Trace element analysis ceramics

Trace-element analysis of metals can give indications of the geographic provenance of the material. Both emission spectroscopy (84) and activation analysis (85) have been used for this purpose. Another tool in provenance studies is the measurement of relative abundances of the lead isotopes (86,87). This technique is not restricted to metals, but can be used on any material that contains lead. Finally, for an object cast around a ceramic core, a sample of the core material can be used for thermoluminescence dating. 

Trace-element analysis, using emission spectroscopy (107) and, especially, activation analysis (108) has been appHed in provenance studies on archaeological ceramics with revolutionary results. The attribution of a certain geographic origin for the clay of an object excavated elsewhere has a direct implication on past trade and exchange relationships. 

T he technique of neutron activation was applied to ceramic materials from biblical period sites in Israel to aid our understanding of the economic conditions surrounding events mentioned in the Bible. Through trace element analysis, one can often establish the clay origins and hence the probable source of ceramics. A study of the ceramics from a specific site should indicate which were locally made and which were imported from neighboring and distant sites. Trade relationships so established... 

Trace elemental analysis of ancient ceramics has been proven a very useful tool for tracing the circulation of this material. Instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) was for years the analytical technique of choice to measure the composition of ceramics because of the large number of elements it could determine and its good sensitivity. Lately, a few publications have shown that laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) could provide similar results as INAA more quickly and at lower cost. A protocol has been developed to determine 51 elements using LA-ICP-MS and tested it on Wari period ceramics previously analyzed using INAA. We show how INAA and LA-ICP-MS analysis lead to the same conclusion in terms of sample groupings. 

The consequences of the differences in the REE contents of these sediments are greater than potentially allowing sediment formations to be identified by trace element analysis. Some of the numerous Predyn-astic ceramic artifacts from Hierakonpolis were also analyzed. 

The use of trace element analysis to determine the provenance of archaeological materials has expanded rapidly in the last decade. It is now a well-established technique for the identification of obsidian source deposits (J), and is nearly as established for turquoise (2), steatite (3), and some ceramic materials (4). Native copper has received much less attention. Friedman et al. (5), Fields et al. (6), and Bowman et al. (7) used trace element analyses to determine the type of geological ore from which copper was extracted. However, only our efforts (8) and the work of Goad and Noakes (9) have focused on collecting and analyzing native copper from all potential deposits of a given region to provide a data base for statistical comparison with artifact trace element compositions. 

Stermer EM, Risnes S, Fischer PM (1996) Trace element analysis of blackish staining on the crowrts of human archeological teeth. Eur J Oral Sci 104 253-261 Suchanek W, Yoshimura M (1998) Processing and properties of hydroxylapatite-based biomaterials for use as hard tissue replacement implants [Review]. J Biomed Mater Res 13 94-117 Suchanek W, Yashima M, Kakihana M, Yoshimtrra M (1997) Hydroxylapatite ceramics with selected sintering additives. Biomaterials 18 923-933... 

Trace Element Analysis and Its Role in Analyzing Ceramics in the Eastern Woodlands... 

Ceramic types belonging to the Early Late Prehistoric Clemson Island and Owasco types are often used to document and reconstmct interaction patterns in north-central Pennsylvania. Despite efforts to do so, the high degree of stylistic similarity between these ceramics often makes it difficult to distinguish between types limiting their use in interaction studies. In this study, trace element analysis was employed to determine if compositional profiles correspond with identified ceramic types. The study suggests that there is no clear distinction between ceramic types and exploited clay deposits. Instead, differences in the technological attributes of thes pots may reflect the location of sites to material resource zones. 

Kuhn, R.D. Interaction Patterns in Eastern New York A Trace Element Analysis of Iroquoian and Algonkian Ceramics. The Bulletin and Journal of the New York State Archaeological Associaton 1986,92,9-21. 

Perez-Arantegui, J., Resano, M., Garcia-Ruiz, E., Vanhaecke, F., Roldan, C., Ferrero, )., and Coll, J. (2008) Characterization of cobalt pigments found in traditional Valendan ceramics by means of laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and portable X-ray fluorescence spectrometry. Talanta, 74, 1271-1280. Ulrich, A., Moor, C., Vonmont, H., Jordi, H.R., and Lory, M. (2004) ICP-MS trace-element analysis as a forensic tool. Anal. Bioanal. Chem., 378, 1059-1068. 

Chemical Analysis. The chemical composition of ancient objects is important for their authentication. The nature as well as the relative amounts of major, minor, and trace elements in any object are of use for determining the authenticity or otherwise of ceramics, glass, or alloys. A wide range of analytical techniques, depending on the nature of the material studied, have been used for this purpose, including X-rays fluorescence analysis, mass spectrometry, atomic absorption spectroscopy, and neutron activation analy-... 

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