Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF): Applications in Archaeology

  • Living reference work entry
  • First Online:
Encyclopedia of Global Archaeology

  • 341 Accesses

Introduction

Edward Hall’s abstract for his 1960 paper entitled “X-ray fluorescent analysis applied to archaeology” in the journal Archaeometry is just as appropriate one-half century later. X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF) may be more “well established” and is still “not suitable for some projects” even though they might seem so, and archaeologists might very much want XRF to be so. This chapter is dedicated to a brief discussion of the applicability of XRF analysis in archaeology.

How does XRF work, and more importantly when and where is it appropriate? There are a number of recent published works on the subject that delve into the subject in great depth and are highly recommended for further edification (i.e., Beckhoff et al. 2006; Potts and West 2008; Shackley 2011a; and the important Jenkins 1999).

Today the market is being flooded with, it seems, hundreds of portable x-ray fluorescent instruments (pXRF), but do they really do all that the marketing suggests (see Shackley 2011b...

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Beckhoff, B., B. Kanngießer, N. Langhoff, R. Wedell, and H. Wolff, eds. 2006. Handbook of practical X-ray fluorescence analysis. New York: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Davis, M.K., T.L. Jackson, M.S. Shackley, T. Teague, and J. Hampel. 2011. Factors affecting the energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) analysis of archaeological obsidian. In X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF) in Geoarchaeology, ed. M.S. Shackley, 59–80. New York: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eerkens, J.W., J.R. Ferguson, M.D. Glascock, C.E. Skinner, and S.A. Waechter. 2007. Reduction strategies and geochemical characterization of lithic assemblages: A comparison of three case studies from western North America. American Antiquity 72: 585–597.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Glascock, M.D. 2011. Comparison and contrast between XRF and NAA: Used for characterization of obsidian sources in Central Mexico. In X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF) in Geoarchaeology, ed. M.S. Shackley, 161–192. New York: Springer.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Hall, E.T. 1960. X-ray fluorescent analysis applied to archaeology. Archaeometry 3: 29–37.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hall, M.E. 2001. Pottery styles during the early Jomon period: Geochemical perspectives on the Moroiso and Ukishima pottery styles. Archaeometry 43: 59–75.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jenkins, R. 1999. X-ray fluorescence spectrometry. 2nd ed. New York: Wiley.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Joyce, R.A. 2011. Is there a future for XRF in twenty-first century archaeology? In X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF) in Geoarchaeology, ed. M.S. Shackley, 193–202. New York: Springer.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Liebmann, M.J. 2017. From landscapes of meaning to landscapes of signification in the American southwest. American Antiquity 82: 642–661.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liritzis, I., and N. Zacharias. 2011. Portable XRF of archaeological artefacts: Current research, protocols and limitations. In X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF) in Geoarchaeology, ed. M.S. Shackley, 109–142. New York: Plenum Press.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Lundblad, S.P., P.R. Mills, and K. Hon. 2008. Analysing archaeological basalt using non-destructive energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF): Effects of post-depositional chemical weathering and sample size on analytical precision. Archaeometry 50: 1–11.

    Google Scholar 

  • McAlister, A.J. 2011. Methodological issues in the geochemical characterization and morphological analysis of stone tools: Q case study from Nuku Hiva, Marquesas Islands, East Polynesia. Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, University of Auckland.

    Google Scholar 

  • McCarthy, J.J., and F.H. Schamber. 1981. Least-squares fit with digital filter: A status report. In Energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry, ed. K.F.J. Heinrich, D.E. Newbury, R.L. Myklebust, and C.E. Fiori, 273–296. Washington, D.C.: National Bureau of Standards Special Publication 604.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mills, B.J., J.J. Clark, M.A. Peeples, W.R. Haas Jr., J.M. Roberts Jr., J.B. Hill, D.L. Huntley, L. Borck, R.L. Breiger, A. Clauset, and M.S. Shackley. 2013. Transformation of social networks in the late pre-Hispanic US southwest. PNAS 110: 5785–5790.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moseley, H.G.J. 1913/1914. High frequency spectra of elements. The Philosopher’s Magazine 26: 1024–1034 and 27: 703–713.

