| 1. |
|
|
| 2. |
|
|
| 3. |
- Hughes, Richard, et al.
(author)
-
The Chemical Composition of Some Archaeologically Significant Flint from Denmark and Sweden
- 2012
-
In: Archaeometry. - : Wiley. - 0003-813X .- 1475-4754. ; 54:5, s. 779-795
-
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.
|
|
| 4. |
- Götherström, Anders, et al.
(author)
-
Bone preservation and DNA amplification
- 2002
-
In: Archaeometry. - : Wiley. - 0003-813X .- 1475-4754. ; 44:3, s. 395-404
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The use of ancient DNA has increased during the past two decades in several scientific disciplines. However, the underlying mechanism of DNA degradation in bone tissue are poorly understood. Here we address the importance of hydroxyapatite and collagen for DNA preservation in bone. We used two series of bones and teeth, one set of modern experimentally degraded bovid bones and one set of ancient horse bones/teeth. From these samples, we measured crystallinity, DNA presence and extracted collagen. The mtDNA fragments, parts of cytochrome b and the D-loop were amplified and sequenced. Our results show that presence of DNA was strongly related to the crystallinity in the hydroxyapatite and to the amount of collagen. This suggests that the hypothesis that hydroxyapatite has a crucial role in DNA preservation in calcified tissue is valid; and hydroxyapatite and collagen can be used to indicate whether DNA is present in the material. This is what would be expected if DNA is adsorbed to and stabilized by hydroxyapatite in calcified tissue, and collagen is part of the complex system that preserves DNA in bone tissue. Further, since collagen is the preferred material for radiocarbon dating, such bones may be a starting-point for a DNA analysis.
|
|
| 5. |
- Hope, Rosemary, et al.
(author)
-
The application of acetate pels in lithic use-wear analysis
- 1984
-
In: Archaeometry. - Oxford : Wiley. - 0003-813X .- 1475-4754. ; 26:1, s. 13-24
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The possible use of plastic replicas in lithic use wear anaysis is explored. It can be shown that within the existing observational techniques involving metallographic light microscopes with magnifications up to 400 x that plastic replicas of flint surfaces replicate the surface at a very detailed level. It is detailed enough to permit analysis of microwear traces and can thus be used as substitutes for original tool surfaces when they for different reasons are not available and when the surface to be inspected is to curved to admit scanning with light microscope. It can also be shown that white, ligth reflecting flint surfaces is easier analyzed using a replica surface.
|
|
| 6. |
- Iovino, Maria Rosa, et al.
(author)
-
Archaeological volcanic glass from the site of Rocchicella (Sicily, Italy)
- 2008
-
In: Archaeometry. - : Wiley-Blackwell. - 0003-813X .- 1475-4754. ; 50:3, s. 474-494
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The site of Rocchicella, near Catania, in eastern Sicily, has yielded important archaeological evidence from prehistoric times to the Middle Ages. Extensive archaeological investigations of cultural layers dating from the Palaeo-Mesolithic to the Copper Age have recently been undertaken, and volcanic glass, mainly obsidian, has been collected in the course of excavation. To determine the provenance of this volcanic glass, a non-destructive elemental analysis was carried out to measure the concentration of characteristic trace elements. The analysis was carried out using a new XRF spectrometer equipped with a beam stability controller and a quantitative method developed at the LANDIS laboratory of the INFN–CNR Institutes of Catania. In addition to the obsidian, it was demonstrated for the first time that a local vitreous material similar to obsidian, but displaying a completely different composition, was used during all the investigated periods. This material was identified as a basaltic glass, characterized by a superficial product of devitrification called palagonite. Analysis of the obsidians has led to the identification of the island of Lipari as the provenance source. High- and low-power microscopic use-wear analysis on obsidian and basaltic glass artefacts indicated that soft wood and plant matter might have been processed at the site.
|
|
| 7. |
- Mommsen, H., et al.
(author)
-
The importance of the 'best relative fit factor' when evaluating elemental concentration data of pottery demonstrated with Mycenaean sherds from Sinda, Cyprus
- 2007
-
In: Archaeometry. - : Wiley. - 0003-813X .- 1475-4754. ; 49:2, s. 359-371
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Neutron activation analysis of pottery was established at Bonn in 1983 and has since become one of the primary archaeometry-based analytical techniques at the facility. A brief history of the laboratory and a discussion of the best relative fit procedure for pottery is provided. When comparing concentration data for pottery, a best relative fit should always be considered. This mathematical procedure generally results in 'sharper' concentration patterns and improves the separability of chemically not very different compositional groups. This is demonstrated for a set of 30 Late Cypriot (Myc. IIIC1) pottery samples from Sinda, Cyprus, which allow formation of a good reference pattern for this site. Applying factors in the range of 0.82-1.43, a number of samples from Egypt and Palestine can be assigned with high probability to a Cypriot origin.
|
|
| 8. |
- Olofsson, Anders, et al.
(author)
-
Provenancing flint artefacts with ICP-MS using ree signatures and Pb isotopes as discriminants : preliminary results of a case study from northern sweden
- 2011
-
In: Archaeometry. - : Wiley. - 0003-813X .- 1475-4754. ; 53, s. 1142-1170
-
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.
|
|
| 9. |
|
|
| 10. |
- Schmidt, C., et al.
(author)
-
THE ASSESSMENT OF RADIONUCLIDE DISTRIBUTION IN SILEX BY AUTORADIOGRAPHY IN THE CONTEXT OF DOSE RATE DETERMINATION FOR THERMOLUMINESCENCE DATING
- 2013
-
In: Archaeometry. - : Wiley. - 0003-813X .- 1475-4754. ; 55, s. 407-422
-
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.
|
|
