Predicting the Color of Archaeological Littorina obtusata/fabalis Shells Using Raman Spectroscopy and Clustering Algorithms

Andrea Perez-Asensio, María Gabriela Fernández-Manteca, David Cuenca-Solana, Igor Gutiérrez-Zugasti, Asier García-Escárzaga, Jesús Mirapeix, José Miguel López-Higuera, Luis Rodríguez-Cobo, Adolfo Cobo

Chemosensors6/25/2025·DOI·Read paper

Abstract

Archaeological mollusk shells, such as those of Littorina obtusata/fabalis, hold valuable information about past human behavior and cultural practices. However, the original coloration of these shells, crucial for understanding their symbolic significance, is often lost due to taphonomic processes. Raman spectroscopy is a powerful technique for non-destructive analysis of archaeological samples, enabling the identification of pigments and mineralogical components. In this study, we present a methodology to predict, using Raman spectroscopy and k-means clustering, the original coloration of archaeological L. obtusata/fabalis shells which have lost their original coloration. Raman spectra were acquired from both modern shells, exhibiting a range of natural colors, and archaeological shell samples from La Chora cave (Cantabria, northern Spain). Spectral data were preprocessed to remove noise and baseline effects, and k-means clustering was applied to group the spectra based on their inherent spectral similarities. By comparing the spectral signatures of the archaeological samples with those of the modern shells within the generated clusters, we inferred the likely original coloration of the archaeological specimens. This approach provides a quantitative framework for predicting archaeological shell colors.

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