Neutron activation analysis in archaeological chemistry

Abstract

There is a long history of the application of chemical analysis to archaeological problems, extending to the last years of the 18th century. The nuclear-age technique of neutron activation analysis, permitting the simultaneous, sensitive, non-destructive estimation of many elements in an archaeological specimen, has found wide application. Important advances have been made, using this technique, in locating the origins of archaeological artifacts such as ceramics, metals, obsidian and semiprecious stones, among other articles of ancient ritual and commerce. In addition, the technique of neutron activation analysis has proved to be almost ideal in studies tracing the development of ancient technologies such as glass-making and smelting. In the future, the development of data banks of analyses of archaeological materials should provide an excellent new tool in studies of prehistory.