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PGAA, INAA and luminescence to trace the “history” of “The Panoramic View of Lisbon”: Lisbon before the earthquake of 1755 in painted tiles (Portugal)

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Abstract

“The Panoramic View of Lisbon” is a unique masterpiece of Portuguese glazed tiles which depicts the city before the earthquake of 1755. Compositional analysis was done by PGAA, INAA and XRD. The first absolute dating by luminescence was done, including a reconstruction of the history of radiation exposure of the pieces. Compositional patterns of the tiles suggest the use of carbonated clays from downtown Lisbon to manufacture the ceramic bodies at high firing temperatures (900–1100 °C). Luminescence dating results point to the manufacture of “The Panoramic View of Lisbon” in the late 17th–early 18th centuries.

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Acknowledgments

The authors deeply appreciate the valuable comments and suggestions of the anonymous reviewers. Thanks are given to the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT/MCTES) for funding through the project RADIART (PTDC/HIS-HEC/101756/2008) and the Strategic Program UID/Multi/04349/2013, as well as to CHARISMA (Grant Agreement 228330). The authors would like to thank Dr Pedro Flor (UNL), Dr Rui de Matos (CML) and Dr Anísio Franco (MNAA) for arranging access for FGS measurements.

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Correspondence to M. Isabel Prudêncio.

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Prudêncio, M.I., Dias, M.I., Burbidge, C.I. et al. PGAA, INAA and luminescence to trace the “history” of “The Panoramic View of Lisbon”: Lisbon before the earthquake of 1755 in painted tiles (Portugal). J Radioanal Nucl Chem 307, 541–547 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-015-4176-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-015-4176-4

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