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In this study, we have evaluated the applicability of Nd isotopic analysis for the provenancing of Roman glass and we present a database of Nd isotopic compositions of possible sand raw materials from the western Mediterranean, as a means of comparison for the growing number of isotopic studies on ancient glass. The 143Nd/144Nd isotope ratio of sands is a good indicator for their geological (and sometimes geographical) provenance. The use of the isotopic signature of Nd as a proxy for the source of silica in glass is, however, not always straightforward because of the possible overlap of signatures from different suppliers. ispartof: Archaeometry vol:55 issue:3 pages:449-464 status: published

The provenancing of Roman natron glass is one of the most challenging problems in the field of archaeometry. Although the use of Sr and Nd isotope ratios and trace element signatures as an indication of provenance has proven promising, there are still many unknowns. In this study, the influence of the different raw materials on the final Sr isotopic composition of Roman natron glass is examined. It is shown that the 87Sr/86Sr ratio in natron glass is significantly influenced by the silicate fraction of the sand used and does not always provide a clear indication of the lime source used.

In this study, we have evaluated the applicability of Nd isotopic analysis for the provenancing of Roman glass and we present a database of Nd isotopic compositions of possible sand raw materials from the western Mediterranean, as a means of comparison for the growing number of isotopic studies on ancient glass. The 143Nd/144Nd isotope ratio of sands is a good indicator for their geological (and sometimes geographical) provenance. The use of the isotopic signature of Nd as a proxy for the source of silica in glass is, however, not always straightforward because of the possible overlap of signatures from different suppliers.

During IODP Expedition 307, the first complete sequence through a cold-water coral carbonate mound (a bio-geological seafloor feature created through successive stages of cold-water coral mediated sediment accumulation) was successfully acquired. The recovery of the Challenger Mound record, one of the large (ca. 155 m high) cold-water coral carbonate mounds along the NE Atlantic continental margin (Belgica Mounds,eastern Porcupine Seabight), finally facilitates the study of an entire coral carbonate mound’s development process and allows the identification of the environmental conditions driving and maintaining the build-up of these remarkable seafloor habitats. Furthermore, due to its location along the NE Atlantic continental margin, the Challenger Mound sequence contains a potential record of continent-ocean climatic evolution during the Plio-Pleistocene [1,2]. In this study, the different sediment contributors to the Challenger Mound are identified and assessed throughout its entire sedimentary sequence. High resolution siliciclastic particle-size end-member modelling and its ground-truthing (XRD, quartz-sand surface microtextures) indicate the dominant influence of a climatically-steered contour-current system. Iceberg rafting is identified as important depositional mechanism throughout the whole mound development. Furthermore, new evidence (Nd-Sr isotopes of ice-rafted grains) for locally-derived icebergs reaching the eastern Porcupine Seabight continental margin, even in the early stages of Northern Hemisphere glacial expansion, is preserved in the mound sequence. The Challenger Mound reveals a two-phase development, separated by a significant hiatus (from 1.7 to 1 Ma [1,2]). The lower mound-phase indicates a (semi-)continuous, fast accumulating current-controlled depositional environment, while the condensed upper mound-phase bears witness of the distinct shift to a more glacially-influenced, more varying global environment since the mid-Pleistocene climate transition. The density of the cold-water coral cover at the site of deposition plays an essential role in sediment deposition and preservation on Challenger Mound. Moreover, the sediment stabilising capacities of a dense coral cover facilitated sediment accumulation on Challenger Mound in the general erosive/non-depositional Pliocene environment present along the NE Atlantic continental margin. A unique, higher resolution record is hence preserved in the lower mound sequence. Overall, the potential of coldwater coral carbonate mounds as intermediate water depth, continental margin, Plio-Pleistocene palaeo-archives is showcased.