Comparison of Neutron Activation Analysis From the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory and the Hebrew University

Abstract

Neutron activation measurements for Eu, Sc, Cs. Th, Ta, and Fe on 6 samples of pottery and rock by the Hebrew University and the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory have been compared. The average disagreement exclusive of counting errors was 1.1%. The practical importance of this study to archaeology is that data taken on source materials in one laboratory can be used by the other. Methods of determining the consistency of measurements within a laboratory and sources oferrors are also discussed.

Gamma-Ray Spectral Map of Standard Pottery

“…The energy band of about 50 keV to 1. 7 MeV measured with a combination of a coaxial geometry Ge detector of about 10% efficiency (relative to a 3" x 3" Nal crystal) and a 5 cm 2 planar geometry Ge detector can yield an array of about 25 trace and major elements in a total measuring time of about two hours over a period of about 25 days -when the sample weight is 100 mg, the integral neutron dose is about 3 χ 10 17 neutrons and analysis commences about six days after the neutron irradiation. Many more elements can be measured if the analyzing equipment is located in close proximity to the reactor so that short lived isotopes can be measured.…”

Multivariate comparison of ICP-OES and PIXE/PIGE analysis of east Asian storage jars

“…Evaluating results from the same technique at different laboratories is complicated because betweenlaboratory variation is greater than within-laboratory variation [40]. Comparison between different techniques raises additional difficulties because of fundamental differences in specific measurement physics and sample preparation requirements [20,35].…”

Comparative analysis of ancient ceramics by neutron activation analysis, inductively coupled plasma-optical-emission spectrometry, inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry, and X-ray fluorescence

“…Most laboratories that deal with provenance studies of pottery use NAA as their principal technique [9,10,11,12,13]. Thus many samples have been measured worldwide and large data banks have been created.…”