Stieghorst, C.MLZ* ; Revay, Z.MLZ*

2017

Abstract: Prompt-gamma activation analysis (PGAA) and instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) provide panoramic analysis for all kinds of objects. A bundle of advantages make them attractive for archaeometry and cultural heritage studies, e.g. low destructiveness, simple preparation and low detection limits for many elements. PGAA and INAA complement each other – a combination of them cover all elements that are necessary for complex studies like provenance analysis. At the PGAA facility of MLZ we have the opportunity to perform additional INAA measurements subsequently after the PGAA irradiation using a low-background counting environment. Our current archaeometry and cultural heritage research includes among others conservation-restoration studies and provenance analyses of different archaeological findings. A recent topic has been the investigation of the corrosion process of iron objects. The chlorine content is thought to be responsible for the enduring rusting of many valuable exhibits. Different techniques for chlorine removal have been compared. Provenance studies have been performed on pottery and limestone. A reverse engineering of ancient Roman aqueducts has been performed based on the analyses of sinters. They mostly consist of annual layers which can be regarded as an archive of certain extreme events: the trace element analysis with PGAA can help to identify extreme disturbances like earthquakes or rebuilding of aqueduct parts. The latter helps to conclude about the settlement history.The presentation will give an overview about the current projects and the new possibilities at the PGAA facility at MLZ. ).Further instrument development offers more flexible application in the field of archaeometry. An advanced sample changer (Fig. 1) helps to handle the measurement of a large number of samples. A motion table allows the precise positioning in three directions and the angular orientation. Large objects such as sinter profiles can be scanned with a spatial resolution of about a millimeter (prompt gamma activation imaging, PGAI

Keyword(s): Earth, Environment and Cultural Heritage (1st) ; Others (1st) ; Archaeology/Museums/Arts (2nd) ; Instrument and Method Development (2nd) ; Others (2nd)

1. DOMUSER (DOMUSER)
2. PGAA (PGAA)

1. PGAA: Prompt gamma activation analysis (NL4b)