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IDENTIFICATION OF THE GEOLOGIC ORIGINS OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL ARTIFACTS: AN AUTOMATED METHOD OF Na and Mn NEUTRON ACTIVATION ANALYSIS
Author(s) -
GORDUS A. A.,
FINK W. C.,
HILL M. E.,
PURDY J. C.,
WILCOX T. R.
Publication year - 1967
Publication title -
archaeometry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.716
H-Index - 67
eISSN - 1475-4754
pISSN - 0003-813X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1475-4754.1967.tb00618.x
Subject(s) - library science , archaeology , chemistry , engineering , history , computer science
Similarities in the design and construction af archaeological artifacts frequently have served as a means of identifying the existence of contact and trade between prehistoric cultures. However, such evidence is not necessarily conclusive. Knowledge of the geologic origin of an archaeological artifact would provide direct evidence of a link between the geographic region in which the artifact was found and the geologic source area. Locating the geologic origins of archaeological artifacts is a formidable task. It is first necessary to determine which elements vary markedly between geologic sites, but within a given geologic site exhibit only a small percentage variation. Then a comparison must be made between the percentage composition of these elements in the artifacts and in the source materials, In making the comparisons it is necessary to know the statistical range of compositions of these elements at the various geological sites; a large number of individual analyses are required. Although it may never be possible to state with absolute certainty that a particular artifact had a specific geologic origin, the greater the number of elements that showed correspondence, the more unlikely i t would be that some unexamined geologic site was the true source of the material from which the artifact was constructed . Neutron activation analysis is an ideal method of analysis to use in studies of this type. The method requires using samples which could be as small as a mg or less. It is possible to automate steps in the procedure to permit handling thousands of samples per year. If the resultant radioactivity is of short half-lives it is possible to re-irradiate the samples after the activity has decayed and perform repeat analyses on the famples. Unlike X-ray fluorescence which permits examination of only the surfaces of objects, the penetration of neutrons through a sample results in the activation of all parts of the object. However, in spite of these advantages, very little has been done in applying neutron activation analysis to archaeological problems. A few workers have examined gold and silver coins and other objects of metal. Others have irradiated various types of sherds. The most complete studies are those of Sayre, et. al. But the exhaustive studies necessary for proper statistical evaluations of the data have not been undertaken. In collaboration with Prof. James B. Griffin, Director of the Museum of Anthropology at The University of Michigan, we have begun a systematic evaluation of various artifacts related principally to the prehistory of North America. The majority of these samples are obsidian projectile points and the neutron activation procedure which we have developed for the analysis and geologic identification of the objects forms the basis of this paper.