Near Eastern archaeological ivory

Baer, N. S. and N. Indictor (1974), Chemical investigations of ancient Near Eastern archaeology ivory artifacts, in Beck, C. W. (ed.), Archaeological Chemistry, Advances in Chemistry Series, Vol. 1, ACS, Washington, DC, pp. 241-251. 

Chemical Investigations of Ancient Near Eastern Archaeological Ivory Artifacts... 

Tn a recent study we examined samples taken from ivory artifacts exca-vated at Hasanlu, Acem Hiiyiik, and Nimrud. Elemental analyses were obtained for carbon, hydrogen, and nitrogen (I). The results for specimens of known provenance were used to develop preliminary criteria for Ancient Near Eastern archaeological ivory artifacts of uncertain provenance. The useful results obtained in that work suggested an extension of similar observations to other excavation sites in the Ancient Near East (Megiddo and Khorsabad). The range of analyses was extended to include fluorine. 

Related Problems. The first question to be resolved in examining an Ancient Near Eastern ivory object of unknown provenance is its antiquity. Perhaps equally significant is the question of assignment to a specific archaeological site. This problem, as yet unexplored, may ultimately depend on the study of trace element distributions for its technical resolution. 

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