SIMS (Secondary Ion Mass Spectromtry) studies on archaeological material

Abstract

The present study includes examples of recent applications of Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS) in different archaeometric projects. Fingerprint mass spectra of different pottery types were studied in order to characterize the wares and to establish a probable kinship to other wares. Mass spectra of the glaze of crucibles were used to establish a relation to alloys possibly melted in the crucibles. Elemental analyses of an Iron Age fibula of both the bronze shaft and the iron needle were performed. The fingerprint mass spectra of the blue paint of a van Dyck painting were compared with both indigo-blue and Berlin-blue samples in order to investigate its authenticity. Diffusion profiles of numerous elements in the enamel of teeth have been shown to reveal a strong
potential for archaeological dating (DET).