Non‐destructive xrf characterization of basaltic artifacts from Truckee, California

Abstract

Abstract We have developed a new approach to the problem of the chemical fingerprinting of artifacts manufactured from volcanic rocks of basaltic and andesitic composition. The method is an adaptation of standard energy‐dispersive X‐ray fluorescence spectrometry and is based on the observation that for irregularly‐shaped rock fragments, the ratios of the intensities of the characteristic X‐rays of certain trace elements are proportional to the ratios of the concentrations of those elements. This observation has allowed us to obtain geochemical data about the artifacts in a way that is rapid, inexpensive, and nondestructive, making it particularly suited to archaeological applications. We have used our approach to compare a suite of artifacts from an archaeological site in Martis Valley, near Truckee, California, with a group of lava flows from the surrounding area. Using a numerical measure of the geochemical difference between samples, we have been able to group the artifacts on the basis of their geochemistry, to determine which artifacts were manufactured from material found in Martis Valley and, in at least one case, to identify the lava flow that was the actual source of the lithic material for several of the artifacts.

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