TRACE-ELEMENT CONCENTRATION AND DISTRIBUTION IN IVORY

The trace element content and distribution in ivory from elephants and hippopotami were measured for both natural elements and elements pres ent due to pollution. The National Accelerator Centre Nuclear Micropro be was used to investigate trace elements heavier than Ca, and distrib utions of these trace elements were measured over small areas (ca. 1 m m(2)), using the Dynamic Analysis imaging method in the GeoPIXE softwa re package. Quantitativity of elemental maps was checked by complement ary point analyses in the same area as where the elemental maps were t aken from and found to be accurate to within around 10%. The possibili ty of locating ivory on the basis of the trace element concentrations, determined by the environment in which these animals live, was demons trated by using correspondence analysis.