    Google Scholar 

  • Neff, H. ed. 1992. Chemical characterization of ceramic pastes in archaeology. Monographs in World Archaeology 7. Madison: Prehistory Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pollard, A.M. 1996. The geochemistry of clays and provenance of ceramics. In Archaeological chemistry, ed. A.M. Pollard and C. Heron, 104–1e47. Cambridge: Royal Society of Chemistry.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pollard, A.M., and P. Bray. 2007. A bicycle made for two? The integration of scientific techniques and archaeological interpretation. Annual Review of Anthropology 36: 245–259.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Potts, P.J., and M. West, eds. 2008. Portable X-ray fluorescence spectrometry: Capabilities for in situ analysis. Cambridge: The Royal Society of Chemistry.

    Google Scholar 

  • Röntgen, W.K. 1898. On a new kind of rays: Second communication. Annals of Physical Chemistry 64: 1–11.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shackley, M.S. 1989. Early hunter-gatherer procurement ranges in the Southwest: evidence from obsidian geochemistry and lithic technology. Unpublished PhD dissertation, Tempe: Arizona State University.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shackley, M.S. 2005. Obsidian: Geology and archaeology in the north American southwest. Tucson: University of Arizona Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shackley, M.S., ed. 2011a. X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF) in Geoarchaeology. New York: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shackley, M.S. 2011b. An introduction to x-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis in archaeology. In X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF) in Geoarchaeology, ed. M.S. Shackley, 7–44. New York: Springer.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Shackley, M.S., and C. Dillian. 2002. Thermal and environmental effects on obsidian geochemistry: Experimental and archaeological evidence. In The effects of fire and heat on obsidian, ed. J.M. Loyd, T.M. Origer, and D.A. Fredrickson, 117–134. Sacramento: Cultural Resources Publication, Anthropology-fire History, U.S. Bureau of Land Management.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shackley, M.S., L. Morgan, and D. Pyle. 2017. Elemental, isotopic, and geochronological variability in Mogollon-Datil volcanic province archaeological obsidian, southwestern USA: Solving issues of intersource discrimination. Geoarchaeology. https://doi.org/10.1002/gea.21672.

  • Sheppard, P.J., G.J. Irwin, S.C. Lin, and C.P. McCaffrey. 2011. Characterization of New Zealand obsidian using PXRF. Journal of Archaeological Science 38: 45–56.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sillar, B., and M.S. Tite. 2000. The challenge of “technological choices” for materials science approaches in archaeology. Archaeometry 42: 2–20.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Speakman, R.J., and M.S. Shackley. 2013. Silo science and portable XRF in archaeology: A reply to Frahm. Journal of Archaeological Science 40: 1435–1443.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Speakman, R.J., S.C. Phillips, V. Florey, N. Little, and J.G. Iñañez. 2010. Approaches to micro-xrf analysis of obsidian. Paper presented at the 38th International Symposium on Archaeometry, Tampa Bay, Florida.

    Google Scholar 

  • Speakman, R.J., N.C. Little, D. Creel, M.R. Miller, and J.G. Iñañez. 2011. Sourcing ceramics with portable XRF spectrometers? A comparison with INAA using Mimbres potter from the American Southwest. Journal of Archaeological Science 38: 3483–3496.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Geoarchaeological XRF Laboratory, Department of Anthropology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA

    M. Steven Shackley

Authors
  1. M. Steven Shackley
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to M. Steven Shackley .

Section Editor information

  1. Department of Anthropology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA

    E. Christian Wells

  2. School of Human Evolution & Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA

    Arleyn Simon

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2018 Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature

About this entry

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this entry

Shackley, M.S. (2018). X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF): Applications in Archaeology. In: Encyclopedia of Global Archaeology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-51726-1_1305-2

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-51726-1_1305-2

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-51726-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-51726-1

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference HistoryReference Module Humanities and Social SciencesReference Module Humanities

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation