LA-ICP-MS (Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry) of Jet Artifacts from Spanish Colonial Florida

Summary

This is an abstract from the session entitled "Paper / Report Submission (General Sessions)" , at the 2022 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

Jet was often used in the Spain for religious venera, crosses, and beads for rosaries. At the same time, the material itself was believed to have special properties making it an ideal substance for amulets, such as figas (higas). During the early 16th century the primary location for the production of jet items was controlled by the jet carving guild at Compostela, Spain. As pilgrimages to the area declined, other areas such as Asturias became more important in jet production. While predominantly composed of carbon, minor and trace elements within jet reflect its source. Reference material was collected from historic sources of jet. Jet artifacts recovered from Spanish colonial contexts were analyzed via LA-ICP-MS alongside reference material to determine the elemental composition and establish origin-specific signatures. It is hoped that our results will demonstrate how shifting European production and trade of these "small finds" impacted their availability in North America.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• SHA 2022 General Sessions   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2022

Keywords

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology