Sourcing of sanukite stone implements by X-ray fluorescence analysis

Abstract Both powder analysis and non-destructive analysis of original sanukite stones and sanukite implements were carried out by means of X-ray fluorescence spectrometry of a non-dispersive type. Fluorescence peaks of eight minor elements (K, Ca, Ti, Fe, Rb, Zr, Y and Sr) were obtained and ratios of peaks were used as indices of characteristics of the samples. Original stones taken from eight different sources in Western Japan showed large inter-source deviations of these ratios compared with intra-source standard deviations. Non-destructive analysis was carried out by a similar procedure and the effect of different shapes of the samples on these ratios was sufficiently small for the allocation. Sanukite implements excavated in seven archaeological sites were analysed without destruction and all but one sample were allocated to their sources.