Far from Home: Exploring the application of non-destructive XRF clay analysis for the provenience study of cuneiform tablets

FAIN: PR-263935-19

University of Chicago (Chicago, IL 60637-5418)
Susanne Paulus (Project Director: June 2018 to August 2022)

A study of the applicability of geochemical clay analyses, including portable energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) and laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), for establishing the provenance of cuneiform tablets held by the Oriental Institute (OI) of the University of Chicago.

Unprovenanced clay tablets with cuneiform writing from the Near East present a legal, ethical, and scholarly challenge for cultural heritage preservation, museum collections, and scholars. The goal of this project is to prove that chemical clay analysis employing X-ray fluorescence and laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy is a viable method to determine the provenance of those antique objects.

Associated Products

Artificial Intelligence, XRF, Geochemistry, and the Provenance Study of Cuneiform Tablets (Conference Paper/Presentation)
Title: Artificial Intelligence, XRF, Geochemistry, and the Provenance Study of Cuneiform Tablets
Author: Drake, Lee
Author: Paulus, Susanne
Abstract: Presentations on the results of the "Far From Home" project.
Date: 09/05/2019
Primary URL: http://https://www.si.edu/mci/english/professional_development/Cuneiform_Tablets_Conference_2019.html
Conference Name: Cuneiform Tablets: Origins, trafficking, and best practices for the future

Using Chemistry to Learn the Provenance of Clay Tablets (Article)
Title: Using Chemistry to Learn the Provenance of Clay Tablets
Author: Agner, Mary A.
Abstract: Feature on the "Far From Home" project.
Year: 2020
Primary URL: http://https://www.neh.gov/article/using-chemistry-learn-provenance-clay-tablets
Access Model: open access.
Format: Journal
Periodical Title: Humanities. The Magazine of the National Endowment for the Humanities 41:
Publisher: NEH

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