Possible contaminant origins of the red cosmetics decorating ancient burial sites in Japan

Marker elements were estimated from the red cosmetics collected from differ ent ancient burials and mine ruins in three separate districts of Japan. El ement levels were displayed in reference to the relative amount to sulfur ( RA/S), by which the cosmetics were divided into five types: I-a low Hg/S wi th a low Fe/S; II-both moderate Hg/S and Fe/S; III-a moderate Hg/S with a h igh Fe/S; III 2-a high Hg/S with a moderate Fe/S; IV-a high Hg/S with a hig h Fe/S. The cosmetics can be further characterized by referring to other co ntaminants such as Zn, Cu, and Mn. These combined analyses with contaminant metals were capable of characterizing the origins of the cosmetics; it is useful to compare them to each other. The cosmetics were identified as bein g due to several groups of contaminants from ancient mines in Japan, and al so with this system analysis of the markers it is possible to identify them from neighboring countries.