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Provenance Determination from ICP-MS Elemental and Isotopic Compositions of El Paso Area Ceramics

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 February 2011

Nicholas E. Pingitore Jr
Affiliation:
Department of Geological Sciences, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968–0555, [email protected]
Jeff D. Leach
Affiliation:
Centro de Investigaciones Arqueológicas, 140 N. Stevens, Suite 202, El Paso, TX 79905
Joshua Villalobos
Affiliation:
Department of Geological Sciences, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968–0555, [email protected]
John A. Peterson
Affiliation:
Department of Sociology & Anthropology, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968
David Hill
Affiliation:
Box 35063, Albuquerque, NM 87176–5063
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Abstract

To evaluate the performance of inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) in determining ceramic provenance, we analyzed 60 elements in 30 ceramic artifacts from six a priori groups from west Texas-southwestern New Mexico. Discriminant function analysis of the ICP-MS elemental data classified all members of the six a priori groups without error. In repeated analyses using 80% of the data as a training set, overall 75% of the withheld specimens were properly classified. Lead isotope ratios, also measured on the ICP-MS, provided an independent partial discrimination between the groups. The results of this study demonstrate that ICP-MS provides multi-element and lead isotopie characterization of archaeological ceramics suitable for provenance determination. ICP-MS is a rapid, in-house, and relatively inexpensive technology and thus is a reasonable alternative to neutron activation analysis (NAA) for compositional studies of archaeological ceramics.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1997

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