Isotope ratio mass spectrometry archaeology

The combination of GC and isotope ratio mass spectrometry was first demonstrated in 1978 (Matthews and Hayes, 1978). This has opened up a field with huge potential in archaeology and many other disciplines - that is, the isotopic analysis of single compounds separated by chromatographic processes. 

FIGURE 35.13 C18 0 and C16 0 fatty acids formed via hydrolysis of triacylglycerides are ubiquitous archaeological residues indicative of the presence of animal fats and often identified using GC-MS. Natural abimdance isotope ratio mass spectrometry can be used to distingmsh between species via differences in 5 C content ([117] figure reproduced with kind permission). 

Evaluating the Precision Requirements for Isotope Ratio Determination of Archaeological Materials Using Laser Ablation-Time-of-Flight-Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry... 

Dudgeon, J.V., Neff, H., Saint, A., Balsanek, W. (2007) Evaluating the precision requirements for isotope ratio determination of archaeological materials using laser ablation-time of flight-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. In Archaeological Chemistry Analytical... 

Evershed, R. P., Amot, K. I., Collister, J., Eglinton, G. and Charters, S. (1994) Application of isotope ratio monitoring gas chromatography mass spectrometry to the analysis of organic residues of archaeological origin. Analyst 119, 909 914. 

For many applications in geochemistry and archaeology, the information desired from mass spectrometry is a precise measure of the abundance ratio of two or more isotopes of the same element - 12C/13C, or 160/180, or 206Pb/207Pb and 208Pb/207Pb at the heavier end of the mass scale. In these... 

The most famous cosmogenic radionuclide is 14C (t1/2 = 5730 a), which is produced by the interaction of cosmic ray neutrons via an (n,p) reaction with nitrogen [14N(n, p)14C], whereas the radioactive decay of 14C takes place by (3 decay to form the stable 14N isotope. 14C is the most important cosmogenic radionuclide for dating (see Section 9.7.5) in archaeology and can be analyzed using isotope sensitive accelerator mass spectrometry. Extremely small isotope ratios 14C/12C = 12 in nature can be measured by means of AMS.28... 

So far, the only available technique capable of sufficiently accurate measurement of lead isotope compositions, both for isotope geochemistry and for archaeological applications, is thermal ionization mass spectrometry. Any well-equipped laboratory can routinely measure lead isotope ratios with... 

We report a new nondestructive technique using EDTA extraction and Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) to measure lead isotope ratios among majolica sherds from six 18 century presidios in northern New Spain. Our preliminary results support previous archaeological and chemical studies that suggest one or two production centers as the source of majolica found in New Spain. This research has broad relevance for research on lead-glazed wares, and raises specific questions regarding the production and distribution of majolica in 18 century New Spain. 

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