For “Wood” Measure: Exploring the Applicability of Elemental Analysis in the Study of Charred Wood

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2021: General Sessions" session, at the 86th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Over the past few decades, archaeologists have embraced the compositional and elemental analysis of archaeological materials—primarily ceramic, metallic, and lithic objects—drawing new conclusions about the circumstances surrounding their production, such as the geographic origins of their raw components or the processes by which they were made. To explore the applicability of these techniques for the study of charred plant remains, namely charred wood, I conducted a pilot study using elemental, analytical techniques like x-ray fluorescence (XRF) and laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) on both modern and archaeological charred wood specimens to determine the extent to which charred wood retains a unique chemical signature. The results of this research have the potential to inform archaeologists about the degree to which the chemical composition of charred wood can yield information regarding its identification and formation process.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 86th Annual Meeting, Online (2021)   •
• SAA 2021: General Sessions

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 33107