Development of separation methods and measurement protocols for Sr and Pb isotopic analysis of archaeological artefacts by means of single-collector and multi-collector ICP-mass spectrometry

This work aimed at studying the isotopic composition of the elements strontium (Sr) and lead (Pb), that are present in low concentrations in a large variety of archaeological artefacts. For isotope ratio analysis, inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) – a powerful technique for the determination of trace elements and isotope ratios – was used. An analytical strategy was developed, consisting of three key steps: (i) the complete dissolution of a small amount of the (solid) archaeological artefacts making use of concentrated mineral acids, allowing a quantitative recovery for Sr and/or Pb to be obtained, (ii) the isolation of Sr or Pb from its concomitant matrix via extraction chromatography, so that a purified Sr or Pb fraction was obtained and a quantitative recovery for Sr or Pb was established, and (iii) the accurate and precise determination of the isotopic composition of Sr and Pb via single-collector ICP-MS (equipped with one detector) and multi-collector ICP-MS (equipped with an array of detectors). The analytical strategy developed was subsequently applied to three archaeological projects. A first project made use of lead isotopic analysis for provenance determination of metallic artefacts in order to obtain insight into the metal trading network and the trade routes between the Roman Empire and the Indian subcontinent in the period 1st century BC – 2nd century AD. In a second project, lead isotopic analysis allowed to identify the sources of high lead concentrations retrieved in the bone tissue of infants from a Roman settlement. It was shown that the lead present in the infant bone tissue is a mix of lead originating from (i) the process of diagenesis – post-mortem lead exchange between bone and soil – and (ii) lead-enriched food consumed by the mother. A third project aimed at obtaining insight into the heterogeneity of the populations of two grave fields. An explorative study was carried out to distinguish individuals that lived locally and individuals that migrated during their life. For this purpose, the dental tissues (enamel and dentine) of a number of individuals were submitted to strontium isotopic analysis.

Jaar van publicatie:2008

Toegankelijkheid:Open