This page contains information about biomolecular and physical raw material identification methods. It is edited and maintained by Claudia Sabbini (Università degli studi della Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy). Please contact her for enquiries, contributions etc.
Biomolecular methods applied for raw material identification in the more recent future are for instance:
• Zooarchaeology by Mass spectroscopy (ZooMS), also called collagene fingerprinting
• Ancient DNA (aDNA) analysis
Physical methods are for instance:
• Micro Raman spectroscopy
• Infrared spectroscopy transformed by Fourier (FTIR)
• micro computer tomography (μ-CT)
References related to biomolecular and physical methods of raw material identification:
Banerjee, Arun / Bortolaso, Giovanna / Dindorf, Willi (2008): Distinction between African and Asian Ivory. in: Roth, J. & Bortolaso, Giovanna (eds.): Ivory and Species Conservation. Proceedings of INCENTIVS – Meetings (2004 – 2007), Bundesamt für Naturschutz Skripten 228, 37-49, Bonn
Bradfield, Justin / Kitchener, Andrew C. / Buckley, Michael (2021): A ZooMS assessment of bone raw material acquisition strategies in KwaZulu-Natal. – Public Library of Science one 16: e0249296
Charpentier, Anne / Rodrigues, Ana S. L. / Houmard, Claire / Lefebvre, Alexandre / McGrath, Krista / Speller, Camilla F. / van der Sluis, Laura / Zazzo, Antoine / Pétillon, Jean-Marc (2022): What’s in a whale bone? Combining new analytical methods, ecology and history to shed light on ancient human-whale interactions. – Quaternary Science Reviews 284
Cutler, Anthony & Götherström, Anders (2008): African or Asian? DNA Analysis of Byzantine and Western Medieval Ivories. in: Roth, J. & Bortolaso, Giovanna (eds.): Ivory and Species Conservation. Proceedings of INCENTIVS – Meetings (2004 – 2007), Bundesamt für Naturschutz Skripten 228, 73-80, Bonn
Hampel, Andrea & Banerjee, Arun (1995): Identifizierung und Differenzierung von Elfenbein am Beispiel des merowingerzeitlichen Grabfundes aus dem Frankfurter Dom. – Archäologisches Korrespondenzblatt 25, 143-153
Hounslow, Oliver W. / Simpson, Joanna P. / Whalley, Laureen / Collins, Matthew James (2013): An Introduction to ZooMS (Zooarchaeology by Mass Spectromtry) for Taxonomic Identification of Worked and Raw Materials. in: Choyke, Alice M. & O’Connor, Sonia (eds.): From These Bare Bones: Raw Materials and the Study of Worked Osseous Objects, 201-207, Oxford
Jacob, Dorit E. / Stracke, Andreas / Wiegand, Bettina / Dindorf, Willi (2008): Tracing ivory by its chemical and isotopic composition. in: Roth, J. & Bortolaso, Giovanna (eds.): Ivory and Species Conservation. Proceedings of INCENTIVS – Meetings (2004 – 2007), Bundesamt für Naturschutz Skripten, 93-99, Bonn
Liesau von Lettow Vorbeck, Corinne / Banerjee, Arun / Schwarz, Jens-Oliver (2011): Camino de las Yeseras‘ ivory collection: advances in analysis technology used in identifying raw material. in: Blasco, Concepcíon / Liesau von Lettow Vorbeck, Corinne / Rios, Patricia (eds.): Yacimientos calcolíticos con campaniforme de la region Madrid: nuevos estudios 6, 381-386, Madrid
Rijkelijkhuizen, Marloes J. / Kootker, Lisette M. / Davies, Gareth R. (2015): Multi-isotope analysis of elephant ivory artefacts from Amsterdam: a preliminary study. – World Archaeology 47(3), 504-524
Wehrmeister, U. / Gluhak, T. M. / Götz, H. / Jacob, Dorit E. (2013): Zerstörungsfreie Unterscheidung zwischen afrikanischem und asiatischem Elefanten-Elfenbein mittels FT-Raman-Spektroskopie und statistischer Methoden. – Metalla Sonderheft 6, 218-220