X-ray fluorescence was used for the elemental characterization of archaeological materials, specifically glass tesserae, from excavation sites in the Orvieto region of Umbria, Italy. Using a portable instrument for this work was essential considering the challenges and regulations regarding transport of cultural heritage objects from their country of origin. The application of XRF was to analyze glasses unearthed during excavation with a focus on the small tesserae cubes used to construct mosaics. Much of the glass in Italy began as a glass “blank” that was originally produced in bulk in Egypt with specific colors and other characteristics such as opacity produced at secondary workshops within the Roman Empire. The secondary workshop additives as well as the bulk elements in the “blank” glass were examined through nondestructive XRF elemental analysis. Data analysis included qualitative examination of the spectra to identify elements specific to each glass type and multivariate statistical analyses to evaluate provenance.

Portable X-ray fluorescence (XRF) for field archaeology

256th National Meeting (2018)

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