Archaeology, neutron activation analysis

Harbottle, G. Neutron Activation Analysis in Archaeological Chemistry. 157,57-92 (1990). 

Neutron activation analysis (NAA) is a technique for the qualitative and/or quantitative determination of atoms possessing certain types of nuclei. Bombarding a sample with neutrons transforms some stable isotopes into radioactive isotopes measuring the energy and/or intensity of the gamma rays emitted from the radioactive isotopes created as a result of the irradiation reveals information on the nature of the elements in the sample. NAA Is widely used to characterize such archaeological materials as pottery, obsidian, chert, basalt, and limestone (Keisch 2003). 

Bishop, R. L. and M. J. Blackman (2002), Instrumental neutron activation analysis of archaeological ceramics Scale and interpretation, Acc. Chem. Research 35(8), 603-610. 

Hughes, M. J., M. R. Cowell, and D. R. Hook (eds.) (1991), Neutron Activation Analysis and Plasma Emission Spectroscopy Analysis in Archaeology, British Museum, London. 

Neff, H. (2000), Neutron activation analysis for provenance determination in archaeology, in Ciliberto, E. and G. Spoto (eds.), Modern Methods in Art and Archaeology, Chemical Analysis Series, Vol. 155, Wiley, New York, pp. 81-134. 

Olin, J. S. and E. V. Sayre (1974), Neutron activation analysis of some ancient glass, in Beck, C. W. (ed.), Archaeological Chemistry, Advances in Chemistry Series, Vol. 1, ACS, Washington, DC. 

Ammerman, A., Cesana, A., Polglase, C. and Terrani, M. (1990). Neutron activation analysis of obsidian from two Neolithic sites in Italy. Journal of Archaeological Science 17 209-220. 

Glascock, M.D. (1992). Characterization of archaeological ceramics at MURR by neutron activation analysis and multivariate statistics. In Chemical Characterization of Ceramic Pastes in Archaeology, ed. Neff, H., Prehistory Press, Madison, Wisconsin, pp. 11-26. 

Asaro, F. and Perlman, I. (1973). Provenience studies of Mycenean pottery employing neutron activation analysis. In Acts of the International Archaeological Symposium The Myceneans in the Eastern Mediterranean , Nicosia 27th March-2nd April 1972, Cyprus, Nicosia, Department of Antiquities, pp. 213-224. 

Bakraji, E. H., Othman, I., Sarhil, A., and Al-Somel, N. (2002). Application of instrumental neutron activation analysis and multivariate statistical methods to archaeological Syrian ceramics. Journal of Trace and Microprobe Techniques 20 57-68. 

Descantes, C., Neff, H., Glascock, M. D., and Dickinson, W. R. (2001). Chemical characterization of Micronesian ceramics through instrumental neutron activation analysis a preliminary provenance study. Journal of Archaeological Science 28 1185-1190. 

Evans, J. (1989). Neutron activation analysis and Romano-British pottery studies. In Scientific Analysis in Archaeology, ed. Henderson, J., Monograph No. 19, Oxford, Oxford University Committee for Archaeology, pp. 136-162. 

Glascock, M. D. and Neff, H. (2003). Neutron activation analysis and provenance research in archaeology. Measurement Science and Technology 14 1516-1526. 

Harbottle, G. (1990). Neutron activation analysis in archaeological chemistry. Topics in Current Chemistry 157 57-91. 

Leach, F. (1996). New Zealand and Oceanic obsidians an archaeological perspective using neutron activation analysis. Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand 26 79-105. 

Mommsen, H., Bier, T., and Hein, A. (2002). A complete chemical grouping of the Berkeley neutron activation analysis data on Mycenaean pottery. Journal of Archaeological Science 29 613-637. 

Moreau, J.-F. and Hancock, R. G. V. (1996). Chrono-cultural technique based on the instrumental neutron activation analysis of copper-based artifacts from the contact period of northeastern North America. In Archaeological Chemistry organic, inorganic and biochemical analysis, ed. Orna, M. V., ACS Symposium Series 625, Washington, DC, American Chemical Society, pp. 64-82. 

Wolff, S. R., Liddy, D. J., Newton, G. W. A., Robinson, Y. J., and Smith, R. J. (1986). Classical and Hellenistic black glaze ware in the Mediterranean - a study by epithermal neutron-activation analysis. Journal of Archaeological Science 13 245-259. 

An introductory manual that explains the basic concepts of chemistry behind scientific analytical techniques and that reviews their application to archaeology. It explains key terminology, outlines the procedures to be followed in order to produce good data, and describes the function of the basic instrumentation required to carry out those procedures. The manual contains chapters on the basic chemistry and physics necessary to understand the techniques used in analytical chemistry, with more detailed chapters on atomic absorption, inductively coupled plasma emission spectroscopy, neutron activation analysis, X-ray fluorescence, electron microscopy, infrared and Raman spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry. Each chapter describes the operation of the instruments, some hints on the practicalities, and a review of the application of the technique to archaeology, including some case studies. With guides to further reading on the topic, it is an essential tool for practitioners, researchers, and advanced students alike. 

Yellin J (1995) Neutron activation analysis impact on the archaeology of the Holy Land. Trends Anal Chem 14 37 4. 

It seemed to us that the whole problem of Olmec trade and the interrelationship of the preclassic sites in Mesoamerica offered an unusually favorable case for the method of grouping via paste-compositional patterns based on neutron activation analysis. As a start on this program we include here the analysis of six preclassic Tlatilco figurines, and we compare their analyses with those of two modern specimens and touch upon the archaeological conclusions possible. 

Trace element studies of ceramics have been undertaken for the purpose of locating source regions for archaeological materials since the 1960s. While a number of techniques have been used for this purpose, by far the most common and most effective has been instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA), largely due to its excellent sensitivity, precision, accuracy and the large number of elements it can measure simultaneously. 

Inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) has been utilized as a bulk technique for the analysis of obsidian, chert and ceramic compositional analyses 12-14). However, due to the high level of spatial variation of ceramic materials, increased sample preparation is necessary with volatile acids coupled with microwave digestion (MD-ICP-MS) to properly represent the variability of ceramic assemblages IS, 16). Due to the increased sample preparation and exposure to volatile chemicals, researchers have continued to utilize neutron activation analysis (INAA) as the preferred method of chemical characterization of archaeological ceramics (77). 

---