Video: The X-Ray Fluorescence Lab

At The Field Museum, the use of new and non-destructive technologies has allowed researchers to uncover fascinating stories from objects in the collections.

Gary Feinman, Curator of Mesoamerican Anthropology; Mark Golitko, Regenstein Postdoctoral Fellow; James Meierhoff, UIC graduate student; and Ryan Williams, Associate Curator of Archaeological Science, joined forces to study Maya Obsidian using a portable X-ray Fluorescence spectrometer.  In this particular case they analyzed Maya Obsidian that was excavated in the 1930's by former Curator Sir J. Eric Thompson.

 Take a look at how they use this cool instrument!

Follow more Field Museum research from Mesoamerica and Central America.

Check more of The Field Revealed series!