Compositional analysis of iron age artefacts from South Africa using NAA and other techniques

The study of archaeological materials and understanding their elemental composition links
to our human history and provides valuable perspectives on how resources were acquired,
distributed, and traded. This can be achieved in part through the application of analytical
methods. Using chemical and radiochemical techniques to examine artifacts is an accurate
and precise method to reveal the hidden histories locked within these objects/materials.
The study aims to compare archaeometric and chemical data with corresponding reference groups to establish provenance of pottery sherds from three Western Cape iron age sites, namely Geelbek, Oakhurst and Smiths Winkel Baai. Analytical techniques available to the study at the Joint Institute of Nuclear Research in Dubna, Russia are instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) for comprehensive standardless major, minor and trace element composition, and Thermoluminescence for chronological dating. This will be augmented with the following techniques that are available at Cape Peninsula University of Technology or regionally, namely X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) for mineral phase identification, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) for microstructure, Thermo analytical gravimetry (TGA) and Scanning Differential Calorimetry (TGA/DSC) to determine thermal stability and phase transitions, X-ray fluorescence (XRF) for determination of major elements, Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and laser ablation ICP-MS for determination of low trace elements,, Particle Induced X-Ray Emission (PIXE) for thin film elemental mapping, Raman spectroscopy and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy for structural configurations . These techniques will be used to identify the provenance of iron age pottery artefacts from South Africa. The obtained data can be used to provide a comprehensive understanding of the composition and provenance of the iron age pottery material.
This project has been approved by the National Research Foundation (Reference/Grant
Number: JINR 240401211596) (See attached award letter) and will afford the South African researchers, PhD, MSc students access to world class nuclear based techniques and research facilities at the JINR, and research networking opportunities with the JINR scientific community.