The Archaeometry Laboratory at MURR: Developing Tools for Archaeological Provenance

格拉斯科克博士将继续在密苏里大学运营一家考古测量中心，并使用中子活化分析技术来分析考古材料的元素组成。这是一种多元素技术，允许同时测定材料中的主要、次要和痕量元素，并具有相当高的准确度和精密度。尤其令人感兴趣的是对陶瓷、石材、金属和骨骼的潜在分析。通过对考古材料的元素分析，可以解决一些重要的问题。NAA提供了一种分类工具，因为它允许将成分相似的材料归类在一起。在某些情况下，它还允许证明文物，从而可以提供有关采购做法、贸易路线和政治边界的信息。它还可能提高对古代技术的理解，并(通过对骨骼遗骸的分析)深入了解史前饮食和营养。这个项目特别重要，因为密苏里州的实验室是为数不多的为考古学家提供NAA服务的实验室之一。它还在培训学生方面发挥着重要作用，它维护着大量的数据库，并正在积极努力促进科学地获取这些数据库。根据目前的奖项，Glascock博士将把高分辨率电感耦合等离子体质谱(ICP-MS)与标准的NAA程序相结合。他将制定校准标准，以促进NAA和电感耦合等离子体质谱数据的整合。在未来几年内，由于其相对可获得性和更经济的操作成本，电感耦合等离子体质谱很可能在考古分析中发挥越来越重要的作用，Glascock博士将努力为考古界提供标准。他还将探索激光烧蚀固体样品分析的潜力，并研究新类型的考古计量学研究，如激光烧蚀电感耦合等离子体质谱分析玻片和色素。

Dr. Glascock will continue to operate an archaeometric center at the University of Missouri and employ the technique of neutron activation analysis to analyze the elemental composition of archaeological materials. This multi-elemental technique which allows the major, minor and trace elements of a material to be determined simultaneously and with considerable accuracy and precision. Of particular interest are potential analyses of ceramics, lithics, metal and bone. Through elemental analysis of archaeological materials, a number of significant kinds of questions can be addressed. NAA provides a taxonomic tool because it allows materials of similar composition to be grouped together. In some instances, it also permits the proveniencing of artifacts and thus may provide information about procurement practices, routes of trade and political boundaries. It may also improve understanding of ancient technologies and (through analysis of skeletal remains) give insight into prehistoric diet and nutrition. This project is particularly important because the Missouri laboratory is one of the very few which provide NAA service to archaeologists. It also plays an important role in training students and it maintains large data bases and is working actively to facilitate scientific access to them. Under this current award, Dr. Glascock will integrate high-resolution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) with standard NAA procedures. He will develop calibration standards that will facilitate the integration of NAA and ICP-MS data. It is likely that within the coming years ICP-MS, because of its relative accessibility and more economic operating costs, will play an increasingly important role in archaeometric analysis and Dr. Glascock will work to provide standards for the archaeometric community. He will also explore the potential of solid-sample analysis via laser ablation and investigate new kinds of archaeometric studies such as slip and pigment analysis by laser ablation ICP-MS.