Catching up on blog posts during lockdown! These photos show a Women In Science event which I participated in at the British Library. The WISE Festival, held on the 11th February, celebrated the International Day of Women and Girls in Science. I attended with two colleagues to represent Bournemouth University, Archaeology and Anthropology Department.
We were demonstrating the use of a portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) analyser which I use in my research to detect chemical elements. I use the pXRF analyser to examine chemical elements in ancient sediments to decipher different activities, but the analyser is commonly used to examine archaeological objects. The pXRF is ideal for analysis of archaeological objects because it represents a non-destructive method for determining the composition of a material. Some of the pictures illustrate some of the objects and their compositions that we used during the demonstration.
Below is the description of our stall:
“The Truth Inside Is that necklace of yours really gold? Bournemouth University’s Archaeology and Anthropology Department will be showcasing their Portable X-Ray Fluorescence (pXRF) analyser which allows archaeologists to determine the composition of archaeological artefacts and sediments. Bring along any small items you'd like to discover more about or see inside one of our artefacts.”
The event was a great success and we had a high number of visitors throughout the day who came to learn what we could do with the pXRF, and plenty of people brought objects for us to analyse.
