Use of LA-ICP-MS for the analysis of archaeological samples
Simona Hušková
Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry as one of the most
extensively evolving methods for minimally destructive analysis of cultural heritage objects
has been used for the provenance determination of stone tool artifacts made up from
porcelanite rock. By linking artifact to distinct geographical sources an information about the
mobility of our ancestors is obtained.
A set of porcellanite artifacts originating from Central European archaeological
localities and comparative source material was analysed to assess the provenance of an
artifact. Emphasis was placed especially on the optimization of sampling procedure of
porcellanite as relatively inhomogeneous material. Since laser ablation is a sampling method
of surface analysis, the influence of artifact diagenesis, as a process influencing the chemical
composition of an artifact matter, is discussed. The statistical evaluation using multivariate
statistical methods is described.