C.A.I.R.N. Awarded Research & Discovery Grant For Cave Archaeology Studies

Olympus Innov-X awarded a Research & Discovery Grant to the Cave Archaeology Investigation & Research Network, C.A.I.R.N., of St. Louis, Missouri. The awarded proposal, Advanced Non-Invasive Methods for In-situ Documentation of Cultural Materials in Remote Locations, is being directed by Principal Investigator, Dr. Chris Begley.
Spokesman, Peter Campbell, Underwater Archaeologist at CAIRN, states the following. "The goal of this research is to demonstrate that rapid analytical technology typically found in labs can be transferred to the field. Since artifacts are affected by excavation, collection, transport, and conservation before they are usually documented with highly accurate methods, in situ documentation can have a significant impact on the field of archaeology. Portable XRF has proven a valuable tool to archaeologists and the project would like to test and demonstrate the value of a mobile laboratory that can be taken into the field.
Research will be conducted in the United States, Honduras, Spain, and Italy. In the United States, CAIRN is researching rock art and pigments in Lon Odell Memorial Cave, a time capsule containing human footprints from 600 years ago. This summer's work will be part of Footsteps into the World Beneath Part II, the second half of a documentary on the cave by Emmy award winning director Christian Cudnik. Following this project, CAIRN is working with the Exploration Foundation in Honduras, searching for rock art and caves on the Mosquito Coast. The project team is then working with the Ecomuseu Cap de Cavelleria in Spain to completely document a newly discovered mortuary cave dating to 2000-1300 BC. The team will also examine several shipwrecks in the harbor, containing pottery and metal fasteners that need analysis. While some areas of archaeology have adopted pXRF, underwater archaeology has yet to make use of this technology. Following Spain, the team is heading to Italy to examine several catacombs in Rome and, still in discussions, a bronze warship ram. These sites were chosen for their cultural significance, the need for in depth documentation, and as demonstrations of advanced methods in remote locations. Findings will be present in scholarly articles, professional conferences, as well as a great deal of popular media."
The CAIRN research team is using an Olympus Innov-X DELTA Premium. This handheld XRF series couples high resolution, large-area silicon drift detectors (SDD) with powerful 4W tubes to deliver fast and precise compositional analysis of a variety of materials, including metals, alloys, soil, wood, and fluids, as well as rock art and pigments. With dramatically reduced testing times, the DELTA allows hundreds more tests per day and significantly higher confidence allowing one to make immediate in-the-field decisions, maximizing any research and discovery budget.
DELTA analyzers offer cutting-edge electronics and X-ray technology, as well as innovative software features that make DELTA analyzers fast, user-friendly, and easy to operate. These analyzers are engineered for continual use, achieving thousands of tests per day in some applications, even in extreme environments. Every DELTA is engineered for rugged toughness AND analytical precision; there are no compromises!

For more information on the use of the DELTA for Research & Discovery, please click here.