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Sourcing Iron Age softstone artefacts in southeastern Arabia: results from a programme of analysis using Inductively Coupled Plasma‐Mass Spectrometry/Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP‐MS/OES)
Author(s) -
Magee Peter,
Barber Don,
Sobur Marta,
Jasim Sabah
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
arabian archaeology and epigraphy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.384
H-Index - 18
eISSN - 1600-0471
pISSN - 0905-7196
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0471.2005.00247.x
Subject(s) - mass spectrometry , inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry , provenance , inductively coupled plasma , analytical chemistry (journal) , elemental analysis , archaeology , chemistry , geology , environmental chemistry , geochemistry , plasma , geography , chromatography , physics , organic chemistry , quantum mechanics
Iron Age softstone vessels manufactured in southeastern Arabia are widely distributed across that region and in lesser amounts throughout Western Asia. Results from a pilot programme of analysis using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry/Optical Emission Spectrometry on vessel fragments from two southeast Arabian sites are presented. These results indicate the existence of geochemically distinct groups that are separated by both transition metals and rare earth elements. While this indicates the potential for the application of the provenance postulate in softstone analysis, these promising results need to be further tested by an expanded programme of analysis which includes quarry fragments.