Comparing Chemistries: Inter‐Laboratory Evaluation of Glass Bead Compositional Research in the Great Lakes Region

Abstract

Glass beads from archaeological sites in the North American Great Lakes region have been subject to chemical analysis for several decades. Early work identified key elements in glass beads using Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA), a bulk sample analysis method. Laser Ablation‐Inductively Coupled Plasma‐Mass Spectrometry (LA‐ICP‐MS) now offers an alternative, point‐based analytical method. We compare results of analyzing the same artifacts using INAA and LA‐ICP‐MS, and analyses undertaken in two LA‐ICP‐MS laboratories with differing data analysis protocols. Good comparability across methods and labs makes it possible to combine legacy and newly obtained data to explore interregional archaeological questions.

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