177,157 research outputs found
Comparison of the relative comparator and k(0) neutron activation analysis techniques for the determination of trace-element concentrations in pyrite
No full textThirty pyrite samples from a wide range of localities were analysed using relative comparator and k0 neutron activation analysis (NAA) techniques at the University of Missouri Research Reactor, Columbia, Missouri, USA (MURR) and the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Lucas Heights, NSW, Australia (ANSTO), respectively. Statistical analyses of the trace-element data produced by the two methods showed a generally good correlation, with the majority of elemental concentrations of paired data reported by MURR and ANSTO being indistinguishable at a 0.05 significance level. Trace-element analyses of pyrite from Navajun in Spain by both techniques compare well with published data. There is evidence for contamination by Al, Na and Ti in one set of samples, this is likely to have been introduced by contact with a plastic used in sample preparation.O. D. Osborne, A. Pring, R. S. Popelka-Filcoff, J. W. Bennett, A. Stopic, M. D. Glascock, and C. E. Leneha
Scratching the surface: Subtractive rock markings from the Cockburn Ranges, eastern Kimberley, Western Australia
No full textThis article deals with visual expression in the form of subtractive rock markings from the Cockburn Ranges, situated within the Balanggarra Native Title determination in the east Kimberley, Western Australia. We present examples of subtractive rock marking diversity, ranging from cupules and abraded grooves, recursive cultural practises in the form of battering and scratching of extant artworks, figurative and non-figurative images, potentially random scratches and battering of the rock surface and tally marks. These kinds of visual expressions in rock art research have a tendency to fall under the radar when researchers discuss the meaning and significance of Aboriginal Australian rock art. We argue that the broad diversity of subtractive rock markings is employed through time and space, stretching from the Pleistocene through to the more recent past. The article presents two avenues for interpreting this often-neglected corpus of Kimberley rock art: rock art as an intergenerational cultural knowledge transfer and its connection to maintenance rituals.Joakim Goldhahn, Sam Harper, Rachel Popelka-Filcoff and Balanggarra Aboriginal Corporatio
Non-labile silver species in biosolids remain stable throughout 50 years of weathering and ageing
No full textIncreasing commercial use of nanosilver has focussed attention on the fate of silver (Ag) in the wastewater release pathway. This paper reports the speciation and lability of Ag in archived, stockpiled, and contemporary biosolids from the UK, USA and Australia, and indicates that biosolids Ag concentrations have decreased significantly over recent decades. XANES revealed the importance of reduced-sulfur binding environments for Ag speciation in materials ranging from freshly produced sludge to biosolids weathered under ambient environmental conditions for more than 50 years. Isotopic dilution with 110mAg showed that Ag was predominantly non-labile in both fresh and aged biosolids (13.7% mean lability), with E-values ranging from 0.3 to 60 mg/kg and 5 mM CaNO3 extractable Ag from 1.2 to 609 μg/kg (0.002–3.4% of the total Ag). This study indicates that at the time of soil application, biosolids Ag will be predominantly Ag-sulfides and characterised by low isotopic lability
1500 Years of Pottery: Neutron Activation Analysis of Northern Chilean Domestic Ceramics from Caleta Vitor and Clay Samples from Nearby Valley, Coast and Highland Contexts
No full textThis paper presents the findings arising from neutron activation analysis (NAA) of northern Chilean domestic ceramic samples from Caleta Vitor (n = 38) and clay samples (n = 15) from nearby valley, coast and highland contexts. This study presents the first NAA data set of ceramics spanning a temporal period of 1500 years (c.2000 to c.476 BP) from the Vitor Valley as well as the first attempt to use NAA to characterize potential clay sources in the region. On the basis of this study, we argue that the majority of domestic ceramics from Caleta Vitor share compositional similarities with clay samples collected from nearby valleys, allowing us to infer that the Caleta Vitor populations primarily procured their clay for domestic ceramics from local sources throughout a 1500-year period. Thus, despite the fact that there were interregional interactions during this period that included the influence of powerful Andean polities, it would appear that domestic ceramics continued to be produced locally, and by implication it can be argued that such interactions did not substantially affect this sphere of material culture production. Further, the apparent continuities in domestic ceramic production allow us to reflect on local decision-making processes throughout the cultural phases considered in this researchWe wish to thank the Australian Institute of Nuclear Science and Engineering (AINSE) for providing the grants that funded this study (ALNGRA13503, ALNGRA14011 and ALNGRA14516). R. Popelka-Filcoff acknowledges the support from the AINSE Research Fellowship. C.Santoro thanks the FONDECYT project grant 1150763 and CONICYT’s Programa de
Investigación Asociativa (PIA), Proyecto Anillo Código SOC1405
HyLogger (TM) near-infrared spectral analysis: a non-destructive mineral analysis of Aboriginal Australian objects
No full textFirst published online 06 Nov 2013Cultural heritage materials from Indigenous cultures often use geological raw materials such as natural rock and mineral pigments. For analysis, these complex human-altered materials require high-resolution, non-destructive methods, and in the case of intricate designs, a point-by-point analysis and mapping capability is desirable. The CSIRO Australia HyLogger™ technology has been adapted from mineral exploration and mining applications to the high-resolution non-destructive infrared and visible light spectroscopic mineral analysis of Aboriginal Australian objects. Aboriginal Australian people primarily applied mineral pigments such as hematite and kaolinite to wood, fibre, bark, resin or other organic substrates, making non-destructive in situ scientific analyses of cultural objects challenging. This proof of concept study demonstrated the utility of the near-IR technology for the visual and mineralogical analysis of six Aboriginal Australian objects, of varying size and pigment application, as case studies for the development of methods to identify and differentiate types of mineral pigments regardless of the substrate or binder. While many identified pigments such as hematite and goethite were expected for the red, orange and yellow pigments, HyLogger™ in combination with The Spectral Geologist™ software identified additional mixtures of previously unknown mineral components. White minerals, such as calcite and pyrophyllite, were identified along with kaolinite in mixtures in white pigments on the artefacts. Analyses of individual spectra were used for interpretation of spectral features for specific pigments. Additionally, classes of pigment groups were identified for spectral analysis. This manuscript presents the novel application of the near-IR technology to Australian Aboriginal artefacts for characterisation and high-resolution near-IR spectroscopy of applied mineral pigments. These results challenge and add to prior knowledge about the mineralogical composition of traditional Aboriginal Australian inorganic pigments.Rachel S. Popelka-Filcoff, Alan Mauger, Claire E. Lenehan, Keryn Walshe and Allan Prin
Evaluation of relative comparator and k(0)-NAA for characterization of Aboriginal Australian ochre
No full textOchre is a significant material in Aboriginal Australian cultural expression from ceremonial uses to its application on many types of artifacts. However, ochre is a complex material, with associated surrounding minerals potentially challenging the overall analysis. In recent literature several studies have attempted to characterize ochre by a variety of techniques to understand procurement and trade. However, ochre is difficult to differentiate on major elemental or mineralogical composition and requires a detailed analysis of its geochemical “fingerprint”. Neutron activation analysis (NAA) provides the high sensitivity (sub-ppm), precision and accuracy in multi-elemental analysis required for ochre. The elements of interest for ochre generally include rare earth elements (REEs) and certain transition metal elements as well as arsenic and antimony. Data from relative comparator NAA (MURR, University of Missouri, USA) is compared with data from k 0-NAA OPAL (ANSTO, Lucas Heights, Australia). A discussion of the two methods will be examined for their utility in “fingerprinting” the provenance of ochre. The continuing importance of NAA to archaeometry will also be discussed.Rachel S. Popelka-Filcoff, Claire E. Lenehan, Michael D. Glascock, John W. Bennett, Attila Stopic, Jamie S. Quinton, Allan Pring, Keryn Walsh
A multidisciplinary investigation of a rock coating at Ngaut Ngaut (Devon Downs), South Australia
No full textThis paper presents the results of a multidisciplinary investigation into a dark rock coating at the Ngaut Ngaut heritage complex in South Australia (SA) using geological and botanical examination, Raman microscopy, x-ray powder diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and infrared analyses. The coating analysed contains a mixture of calcite, quartz, gypsum and weddellite. The presence of calcite and quartz can be explained by the underlying clastic fossiliferous limestone, while the most probable explanation for the origin of the gypsum is via ground water. The weddellite was likely formed from solutions derived from the reaction of calcite with oxalic acid through the intervention of surface microflora, such as algae. This article provides the first record of weddellite in any context in SA. These findings have a number of implications-one being that the oxalate mineral in the rock coating could potentially be used to conduct accelerator mass spectrometry radiocarbon analysis and thereby refine our understanding of the rock art chronology at Ngaut Ngaut. A greater understanding of the rates of accumulation may also be useful for management purposes, as the nature of the rock coating may be contributing to long-term exfoliation. Indeed, it is argued that algal colonisation of the limestone (together with other probable microfloral activities) is likely involved in the production of a film over the porous surface, leading to salt weathering.Amy Roberts, Isobelle Campbell, Allan Pring, Graham Bell, Alan Watchman, Rachel S. Popelka- Filcoff, Claire E. Lenehan, Christopher T. Gibson, Natalie Franklin, and the Mannum Aboriginal Community Association Inc., (MACAI
Combining ATR far- and mid-infrared spectroscopy to distinguish native Australian plant exudates for cultural heritage analysis
