Danger! High Voltage! The application of handheld X-ray fluorescence (HH-XRF) to experimental glass, pitfalls and potentials

Abstract

Handheld X-ray Fluorescence (HH-XRF) is growing in terms of its popularity for use in archaeological studies. It has been regularly used for studying soils, obsidians and metals, but the extent to which it can be applied to other, more heterogeneous archaeological materials, for example, glass and ceramics, is still under debate. Some of the concerns which need to be addressed include: how reliable are the studies that are undertaken using this technique? And, to what extent is a trained ‘expert’ needed to conduct and interpret the analysis? The influence of the size, shape and thickness of an object on the obtained analytical data can pose some significant problems. The appropriate instrumental parameters of the HH-XRF including analysis time, current and voltage settings vary between objects and material types. The attenuation properties and resultant critical depths also vary and require some knowledge of the system before analysis. These issues all have an impact on the qualitative, semi-quantitative and quantitative analyses that can be achieved with the use of this technique. HH-XRF has huge potential for in-situ archaeometrical analyses, but the potential pitfalls for the unwary user can be many and great. This paper seeks to highlight some of the dangers associated with a ‘point and shoot’ technique by taking one material, an experimental glass, and determining the minimum basic parameters needed for a useful analysis