The nature of black stains in Lascaux Cave, France, as revealed by surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy

We used surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy to investigate the chemical composition of the black stains threatening the rock‐art paintings of Lascaux Cave, Montignac, France. The stains are mainly composed of melanin from the fungus Ochroconis sp. and the faecal pellets of the collembolan Folsomia candida. Surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy is a useful technique for revealing the structure of unknown macromolecules in cultural heritage research. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. The chemical composition of the black stains threatening the rock‐art paintings of Lascaux Cave, Montignac, France was studied using surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). The stains are mainly composed of the melanin from the fungus Ochroconis sp. and the faecal pellets of the collembolan Folsomia candida. SERS is a useful technique for revealing the structure of unknown macromolecules in cultural heritage research.