Geoarchaeology:Provenance

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Material Provenance
Geoarchaeology has a long history in provenacing studies (reference). Mineralogical and geochemical study of archaeological artefacts and deposits can help to reveal their source, and hence provide information on resource management and trade in past societies.


 * Artefacts: Many mineraological and metallurgical resources have regionally unique chemical or isotopic signatures that enable them to be traced back to their area of origin. Many artefacts are small and may be traded over large distances, identifying the original source area in these instances can provide information about regional and even global trade links. In other cases materials may be sourced and used locally this too can provide archaeological insight into local land resource management.
 * Construction materials: Because construction materials tend to be bulky and heavy they are often (though not always) sourced locally. Understanding where, however, can provide valuable insights into the management of local resources, particularly where such sources are rare or otherwise under pressure (references).
 * Sediments and soil: Identifying source areas for wind (aeolian) or water-lain (alluvial) sediments can provide information on regional patterns of erosion. In some cases this erosion may linked to past human activity, such as agriculture, hence studies to source alluvial deposits have tried to reconstruct past spatial and temporal patterns of land use in river catchment areas.

Analytical Techniques
Click on the links below to find out more about some of the analytical techniques commonly used in provenancing studies.
 * Multi-element analysis
 * Stable isotope ratios
 * Micro-analytical X-ray analysis

Case study
Case studies of the application of geoarchaeology to provenancing studies includes:
 * Analysis of Metavolcanic Rocks from the Vicinity of Fort Bragg, North Carolina: Artifact Source Quarry Discrimination.
 * Lead isotope ratios as a means of identifying anthropogenic inputs to soils.

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