Geochemical signatures of soapstones from the Nuuk area, southern West Greenland – their use for fingerprinting of archaeological artefacts
Soapstone was mined and traded by the Palaeo- and Neo-Eskimo cultures (Saqqaq, Dorset, and Thule) as well as the Norse and Moravian cultures living in Greenland through time. We collected soapstone from outcrops around Nuuk, which hold large quantities of Greenland's high-quality soapstone, and...
Published in: | Journal of Archaeological Science |
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Language: | English |
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2022
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Online Access: | https://curis.ku.dk/portal/da/publications/geochemical-signatures-of-soapstones-from-the-nuuk-area-southern-west-greenland--their-use-for-fingerprinting-of-archaeological-artefacts(0a623e62-9015-467f-8de6-3c19c66e31f1).html https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2022.105552 |
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ftcopenhagenunip:oai:pure.atira.dk:publications/0a623e62-9015-467f-8de6-3c19c66e31f1 2024-04-21T08:01:36+00:00 Geochemical signatures of soapstones from the Nuuk area, southern West Greenland – their use for fingerprinting of archaeological artefacts Keulen, Nynke Poulsen, Majken D. Frei, Robert 2022-04 https://curis.ku.dk/portal/da/publications/geochemical-signatures-of-soapstones-from-the-nuuk-area-southern-west-greenland--their-use-for-fingerprinting-of-archaeological-artefacts(0a623e62-9015-467f-8de6-3c19c66e31f1).html https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2022.105552 eng eng info:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccess Keulen , N , Poulsen , M D & Frei , R 2022 , ' Geochemical signatures of soapstones from the Nuuk area, southern West Greenland – their use for fingerprinting of archaeological artefacts ' , Journal of Archaeological Science , vol. 140 , 105552 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2022.105552 Eoarchaean Geoarchaeology Godthåbsfjord (Nuup Kangerlua) Provenance Rb–Sr isotope Geochemistry Sm/Nd isochron age Steatite/soapstone article 2022 ftcopenhagenunip https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2022.105552 2024-04-11T00:22:46Z Soapstone was mined and traded by the Palaeo- and Neo-Eskimo cultures (Saqqaq, Dorset, and Thule) as well as the Norse and Moravian cultures living in Greenland through time. We collected soapstone from outcrops around Nuuk, which hold large quantities of Greenland's high-quality soapstone, and analysed their whole-rock geochemistry, Sm–Nd and Rb–Sr isotopes for fingerprinting geological and archaeological purposes. Fieldwork showed that the quality of soapstone in the Nuuk area varies widely; however, a correlation exists with the age and metamorphic history of the rocks. Soapstone in the Nuuk area is derived from Archaean ultramafic rocks and yield high Mg, Cr, Ni and low Fe, V, K concentrations and are depleted in Ca. Soapstones from Nuuk have very high Rb concentrations and average to low Sr concentrations compared to other Archaean ultramafic rocks, leading to very high and irregular 87 Rb/ 86 Sr and 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratios. A very poorly constrained Rb–Sr errorchron for unmetasomatised samples from the Nuuk area has a slope corresponding to an age of 3.05 ± 0.33 Ga. Soapstone samples from Nuuk, both affected and unaffected by metasomatism give a 147 Sm/ 144 Nd isochron age of 2.95 ± 0.06 Ga. This is regarded as the age of metsomatism, and tectono-metamorphic overprinting, which affected the precursors to the soapstone. The best quality soapstones occur in the areas dominated by Eoarchaean gneisses. The ca. 2.95 Ga overprinting is uncommonly old for soapstones worldwide. Soapstone, and hence archaeological artefacts created from this soapstone, may likely be fingerprinted to the Nuuk area. Article in Journal/Newspaper eskimo* Godthåbsfjord Greenland Nuuk Saqqaq Thule University of Copenhagen: Research Journal of Archaeological Science 140 105552 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
University of Copenhagen: Research |
op_collection_id |
ftcopenhagenunip |
language |
English |
topic |
Eoarchaean Geoarchaeology Godthåbsfjord (Nuup Kangerlua) Provenance Rb–Sr isotope Geochemistry Sm/Nd isochron age Steatite/soapstone |
