Tracing the Source of the Elephant And Hippopotamus Ivory from ...

a Finnigan MAT Delta plus XL mass spectrometer at the University of South Florida, and 800-
1200 µg of each sample was weighed out for analysis.
Approximately 2-3 mg is required for strontium isotope ratio analysis by ICP-MS,
utilizing a Thermo Elemental Axiom high resolution magnetic sector ICP. A standard sample
preparation for strontium isotope ratio analysis is described in Sealy et al. (1991). The strontium
samples were prepared by MURR and placed in aqueous solution for analysis by HR-ICP-MS.
Samples were chosen for analysis of apatite, collagen, and strontium isotopes based on
the available amount of the sample sent by Cemal Pulak, the excavator of the Uluburun. As may
be seen from Table I, some samples were quite large and all three analyses could be performed
for these. Six samples did not have enough for analysis of collagen, and the sample from a
carved ivory sceptor (KW 1723) only had enough for strontium isotope analysis (< 0.01 g).
Photographs of the larger samples are presented as Figures 66 through 72: the Uluburun
ivory samples are Figures 74 to 78 and the Maraş Fili elephant bone samples are given in Figures
79 and 80. A slight greenish color may be discerned in Figures 66-69, which is due to the in situ
proximity of the ivory to the copper ingots.
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