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A New Look at Bjurselet. The Neolithic Flint Axe Caches from Västerbotten, Sweden using non-destructive energy dispersive x-ray fluorescence analysis for provenance determination

Olausson, Deborah LU orcid ; Hughes, Richard and Högberg, Anders (2012) In Acta Archaeologica 83(2012). p.83-103
Abstract
Because of the inexact nature of visual classification schemes and the resulting uncertainties of specifying raw material origins, geochemical methods applicable for sourcing Scandinavian flint have been sought. The authors have shown that EDXRF analysis yields geochemical data sufficiently precise and accurate to discriminate among many different varieties of archaeologically significant flint. However, these results are based on geologic specimens, most of which were culled fresh from in situ deposits. The goal of the present article was to determine if EDXRF analysis could yield meaningful results when applied to archaeological specimens. The Middle Neolithic flint objects discovered in the province of Västerbotten in northern Sweden,... (More)
Because of the inexact nature of visual classification schemes and the resulting uncertainties of specifying raw material origins, geochemical methods applicable for sourcing Scandinavian flint have been sought. The authors have shown that EDXRF analysis yields geochemical data sufficiently precise and accurate to discriminate among many different varieties of archaeologically significant flint. However, these results are based on geologic specimens, most of which were culled fresh from in situ deposits. The goal of the present article was to determine if EDXRF analysis could yield meaningful results when applied to archaeological specimens. The Middle Neolithic flint objects discovered in the province of Västerbotten in northern Sweden, some 1500 kilometers distant from any flint sources, were deemed to be a suitable archaeological case study. Results from the Bjurselet analyses suggest that light patination does not appear to seriously compromise the geochemical results, at least for the elements tested here. Although EDXRF data alone were not sufficient for pinpointing the exact place of origin for the flint at Bjurselet, the results confirmed conclusions based on other kinds of evidence. The results provide an incentive to build up a more comprehensive geochemical library for further provenance work. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Neolithic, Scandinavia, provenance, Flint, EDAX, Bjurselet
in
Acta Archaeologica
volume
83
issue
2012
pages
83 - 103
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
external identifiers
  • scopus:84871843604
ISSN
0065-101X
project
Sourcing flint and flint artefacts from Sweden and Denmark by means of Non-Destructive Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometry (EDXRF)
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
b5430593-0c6b-4ce3-afcf-893db6ed82cd (old id 3412402)
alternative location
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/aar.2012.83.issue-1/issuetoc#group3
date added to LUP
2016-04-04 07:49:14
date last changed
2022-01-29 02:38:15
@article{b5430593-0c6b-4ce3-afcf-893db6ed82cd,
  abstract     = {{Because of the inexact nature of visual classification schemes and the resulting uncertainties of specifying raw material origins, geochemical methods applicable for sourcing Scandinavian flint have been sought. The authors have shown that EDXRF analysis yields geochemical data sufficiently precise and accurate to discriminate among many different varieties of archaeologically significant flint. However, these results are based on geologic specimens, most of which were culled fresh from in situ deposits. The goal of the present article was to determine if EDXRF analysis could yield meaningful results when applied to archaeological specimens. The Middle Neolithic flint objects discovered in the province of Västerbotten in northern Sweden, some 1500 kilometers distant from any flint sources, were deemed to be a suitable archaeological case study. Results from the Bjurselet analyses suggest that light patination does not appear to seriously compromise the geochemical results, at least for the elements tested here. Although EDXRF data alone were not sufficient for pinpointing the exact place of origin for the flint at Bjurselet, the results confirmed conclusions based on other kinds of evidence. The results provide an incentive to build up a more comprehensive geochemical library for further provenance work.}},
  author       = {{Olausson, Deborah and Hughes, Richard and Högberg, Anders}},
  issn         = {{0065-101X}},
  keywords     = {{Neolithic; Scandinavia; provenance; Flint; EDAX; Bjurselet}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2012}},
  pages        = {{83--103}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{Acta Archaeologica}},
  title        = {{A New Look at Bjurselet. The Neolithic Flint Axe Caches from Västerbotten, Sweden using non-destructive energy dispersive x-ray fluorescence analysis for provenance determination}},
  url          = {{http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/aar.2012.83.issue-1/issuetoc#group3}},
  volume       = {{83}},
  year         = {{2012}},
}