Lab Facilities

Our lab is equipped with advanced tools and protocols to ensure high-precision elemental analysis:

• Thermo Scientific ARL Quant’X EDXRF Spectrometer for whole artifact analysis
• Ultrasonic cleaning tank using distilled water for artifact preparation
• High-flux Rh X-ray target with 125-micron Be window for detailed spectrometry
• X-ray generator operating between 4 to 50 kV with incremental adjustments
• Edwards vacuum pump for improved detection of elements below titanium (Ti)

Analytical Protocols

At the MAX Lab, we employ strict protocols to ensure the accuracy and precision of our elemental determinations:

• Multi-element analysis includes major elements (Ti, Mn, Fe) and trace elements (Ni, Cu, Zn, Ga, Rb, Sr, Y, Zr, Nb, Ba, Pb, Th)
• Standardization methods reference certified geological samples from the US Geological Survey and the Geological Survey of Japan
• Calibration verification is performed through analysis of the standard RGM-2 (USGS)
• Data processing is conducted through Microsoft Excel for Windows, ensuring seamless manipulation and assessment
• Re-analysis of small or anomalous artifacts to maintain precision in results

Obsidian Provenance Studies

One of our primary objectives is artifact provenance – determining the origin of archaeological materials by comparing their chemical signatures with geological reference samples:

• Extensive geological collection covering:
  • Eastern Mediterranean and Mesoamerica
  • Western Mediterranean, Trans-Caucasia, Japan, Peru, and the US
• Comparative analysis conducted under consistent conditions to maintain data integrity

References & Methodologies

• Poupeau, G., Le Bourdonnec, F.-X., Carter T., Delerue S., Shackley, M.S., Barrat, J.A., Dubernet, S, Moretto, P., Calligaro, T., Milic, M. and Kobayashi, K. (2010), ‘The use of SEM-EDS, PIXE and EDXRF for obsidian provenance studies in the Near East: A case study from Neolithic Çatalhöyük (central Anatolia)’, Journal of Archaeological Science 37(11): 2705-2720.
• Shackley, M.S. (2005), Obsidian: Geology and Archaeology in the North American Southwest. University of Arizona Press, Tucson.