OXALID: Oxford Archaeological Lead Isotope Database
Lead isotope analysis is at present the most successful method of
establishing the geographical origin of lead present in ancient
metals and other materials, for which minerals containing lead were
used in their manufacture, for example: pigments, glass, glaze and paint.
This method of provenancing is based on comparisons of three lead
isotope ratios of artefacts that are under investigation with the
available lead isotope data for ore deposits. The
lead isotope ratios for comparisons have to be measured very
accurately (with an overall error of <0.1%). At present there are
only two techniques available that can provide this accuracy and
total intercomparability: Thermal Ionisation Mass Spectrometry (TIMS)
and Multicollector Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry
(MC-ICP-MS). All data in the Isotrace Laboratory at Oxford was taken
using Multicollector TIMS. The methodology of measurements is described in
Stos-Gale et al. 1995 and Gale and Stos-Gale 2000. Additionally in
Baker et al 2006 there is a discussion of the comparison of data obtained
by MC-ICP-MS and TIMS.
The OXALID
database published on this website will include lead isotope data
for ore deposits and archaeological artefacts analysed at the Isotrace Laboratory of the University of Oxford in the years
1978-2001. The data for ores was partly published in the journal ' Archaeometry'
in the years 1995-1998, much of the other data included in OXALID
has also been published, but it is believed that bringing together
all these data
on one website in digital format will provide a useful resource for students and
academics using lead isotope provenance studies for tracing the
development of patterns of exploitation and trade of
mineral based man made materials.
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