spellingShingle |
Eoarchaean Geoarchaeology Godthåbsfjord (Nuup Kangerlua) Provenance Rb–Sr isotope Geochemistry Sm/Nd isochron age Steatite/soapstone Keulen, Nynke Poulsen, Majken D. Frei, Robert Geochemical signatures of soapstones from the Nuuk area, southern West Greenland – their use for fingerprinting of archaeological artefacts |
topic_facet |
Eoarchaean Geoarchaeology Godthåbsfjord (Nuup Kangerlua) Provenance Rb–Sr isotope Geochemistry Sm/Nd isochron age Steatite/soapstone |
description |
Soapstone was mined and traded by the Palaeo- and Neo-Eskimo cultures (Saqqaq, Dorset, and Thule) as well as the Norse and Moravian cultures living in Greenland through time. We collected soapstone from outcrops around Nuuk, which hold large quantities of Greenland's high-quality soapstone, and analysed their whole-rock geochemistry, Sm–Nd and Rb–Sr isotopes for fingerprinting geological and archaeological purposes. Fieldwork showed that the quality of soapstone in the Nuuk area varies widely; however, a correlation exists with the age and metamorphic history of the rocks. Soapstone in the Nuuk area is derived from Archaean ultramafic rocks and yield high Mg, Cr, Ni and low Fe, V, K concentrations and are depleted in Ca. Soapstones from Nuuk have very high Rb concentrations and average to low Sr concentrations compared to other Archaean ultramafic rocks, leading to very high and irregular 87 Rb/ 86 Sr and 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratios. A very poorly constrained Rb–Sr errorchron for unmetasomatised samples from the Nuuk area has a slope corresponding to an age of 3.05 ± 0.33 Ga. Soapstone samples from Nuuk, both affected and unaffected by metasomatism give a 147 Sm/ 144 Nd isochron age of 2.95 ± 0.06 Ga. This is regarded as the age of metsomatism, and tectono-metamorphic overprinting, which affected the precursors to the soapstone. The best quality soapstones occur in the areas dominated by Eoarchaean gneisses. The ca. 2.95 Ga overprinting is uncommonly old for soapstones worldwide. Soapstone, and hence archaeological artefacts created from this soapstone, may likely be fingerprinted to the Nuuk area. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Keulen, Nynke Poulsen, Majken D. Frei, Robert |
author_facet |
Keulen, Nynke Poulsen, Majken D. Frei, Robert |
author_sort |
Keulen, Nynke |
title |
Geochemical signatures of soapstones from the Nuuk area, southern West Greenland – their use for fingerprinting of archaeological artefacts |
title_short |
Geochemical signatures of soapstones from the Nuuk area, southern West Greenland – their use for fingerprinting of archaeological artefacts |
title_full |
Geochemical signatures of soapstones from the Nuuk area, southern West Greenland – their use for fingerprinting of archaeological artefacts |
title_fullStr |
Geochemical signatures of soapstones from the Nuuk area, southern West Greenland – their use for fingerprinting of archaeological artefacts |
title_full_unstemmed |
Geochemical signatures of soapstones from the Nuuk area, southern West Greenland – their use for fingerprinting of archaeological artefacts |
title_sort |
geochemical signatures of soapstones from the nuuk area, southern west greenland – their use for fingerprinting of archaeological artefacts |
publishDate |
2022 |
url |
https://curis.ku.dk/portal/da/publications/geochemical-signatures-of-soapstones-from-the-nuuk-area-southern-west-greenland--their-use-for-fingerprinting-of-archaeological-artefacts(0a623e62-9015-467f-8de6-3c19c66e31f1).html https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2022.105552 |
genre |
eskimo* Godthåbsfjord Greenland Nuuk Saqqaq Thule |
genre_facet |
eskimo* Godthåbsfjord Greenland Nuuk Saqqaq Thule |
op_source |
Keulen , N , Poulsen , M D & Frei , R 2022 , ' Geochemical signatures of soapstones from the Nuuk area, southern West Greenland – their use for fingerprinting of archaeological artefacts ' , Journal of Archaeological Science , vol. 140 , 105552 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2022.105552 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2022.105552 |
container_title |
Journal of Archaeological Science |
container_volume |
140 |
container_start_page |
105552 |
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1796941738063953920 |