MC ICP-MS Lead Isotope Analysis of Archaeological Metal Artifacts from the Bronze Age Sites of Eurasia

Abstract

Lead isotope analysis (LIA) is widely applied by archaeologists as a method for provenance studies of metal artifacts. The study aims to realize of lead isotope analysis methodology and evaluate of metrological characteristics for the studies of Bronze Age archaeological alloys dated between the 3rd–2nd millennium BC boundary and the beginning of 2nd millennium BC from the collections of the State Historical Museum (Moscow) to assess the uniformity/heterogeneity of ore base utilization and to subsequently determine the localization of utilized resources in the Bronze Age. The following bronze artifacts were studied: three celts from the Turbino cemetery, Perm Krai; the spearhead from the Bolshaya Plavitsa burial ground, Lipetsk region; the bead from Gerasimovka III, Orenburg region; and the bead from Stepnoye VII burial ground, Chelyabinsk region. Lead isotope measurements were performed on a Neptune Plus multi-collector ICP-mass spectrometer (Thermo Fisher Scientific, Germany) using the Tl-normalization technique after the chromatographic lead isolation. The calculated U(k = 2) method expanded uncertainty comprised U(208Pb/204Pb) = 0.3%, U(207Pb/204Pb) = 0.1% and U(206Pb/204Pb) = 0.1%. The results of the lead isotopic composition of archaeological bronze samples showed fairly wide variations in the isotopic composition of the analyzed alloys, reflecting the complex pattern of geochemical relationships within the alloys.