Glossary Archaeological method and dating
Lead isotope analysis
Also called: LIA
A method that matches metal objects to ore sources by comparing the ratios of lead isotopes, which differ from one ore deposit to another.
Lead occurs in several isotopes whose proportions depend on the geological age of the ore body. Those ratios pass unchanged from ore to smelted metal, so a copper, bronze, lead or silver object can be compared with ore samples from known mines. The method rules sources out with more confidence than it confirms them, since deposits can overlap and recycled metal mixes sources.
In Cyprus it has been used to follow copper from the Troodos ores and to detect metal arriving from abroad. Two Philia-period tin bronzes from Vasilia have lead isotopes pointing to the Taurus mountains of Anatolia, while an axe of Cypriot type from the same group was made of Cypriot copper (Copper Metallurgy). For the Chalcolithic the results have swung back and forth, and a 2021 study again matched objects from Chlorakas-Palloures to Taurus ores.
Related terms
- Archaeometry
The use of physical and chemical science to analyse archaeological materials: their date, composition, source and manufacturing technique.
- X-ray fluorescence
A usually non-destructive technique that identifies the chemical elements in a surface, often done with a portable (pXRF) instrument.