Blog Archive

MC-ICP-MS stands for Multi-Collector Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry. It’s a technique used in geochemistry, geochronology, and cosmochemistry to measure isotopic ratios with high precision. It combines the high ionization efficiency of an inductively coupled plasma (ICP) source with the precise measurements of a magnetic sector multi-collector mass spectrometer.

Bayesian archaeomagnetic inversion is a method used to reconstruct past geomagnetic field behaviour from archaeomagnetic data by incorporating prior knowledge and quantifying uncertainty. It differs from traditional methods by providing a probability distribution of possible field models, rather than a single best-fit solution, which allows for a more robust assessment of the reliability of the …

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Acoustic emission (AE) is the phenomenon where transient elastic waves are generated within a material due to sudden changes in its internal structure, like crack formation or plastic deformation, under stress. These waves propagate to the surface and are detected by sensors, providing information about the material’s behaviour and potential defects. Essentially, AE is a …

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Micro-indentation is a mechanical testing technique used to assess the hardness and other mechanical properties of materials at a microscopic scale. It involves pressing a sharp indenter into a material’s surface with a controlled force and measuring the resulting indentation. This technique is valuable for characterizing materials like metals, polymers, and biological tissues, providing insights …

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Anthracology is the study of wood charcoal, primarily in archaeological contexts, to understand past vegetation, fire regimes, and human use of wood. It involves identifying the types of wood used by analysing the anatomical features of charcoal fragments. This information can be used to reconstruct past environments, understand human behaviour related to fuel use, and …

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In the National Museum of Scotland ‘Map images’ resource you can access and view all the maps we have scanned as high-resolution, colour, zoomable images. The maps mostly date between the 1520s and 1970s and relate primarily to Scotland, England and Wales. They also have maps of areas beyond Great Britain, including maps of Ireland, …

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Terminus ante quem is the latest date by which a thing is known.

Scottish ribbon torcs are ancient gold ornaments, typically worn as necklaces or bracelets, characterized by a flat, ribbon-like band that is twisted and then hooked at the ends. These torcs are known from the Bronze Age and are found primarily in Scotland and Ireland, with fewer examples discovered in England. They are often found in …

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In prehistoric art, a “Serpentiform” is a curvilinear abstract motif, shaped like a snake. It consists of a single squiggle, which artists would probably achieve with one stroke of a brush.

The Ridgeway is a ridgeway or ancient trackway described as Britain’s oldest road. The section clearly identified as an ancient trackway extends from Wiltshire along the chalk ridge of the Berkshire Downs to the River Thames at the Goring Gap, part of the Icknield Way which ran, not always on the ridge, from Salisbury Plain …

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