Pine Resin Mixture
Origin: N. Doub, MD Arch. Conserv. Lab. Analyst: Nikaila Price
N. Bon-Harper, Rivanna
Date: September 27, 2019
Appearance of Artifact
The unknown material, sent in a plastic
vial, was a brown semi-liquid of an
extremely sticky, glue-like consistency
(Fig. 1). Later information indicated that
it came from a wine bottle, filled
approximately to the half-way mark
(Fig. 2).
Process and Procedures Fig. 1. Material in plastic vial
The infrared (IR) spectrum of the unknown showed Fig. 2. Original bottle
the presence of esters (1700 cm-1), hydroxides (3500
cm-1), and alkanes(2900 cm-1) (Fig. 3). This spectrum
was compared to organic glue such as hide glue,
mucilage and pine resin. The unknown spectrum had
all the salient features of the IR of pure pine resin
(Fig. 4). The unknown material was soluble in ethanol
and methanol but not in water. When a 0.0414 g
quantity of the material was placed in the drying oven
at 60oC for 2 hours, 22% of the sample was lost. An Fig. 3. IR spectrum of unknown
IR of the dried sample was taken and showed a material
strong reduction of the hydroxide peak at 3500 cm-1
(Fig. 5).
Locally sourced pine tree resin was heated until
liquefied and 1-2 mL of mineral oil was added and
mixed until a uniform mixture was formed. The
mixture was cooled and the consistency and
stickiness were tested. This process was repeated for
vegetable oil, canola oil, and corn oil (Figs. 6-9). Fig. 4. IR spectrum of locally sourced pine
resin
Discussion and Conclusion
The 22% weight loss upon drying, together with the
reduction of the 3500cm-1 peak, indicated the
elimination of water.
Fig. 5. IR spectrum of dried unknown
When compared to pure pine resin, the IR spectrum
of the unknown sample contained a stronger C-H
peak (2900 cm-1) indicating that was mixed with an
organic liquid containing a significant number of C-H
bonds. Additionally, pure resin hardens soon after
seeping from the tree, but the unknown remained soft,
malleable and sticky, also indicating an additive. A Fig. 6. Mixture of pine Fig. 7. Mixture of pine
preliminary guess was that the resin and mineral oil resin and vegetable oil
additive was an oil, i.e. a
triglyceride of the general form:
When the pure tree resin was
Fig. 6. Mixture of pine
mixed with mineral oil (not a
resin and mineral oil
triglyceride, Fig.6), the resin did not stiffen after
cooling, but had a consistency that was more slime-
like than sticky. With the vegetable and canola oils
(Figs. 7, 8), the mixtures were somewhat more sticky, Fig. 9. Mixture of pine Fig. 9. Mixture of pine
but had consistencies that did not resemble the resin and canola oil resin and corn oil
unknown.
Adding a small amount of corn oil to the pine resin created a firm gel that was extremely sticky
and closely resembled the unknown material (Fig. 9). This, together with the fact that corn oil
would have been widely available, led to the conclusion that the unknown material was
probably pine resin, mixed with a measure of corn oil.
It should be noted that the original mixture would have had to be sufficiently free flowing to be
poured into – and out of – the narrow neck of a wine bottle. This indicates that the material
originally contained enough oil to make this possible. Its subsequent thickening was probably
due to a slow polymerization involving the polyunsaturated corn oil radicals (e.g. as shown in
Fig. 10) and possibly some resin components.
Fig. 10. Example of a polyunsaturated fatty acid
The question remains why this resin-oil concoction was produced. This cannot be pinpointed
with certainty, but there are several possibilities:
• Pine resin has antibacterial properties and is also useful for sealing wounds. Mixing it
with oil would prevent it from hardening to rosin (and thereby become useless for first
aid), as well as making it easier to apply.
• The mixture may have been used as a fire starter. Pouring it over kindling would make
lighting quick and easy.
• In a related scenario, it may have been used to make long-burning torches by pouring it
on sticks swaddled with cloth or straw.
• It is not likely to have been a glue, since it does not set.