No full textNative Australian plant exudates are an important material for a variety of cultural uses including hafting materials and pigment binders. Spectroscopic analysis of exudates informs on their composition, properties, use and conservation status. However, native Australian exudates are not as well characterized as European species, although there are often chemical parallels between the two. While mid-IR has been demonstrated as an effective and standard method to distinguish some key exudate species, the fingerprint-region characterisation can become challenging for a particular group of exudates due to spectral similarities or overlaps, and therefore discrimination is not easily achievable. Therefore, the complementary data on molecular interactions observed in the far-IR region can provide additional means to characterize and discriminate between genera. In this study, samples from European artist materials and native Australian exudates were studied by both laboratory-based mid-IR and synchrotron based far-IR. Results from this work include establishing a novel non-destructive far-IR method for plant exudates such as resins, gums and kinos on the molecular level, as well as multivariate statistical analysis to differentiate at both the genera and species level. These outcomes identify an innovative approach to understanding these complex molecular chemistries of plant exudates as well as a method to characterize resins, kinos and gums in important archaeological and cultural heritage materials in Australia and worldwide
Magnetometer Data Fusion Algorithms Performance In Indoor Navigation: Comparison, Calibration And Testing
No full textThis article describes usage of magnetometer sensors in data fusion algorithms for indoor navigation. A wireless sensor device was created to perform experiments. Multiple sensors were tested and their performance is compared among each other. The calibration algorithms are introduced and applied on the measurements while the results are compared. Finally, the magnetometer data are used to control gyroscopically stabilized platform and the performance of the stabilization is discussed. In the article we introduce a method for automatic compensation of the magnetometer induced errors and provide data which led to the method definition. © 2014 IEEE.388393IEEE AESS,IEEE Instrumentation and Measurement SocietyBlasch, E., Kondor, S., Gordon, M., Hsu, R., Georgia tech aerial robotics team competition entry (1994) J. Aerial Unmanned Vehicle Systems, pp. 20-25Breda, R., Lazar, T., Andoga, R., Madarasz, L., Optimising the aircraft lateral stabilization system in landing mode IEEE 11th International Symposium on Applied Machine Intelligence and Informatics, p. 221. , 225 doi: 10.1109/SAMI.2013.6480980Frantis, P., Pilot suit with integrated avionics (2012) Digital Avionics Systems Conference (DASC), pp. 2E1-1. , IEEE/AIAA 31st 2E1-7Paces, P., Popelka, J., Performance evaluation of two altimeters intended for positional angles measurement (2013) DASC 2013-32nd Digital Avionics Systems Conference 2013. Reston, pp. 8C51-8C511. , VA: AIAA, ISBN 978-1-4799-1536-1Paces, P., Popelka, J., Marchitto, E., Levora, T., Smart sensor data processing for aerospace applications in education illustrated by a small satellite platform demonstrator DASC 2012-31th Digital Avionics System Conference, pp. 1-8. , Williamsburg, Piscataway: IEEE Operations Center, ISBN 978-1-4673-1698-9Konvalin, C., Motion/velocity/displacement compensating for tilt (2009) Soft-iron Effects, , Hard-Iron, and, SensormagFranklin, F.G., Powell, J.D., Emami-Naeini, A., (2002) Feedback Control of Dynamics Systems, , 4rd ed., Prentice HallPaces, P., Popelka, J., Levora, T., Advanced display and position angles measurement systems (2012) 28th Congress of the International Council of the Aeronautical Sciences, pp. P631-P6314. , Brisbane, ISBN 978-0-9565333-1-
Sourcing Stone and Ochre Artifacts: A Review of Why It Matters in Australia (and Beyond)
No full textSourcing transported stone and ochre artifacts to their geological origin is popular in archaeology (Andrefsky 2009; Shackley 1998b, 2008, 2011) and a fundamental starting point for understanding the economic and social processes associated with any stone-based technology (Hiscock and Mitchell 1993). Sourcing research has been applied extensively throughout the world: for example, in Africa (e.g., Bernatchez 2008; Nash et al. 2013, 2016; Negash et al. 2006; Shackley and Sahle 2017; Zipkin et al. 2017), Europe (e.g., Andreeva et al. 2014; Brandl et al. 2014; Cavallo et al. 2017; Sánchez de la Torre, Le Bourdonnec, Gratuze et al. 2017; Moreau et al. 2016), South America (e.g., Barberena et al. 2019; Cackler et al. 1999; Cortegoso et al. 2016; Flegenheimer et al. 2003; Méndez et al. 2018; Pintar et al. 2016; Popelka-Filcoff, Lenehan et al. 2007), Oceania (e.g., Allen and Johnson 1997; Clark et al. 2014; Collerson and Weisler 2007; Kirch et al. 2012; McAlister and Allen 2017; Mills et al. 2010; Weisler et al. 2016), North America (e.g., Boulanger et al. 2015; Church 2000; Eiselt et al. 2011; Gauthier et al. 2012; MacDonald et al. 2011; MacDonald et al. 2018; Pitblado, Boeka Cannon, Neff et al. 2013; Popelka-Filcoff, Robertson et al. 2007; ten Bruggencate et al. 2015), and Asia (e.g., Doelman et al. 2008; Doelman et al. 2012; Frahm 2012b; Frahm et al. 2014; Guo et al. 2005; Jia et al. 2010; Kuzmin and Glascock 2007). Such sourcing work should be, and often is, preceded by comprehensive geoarchaeological survey to establish the availability and distribution of both primary (outcropping) and secondary (waterborne) sources (e.g., Borrazzo 2012; Gazzan et al. 2019; MacDonald et al. 2013; Wilson 2007). In this chapter, we explore the application of sourcing techniques to stone and ochre artifacts in Australia.Full Tex
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