Portable EDXRF analysis of a mud brick necropolis enclosure: evidence of work organization, El Hibeh, Middle Egypt

Emery, Virginia L.; Morgenstein, Maury

doi:10.1016/j.jas.2006.04.001

Cited by 24 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 2 publications

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“…To date, pXRF has been used mainly in geological and environmental studies, with relatively few archaeological applications (e.g. Craig et al, 2007;Emery and Morgenstein, 2007), but with the very latest instruments now capable of quantifying (amongst other elements) the P concentrations of soil samples, the increased use of these analyzers is likely in future research. The investigation at Duallin revealed significant differences in the chemical composition of soils collected from areas of former settlement and arable agriculture, and subjecting elements determined by XRFS, and three other variables, to discriminant analysis indicates that soils of these areas can be effectively classified.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) has been utilised most frequently for the SMA of soils studied in archaeological research (in addition to a number of citations above: Linderholm and Lundberg, 1994;Middleton and Price, 1996;Wells, 2004), although ICP used in conjunction with mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) has also been used (Cook et al, 2005;Entwistle and Abrahams, 1997), as has X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRFS) in limited applications (Cook et al, 2005;Costa and Kern, 1999;Emery and Morgenstein, 2007). Each of the various instruments used for the SMA of soils have their relative merits.…”

Section: The Application Of Soil Geochemistry To Archaeological Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Ben Lawers Historic Landscape Project: Simultaneous Multi-element Analysis of Former Settlement and Arable Soils by X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometry

Abrahams

Entwistle

Dodgshon

2010

J Archaeol Method Theory

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Abrahams, P.W., Entwistle, J.A., Dodgshon, R.A. (2010). The Ben Lawers Historic Landscape Project: Simultaneous Multi-element Analysis of Former Settlement and Arable Soils by X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometry. Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory, 17(3); 231-248.X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRFS) was used in the analysis of A horizon soil samples collected from a former farming settlement and its associated area of infield (i.e. arable) located in the Central Highlands of Scotland. To date, XRFS has not been extensively used in geoarchaeological research, but in our study the simultaneous multi-element capabilities of this instrumental technique allowed the total concentrations of 25 major, minor, and trace elements to be fully quantified with acceptable levels of accuracy and precision. Included within this group of chemical elements are a number (e.g. Ba, Ca, P, Pb, Sr and Zn) that have proved to be of value to archaeological interpretation in earlier investigations undertaken in Scotland. In our preliminary work documented here, significant differences were found between the A horizon soils of former settlement and infield areas for 18 chemical elements. Subjecting the XRFS data-and three other measured variables: soil organic carbon (SOC), pH and A horizon depth-to discriminant analysis indicates that soils of former settlement and arable farming can be effectively classified according to their pH, SOC content and Ca, Cu, Mg, Rb, and Zn concentrations. The inference is that areas of former infield and settlement elsewhere at this study location in the Central Highlands may be able to be identified according to their soil chemical composition and use of discriminant function, even though the surface remains of pre-eighteenth century settlement sites are not readily evident today because they were constructed of perishable materials.Peer reviewe

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: The Application Of Soil Geochemistry To Archaeological Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Ben Lawers Historic Landscape Project: Simultaneous Multi-element Analysis of Former Settlement and Arable Soils by X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometry

Abrahams

Entwistle

Dodgshon

2010

J Archaeol Method Theory

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“…However, as a result of recent advances in XRF instrumentation, it is now possible to purchase (or build) at modest cost, small, portable, high-resolution XRF instruments with thermoelectrically-cooled detectors (that alleviate the need for liquid nitrogen). Dubbed portable XRF (PXRF), fieldportable XRF (FPXRF), or handheld XRF, such instrumentation has been used extensively in geology (e.g., Potts et al, 1995Potts et al, , 1997b, but relatively few published archaeological applications exist (but see Emery and Morgenstein, 2007;Morgenstein and Redmount, 2005;Pantazis et al, 2002;Potts et al, 1997a;Williams-Thorpe et al, 1999. Additionally, until very recently most portable XRF instruments used radioactive isotopes as the excitation source which complicated transportation of the equipment given state, federal, and international regulations governing the movement of radioactive materialsdespecially following the events of September 2001.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Initial source evaluation of archaeological obsidian from the Kuril Islands of the Russian Far East using portable XRF

Phillips

Speakman

2009

Journal of Archaeological Science

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“…Quarry 1 is inside the mudbrick necropolis enclosure [2], which is just north east of the main tell mound. The actual function of the enclosure is not well understood, but about one third of the area within the enclosure, on the east side of the enclosure, is a small limestone hill structure with scattered unworked and partially worked packstone blocks.…”

Section: Arch and Anthropol Open Accmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We chose the square enclosure quarry primarily due to the ease of distinguishing it as a quarry. The square enclosure is also a unique and little understood feature of the site, and the subject of another investigation [2]. So the more we know about all components making up the square enclosure structure, the better our chance of understanding its functions.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tell El-Hibeh Limestone: Ancient and Modern Egyptian Quarrying Technology with EDXRF Block Provenance Analysis

Morgenstein¹

2017

AAOA

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Limestone and its interbedded marl deposits form an economic resource that was utilized at El-Hibeh, ancient Teudjoi/Ankyrononpolis, a tell mound in middle Egypt. The archaeological site contains the small Amun temple, at least two limestone (packstone) quarries, statues, sarcophagus lids and bases, limestone (packstone) construction blocks with and without relief, and major mudbrick structures. The temple blocks are made from a local packstone-limestone that has been saturated by Nile River water and is deteriorating at a rapid pace. The limestone at El-Hibeh is a packstone. Several packstone quarries occur in the archaeological site. One appears to be of recent vintage and was mined using modern drilling and blasting techniques. Another is an ancient quarry that utilized natural sedimentary and structural features of the packstone-marl deposits to manufacture blocks for various utilitarian purposes.This study assessed the differences in economic activities, apparent values, and methods of production of packstone through a broad time span (Dynasty 22 to present day). We analyzed the clay content of the packstone with SEM-EDX, and studied the relationship between the clay and the accumulation of sodium chloride (salt) from the evaporation of Nile river water. While the marl clay content of the sedimentary deposits was an advantage for some modern and ancient economic enterprises, it has been a serious detriment to ancient packstone preservation. But interestingly, this apparently had not affected the value of the packstone, both for building blocks, sarcophagus production, and as a material for carving during ancient times. Further, it appears that the hib-clays and gypsum were utilized during the Roman period for manufacture of plaster. In order to assess the production methods for the ancient quarry we utilized portable EDXRF spectrometry to source the locations where the ancient blocks were acquired within the quarry by analyzing both the local unfinished blocks and the quarry walls. An assessment of the regional structural joints and joints in the ancient quarry provided an understanding of the mechanism of stone block production.

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Portable EDXRF analysis of a mud brick necropolis enclosure: evidence of work organization, El Hibeh, Middle Egypt

Cited by 24 publications

References 2 publications

The Ben Lawers Historic Landscape Project: Simultaneous Multi-element Analysis of Former Settlement and Arable Soils by X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometry

The Ben Lawers Historic Landscape Project: Simultaneous Multi-element Analysis of Former Settlement and Arable Soils by X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometry

Initial source evaluation of archaeological obsidian from the Kuril Islands of the Russian Far East using portable XRF

Tell El-Hibeh Limestone: Ancient and Modern Egyptian Quarrying Technology with EDXRF Block Provenance Analysis

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