LA-ICP-MS analysis of Andean ceramics: Comparability and data correction for datasets acquired over almost two decades

Abstract

The Elemental Analysis Facility (EAF) at the Field Museum have been generating compositional data for Andes ceramics since 2005. Although the experimental approaches have remained unchanged over the years, the instrumentation was replaced and we wanted to test the comparability of the results over time as several researchers were about to combined datasets acquired years apart. We use Ohio Red clay as a control sample with each batch of archaeological samples, monitoring this way, variations in our measurements. From the Ohio Red clay measured concentrations we calculated correction factors that we applied to the results obtained for the archeological samples. With this approach we are able to combine data obtained at any time during the operation of the EAF.