Lead Isotope Data from the Gulf

Abstract

The objects from Al Sufouh, Unar1 and Unar2 in this LIA study were analyzed by multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (MC-ICP-MS) at the Advanced Centre for Queensland University Isotope Research Excellence (ACQUIRE), Department of Earth Sciences, Queensland University, Australia. Objects from Tell Abraq were analyzed in the same laboratory, but by thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS). Details of analytical techniques for MC-ICP-MS, which involve the use of thallium to correct for mass fractionation, can be found in Collerson et al. (2002), while analytical techniques for the earlier TIMS analyses can be found in Appendix One (Section 1.1.5). In the following sections, the isotopic characteristics of the objects listed in Table 7.1 are discussed according to their archaeological and chronological contexts, in addition to being divided into three broad compositional groups.