Analysis of Pre-Hispanic Archaeological Samples Using Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS)

Abstract

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy gave excellent results with respect to reproducibility, sensitivity, nondestructiveness, rapid elemental analisys, and depth-profile analisys. In this work, elements contained in pigments from pre-Hispanic ceramics of Cajamarquilla were identified. Also, some textile samples from the Uquira site, located in Asia Valley between Mala and Cañete (Perú), were analyzed. For this purpose, a Quantel Ultra CFR pulsed Nd/YAG laser was used.

Keywords:

• archeological
• identification
• LIBS

This work was supported by the University of Zaragoza, Project UZ2008-BIO-O4, and the Spanish Environmental Government (2.7.241/2005/2-B, 634/2006/2-2.7, and A344/2007/3-02.7).

Notes

^a Relative response: w, weak; s, strong; m, medium.