Chemical Differentiation between Immersed and Dry Wood Samples in Nunavik (Northern Quebec, Canada): Preliminary Results

• Published in: Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research
• Main Authors: Steelandt, Stéphanie, Pierson-Wickmann, Anne-Catherine, Bhiry, Najat, Marguerie, Dominique, Bouhnik-Le Coz, Martine
• Other Authors: Centre d'études nordiques et Département de Géographie, Université Laval Québec (ULaval), Géosciences Rennes (GR), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Observatoire des Sciences de l'Univers de Rennes (OSUR)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université de Rennes 1 (UR1), Université de Rennes (UNIV-RENNES)-Université de Rennes (UNIV-RENNES), Centre de Recherche en Archéologie, Archéosciences, Histoire (CReAAH), Le Mans Université (UM)-Université de Nantes - UFR Histoire, Histoire de l'Art et Archéologie (UFR HHAA), Université de Nantes (UN)-Université de Nantes (UN)-Université de Rennes 2 (UR2), Université de Rennes (UNIV-RENNES)-Université de Rennes (UNIV-RENNES)-Université de Rennes 1 (UR1), Université de Rennes (UNIV-RENNES)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Ministère de la Culture (MC)
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2016
• Subjects: [SDU.STU.GC]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Geochemistry; [SDU.STU.HY]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Hydrology; Canada; Nunavik; Antarctic and Alpine Research; Arctic; Arctic and Alpine Research; Tundra
• Online Access: https://hal-insu.archives-ouvertes.fr/insu-01312833; https://hal-insu.archives-ouvertes.fr/insu-01312833/document; https://hal-insu.archives-ouvertes.fr/insu-01312833/file/Chemical%20Differentiation%20between%20Immersed%20and%20Dry%20Wood%20Samples%20in%20Nunavik%20Northern%20Quebec%20Canada%20Preliminary%20Results.pdf; https://doi.org/10.1657/AAAR0014-082

International audience The primary aim of this study was to differentiate immersed wood samples from dry wood samples based on chemical analysis. The method has been developed to be applied to wood found in archaeological sites to distinguish between driftwood and wood that was cut in the forest tundra and then transported to the sites. The results of our research show that Na concentrations in the immersed samples were much higher than in the dry samples for coniferous and deciduous wood samples. Principal components analysis (PCA) based on the element concentrations normalized to the total cation concentrations show that the data from the immersed wood samples and the dry wood samples clustered into two separate groups.