Neutron Activation Analysis, Hematite/Ochre from Missouri and Illinois, U.S.A.

This data was produced at the Archaeometry Laboratory at the University of Missouri Research Reactor through Neutron Activation. Data was produced in 2006, 2019, and 2021. Data include archaeological samples from the St. Louis Region of Missouri and Illinois, and from Verkamp Rockshelter in Phelps County, Missouri. Also included are data from various raw material deposits in Southeastern Missouri. The data was produced for the purpose of determining the provenance of archaeological hematites. Results demonstrated that compositional differences between St. Louis region samples and those from Phelps County. Likewise, raw material samples were discriminated from all archaeological samples. In essence, though southeastern Missouri has an abundance of raw Fe-oxide deposits, it appears that the St. Louis region archaeological samples may have originated elsewhere. To appropriately use the data, the user should be sure to normalize the data for the influence of elevated Iron content.

本数据集由密苏里大学研究反应堆考古计量实验室（Archaeometry Laboratory at the University of Missouri Research Reactor）通过中子活化法（Neutron Activation）生成，采集制作时间涵盖2006年、2019年与2021年。数据集包含取自密苏里州圣路易斯地区及伊利诺伊州的考古样品，以及密苏里州菲尔普斯县韦坎普岩棚（Verkamp Rockshelter）遗址的考古样品；同时收录了密苏里州东南部多处原材料矿床的检测数据。本数据集的构建初衷为测定考古出土赤铁矿的溯源信息，研究结果显示：圣路易斯地区样品与菲尔普斯县样品的成分存在显著差异，且所有原材料样品均可与考古样品明确区分。简言之，尽管密苏里州东南部蕴藏着大量原生氧化铁矿床，但圣路易斯地区的考古样品似乎并非源自本地。若需合理使用本数据集，使用者需对数据进行标准化处理，以抵消高铁含量对检测结果的影响。