1. |
- Hughes, Richard, et al.
(author)
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The Chemical Composition of Some Archaeologically Significant Flint from Denmark and Sweden
- 2012
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In: Archaeometry. - : Wiley. - 0003-813X .- 1475-4754. ; 54:5, s. 779-795
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Flint was one of the most widely employed raw materials for artefact manufacture in Denmarkand Sweden during the Stone Age, and it continued to be used during subsequent periods.Prehistoric flint mining and lithic manufacturing studies in these countries have attractedconsiderable attention, but there have been no recent attempts to chemically characterize thegeological source materials. This paper builds on a pilot study (Hughes et al. 2010) and usesenergy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) analysis to determine quantitative compositionestimates for nine major, minor and certain trace elements in seven archaeologicallysignificant flint sources in Denmark and Sweden, along with new data on a number of othersources of prehistoric significance. These data provide a geochemical foundation for ongoingresearch devoted to determining contrasts and continuities in the time and space utilization offlint sources in Scandinavian prehistory.
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2. |
- Olofsson, Anders, et al.
(author)
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Provenancing flint artefacts with ICP-MS using ree signatures and Pb isotopes as discriminants : preliminary results of a case study from northern sweden
- 2011
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In: Archaeometry. - : Wiley. - 0003-813X .- 1475-4754. ; 53, s. 1142-1170
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Archaeological flint artefacts from the late Mesolithic/early Neolithic site of Vuollerim, northern Sweden, have been geochemically investigated with ICP-SFMS and MC-ICP-MS in search for the geological/geographical origin of the non-local flint. The Vuollerim flints were compared with reference samples from Denmark (Cretaceous/Tertiary flint) and Russia (Carboniferous flint). Elemental concentrations as well as elemental ratios for REEs and isotopic ratios for Pb and Sr are presented. Significant differences were found between different geological/geographical contexts. Two of the Vuollerim samples can be ascribed a South Scandinavian origin. Possibly also eastern flint is present, although the results are not conclusive in this case.
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3. |
- Schmidt, C., et al.
(author)
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THE ASSESSMENT OF RADIONUCLIDE DISTRIBUTION IN SILEX BY AUTORADIOGRAPHY IN THE CONTEXT OF DOSE RATE DETERMINATION FOR THERMOLUMINESCENCE DATING
- 2013
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In: Archaeometry. - : Wiley. - 0003-813X .- 1475-4754. ; 55, s. 407-422
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A combination of two autoradiography methods was applied to investigate the radionuclide distribution patterns in a range of different silices. We obtained greyscale images (-radiation) and -track patterns for qualitative assessment, and used a statistical approach to quantify the degree of uniformity of the radiation fields. It was found that almost all samples are poor in potassium, thorium and uranium, and that locally high concentrations are present only in dark-coloured veins and inclusions. Statistical analyses reveal evidence of radionuclide clustering in more than half of the 21 specimens. Concerning thermoluminescence dating of burnt lithics, such gradients should be taken into account to improve precision and accuracy in cases where the external radiation is not strongly dominating for the sample under consideration.
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4. |
- Haustein, Mike, et al.
(author)
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Tin Isotopy- A New Method for Solving Old Questions
- 2010
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In: Archaeometry. - : Wiley. - 0003-813X. ; 52, s. 816-832
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Tin was a vital commodity in times past. In central Europe, the earliest finds of tin-bronze date to about 2200 bc, while in Greece they are c. 400-500 years earlier. While there is evidence for prehistoric copper mining-for example, in the Alps or mainland Greece, among other places-the provenance of the contemporary tin is still an unsolved problem. This work deals with a new approach for tracing the ancient tin via tin isotope signatures. The tin isotope ratios of 50 tin ores from the Erzgebirge region (D) and 30 tin ores from Cornwall (GB) were measured by MC-ICP-MS. Most ore deposits were found to be quite homogeneous regarding their tin isotope composition, but significant differences were observed between several deposits. This fact may be used to distinguish different tin deposits and thus form the basis for the investigation of the provenance of ancient tin that has been sought for more than a century. Furthermore, the tin-isotope ratio of the 'Himmelsscheibe von Nebra' will be presented: the value fits well with the bulk of investigated tin ores from Cornwall.
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