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Many LIDs, but none matching the vessel

Developing a community standard for the publication and long-term archiving of lead isotope data in the archaeological sciences – A brainstorming workshop

Date: 08–10 February 2023
Location: German Mining Museum Bochum

Programme

9:00 Key talks
9:00 S. Klein (Bochum): Welcome
9:15 S. Klein (Bochum), Th. Rose (Frankfurt), K. Westner (Bochum), Y.-K. Hsu (Bochum): GlobaLID – Vision of the core team, introduction to the app and discovered challenges
9:45 Z. Stos-Gale (Gothenburg): Crossing boundaries: 40 years of lead isotope research in archaeology
10:15 F. Albarède (Lyon): Geological/geochemical pitfalls
10:45 Coffee break
11:15 G. Artioli (Padua): Existing lead isotope databases I
11:45 S. García di Madinabeitia, J. I. Gil Ibargichi, J. F. Santos (Bilbao): Existing lead isotope databases II
12:15 D. Killick (Tuscon, AZ), V. Renson (Columbia, MO), J. Stephens (Columbia, MO): Lead Isotopes on Archaeological Materials in North American Laboratories
12:45 D. Berger (Mannheim): Lead isotopes in tin ingots
13:15 R. Liu (London): Understanding the social roles of metal in early Chinese Bronze Age: a perspective from highly radiogenic lead
13:45 Lunch break
15:00 D. Wigg-Wolf (Frankfurt a.M.): Application of lead isotopes for provenance studies in numismatics
15:30–17:00 Plenary: Current methodological challenges for lead isotopy
Existing approaches to a community standard
Pro and cons of a community standard

Round table 1: Which data and meta-information is crucial?

  • Introductory talk by I. Villa (Bern): Pb from the millimeter to the planet: what else is usually forgotten?
  • Topics:
    1. Analytical data
    2. Geological materials
    3. Artefacts – and which ones are suitable as reference data?
    4. By-products (e.g., slags, prills, ores from excavation sites)

Round table 2: Standardization of databases

  • Introductory talk by K. Elger (Potsdam): t.b.a.
  • Topics:
    1. Interconnectivity between different databases: Each group deploys their own data online and develops an API to link other databases. Alternatively, each contributes data to a central database (like GlobaLID) so that all data can be accessed at once?
    2. Unique resource identifier (URI) and controlled vocabularies and terminologies; Adoption of unique identifiers, such as the IGSN for samples. Use of thesauri, ontologies, standardized mineral abbreviations, geological period information from e.g., USGS, EarthChem databases; geological time periods vs. orogenic events.

Round table 3: Statistics and visualization

  • Introductory talk by P. Degryse (Leuven): Perspectives on data dots, biplots, ellipses and model ages
  • Additional presentation by T. Eshel (Haifa) and N Yahalom-Mack/D. Finn (Jerusalem)
  • Topics:
    1. Visualization, statistic and processing tools, methods – what is really useful and needed by the community? What is required, what would be nice-to-have?
    2. Reporting – What is proper reporting?

9:00–13:00: Morning session

  • Impulse talk by Chr. Keller (Berlin): NFDI4Objects
  • Presentation of the round table discussions and discussion of their results
  • Return to the round tables: Define the discussed standards, taking into account the feedback from the plenary

13:00: Lunch break

14:30 – 16:00: Afternoon session, final plenary

  • Summary of the second round of round tables
  • Discussion about how to proceed, e.g.,
    • Follow-up meetings
    • Roadmap to the publication and establishment of the community standard
    • Extension to other methods and materials

16:00: Closing of the workshop, take-aways and farewell