Archaeology

Disentangling the pre-industrial climate in Plakias

Last week Danai (in-person) and Rosa (online), participated in the Q-MARE International Workshop and Training that took place in Plakias, in southern Crete (Greece) and is part of the PAGES (Past Global Changes) project and supported by the COST action Marine Animal Forest of the World ( MAF-WORLD).

Study on LIBS System published in Nature Scientific Reports

We are pleased to share the outcomes of our recent study, “Applying Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) and Elemental Imaging on Marine Shells for Archaeological and Environmental Research,” published in Nature’s Scientific Reports:

Applying laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) and elemental imaging on marine shells for archaeological and environmental research

LIBS analysis of marine mollusc shells is a growing field, requiring custom instrumentation. However, its efficiency in studying temperature variation and ecological aspects outweighs initial efforts. We provide specifications for a Mg/Ca imaging LIBS system, enabling easy adaptation to labs. We applied it to 101 shells, producing 234 images, with minimal damage. LIBS shows potential in paleoclimatology, marine ecology, and archaeology.