessaloniki Toumba. Crop production strategies varied between settlements, phases and species; flexibility is also apparent within the crop stores of individual houses. Escalating manuring intensity at LBA Thessaloniki Toumba coincides with large co-residential ‘blocks’ geared towards hoarding of agricultural surpluses, spectacularly preserved by fire at nearby LBA Assiros Toumba. Faunal isotope values reflect a range of feeding strategies, including probable herding of cattle on C4-rich coastal salt marshes, evident at Archontiko through to the LBA alongside bulk cockle harvesting. Palaeodietary analysis of LBA humans at Thessaloniki Toumba indicates that C3 crops represent the only plausible staples. Millet was a minor food but may have played a particular role in the sub-adult diet. Meat probably featured in supra-household food sharing and hospitality, associated with Mycenaean-style tableware in the LBA