Using sulfur isotopes to determine the sources of vermillion in ancient burial mounds in Japan     

Takeshi Minami  Akira Imai  Michiaki Bunno  Kunihiko Kawakami  Setsuo Imazu 《Geoarchaeology》2005,20(1):79-84

This study represents an attempt to determine the sources of vermillion found in ancient Japanese burial mounds of the 1st–6th centuries A.D., by comparing their ratios of sulfur isotopes with those of cinnabar ore samples collected in Japan and China. Cinnabar ore samples were taken from three mines in central Japan (Niu in Mie, Yamato in Nara, and Sui in Tokushima prefectures), and from Wanshan in China, where mining activity has been recorded back to the 6th century A.D. and earlier. When the ratios of a ³⁴S and ³²S were compared with the Canyon Diablo meteorite standard, a high δ³⁴S value of +22.6 ± 3.6‰ was found for the Wanshan mine, as opposed to low values ranging from −7.3 ± 1.9 to −2.1 ± 1.6‰ for the Japanese mines. The ratios of sulfur isotopes in vermillion collected from ancient Japanese burial mounds also divided into two groups. High ratios (+11.1 to +22.8‰) were found in 1st‐ and 2nd‐ century burials in the western regions of northern Kyushu and San'in, suggesting that local, powerful chiefs obtained vermillion through relations with China. Lower ratios (−8.4 to −2.0‰) were found in burials of the 2nd through 6th centuries in central Japan, where the ancient Yamato dynasty emerged as the first unified polity around the end of the 2nd century A.D. We, therefore, conclude that the Yamato dynasty exploited local sources of vermillion, rather than depending solely on China. The present study demonstrates the feasibility of determining sources of vermillion using sulfur isotope ratios, and the relevance of such findings for archaeological research. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.  相似文献   

Determination of Selenium in Fifty Two Geochemical Reference Materials by Hydride Generation Atomic Absorption Spectrometry   总被引：1，自引：0，他引：1  

Shigeru Terashima  Noboru Imai 《Geostandards and Geoanalytical Research》2000,24(1):83-86

The selenium content of fifty two geochemical reference samples, issued by several reference material producers (ANRT, GIT-IWG, USGS, NIST and GSJ) has been determined by continuous hydride generation and atomic absorption spectrometry. Selenium(VI) in the digested solutions was pre-reduced to selenium(IV) by heating in 6 mol l⁻¹ HCl solution. The limit of detection was 3 ng g⁻¹ selenium in common geological samples. Some samples which contain a large amount of heavy metals were analysed by the standard addition technique. The agreement between the reported results and published data is satisfactory.  相似文献   

1998 Compilation of Analytical Data for Five GSJ Geochemical Reference Samples: The "Instrumental Analysis Series"   总被引：1，自引：0，他引：1  

Noboru Imai  Shigeru Terashima  Shiro Itoh  Atsushi Ando 《Geostandards and Geoanalytical Research》1999,23(2):223-250

Analytical data for five GSJ (Geological Survey of Japan) reference samples, the "Instrumental analysis series" received by October 1998, are compiled. The data reported in publications and personal communications were evaluated statistically, taking into account the analytical method and sample preparation. Based on the selected available data, recommended and preferred values for fourteen major and fifty one minor and trace elements are proposed.  相似文献