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RARE EARTH ELEMENT DISTRIBUTION PATTERNS IN SHETLAND STEATITE ‐ CONSEQUENCES FOR ARTIFACT PROVENANCING STUDIES
Author(s) -
MOFFAT D.,
BUTTLER S. J.
Publication year - 1986
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.1475-4754.1986.tb00378.x
Subject(s) - shetland , artifact (error) , geology , neutron activation analysis , rare earth , rare earth element , igneous rock , earth (classical element) , metasomatism , geochemistry , earth science , mineralogy , chemistry , computer science , mathematics , oceanography , mantle (geology) , radiochemistry , mathematical physics , computer vision
An attempt has been made to relate steatite artifacts to the source of rock from which they were manufactured, using the distribution patterns of rare earth elements. Radiochemical‐ and instrumental‐neutron activation analyses of Shetland steatites suggest that the use of rare earth elements in artifact provenancing may be unreliable. Concentrations of rare earth elements in many Shetland steatites are too low to be measured reliably by a cost effective method. The relative importance of primary igneous and secondary metasomatic processes in controlling steatite rare earth element geochemistry is discussed and geological arguments against the existence of unique rare earth ‘fingerprints’ for steatite are presented.