Application of ICP-MS trace element analysis in study of ancient Chinese ceramics

Chemical analysis plays a significant role in the study of ancient ceramics[1,2]. Most ancient Chinese kilns used clays mined from the local areas and differences in the geochemistry and mineralogy of these raw materials may be expected. The chemical composition of ceramics may also be influenced by production techniques, such as processing by washing and mixing of different sorts of raw materials. These may also vary from kiln to kiln and even change over time. Thus the raw materials and pro…     

电感耦合等离子体质谱分析在中国古陶瓷研究中的应用

用电感耦合等离子体质谱法(ICP-MS)测试了宋元时期磁州窑、吉州窑、龙泉务窑瓷胎的39种微量元素, 以探索这种在中国科技考古中尚极少使用的方法的应用前景. 发现微量元素特征明确反映了3个瓷窑不同种类的瓷胎原料及其矿物组成, 可将其产品明确区分. 磁州窑元代与宋金样品之间、龙泉务窑粗细两组瓷器之间的元素特征也明显不同. 磁州窑中优质仿定窑瓷器的元素特征迥异于普通产品, 说明仿定瓷胎使用了特别的原料, 并有可能在使用前进行了高于普通磁州窑瓷器的精细加工. 发现不同瓷窑以及同一瓷窑内不同类型瓷器之间元素特征的差别, 可以用元素地球化学原理进行合理的解释. ICP-MS可测试40多种微量元素, 元素分布范围广泛, 提供的信息量大, 多数元素的分析误差在2％以下, 可有效运用于中国古陶瓷研究.     

Tungsten isotope evidence from approximately 3.8-Gyr metamorphosed sediments for early meteorite bombardment of the Earth

The 'Late Heavy Bombardment' was a phase in the impact history of the Moon that occurred 3.8 4.0 Gyr ago, when the lunar basins with known dates were formed. But no record of this event has yet been reported from the few surviving rocks of this age on the Earth. Here we report tungsten isotope anomalies, based on the (182)Hf (182)W system (half-life of 9 Myr), in metamorphosed sedimentary rocks from the 3.7 3.8-Gyr-old Isua greenstone belt of West Greenland and closely related rocks from northern Labrador, Canada. As it is difficult to conceive of a mechanism by which tungsten isotope heterogeneities could have been preserved in the Earth's dynamic crust mantle environment from a time when short-lived (182)Hf was still present, we conclude that the metamorphosed sediments contain a component derived from meteorites.