Application of a Portable XRF Spectrometer for Classification of Potash Glass Beads Unearthed from Tombs of Han Dynasty in Guangxi, China

Thirty‐seven glass beads excavated from the Han Dynasty tombs in Hepu county, Guangxi, China, were analyzed using a portable X‐ray fluorescence (PXRF) spectrometer. Reference sample Corning glass D is used to check precision and accuracy of the equipment for major and minor components. The results of inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy and PXRF are compared to evaluate the quality of equipment for trace elements. Combined with the contents of Al2O3 and CaO, a new criterion of subgroup division for potash glass based on the levels of trace elements (Rb and Sr) is proposed. The correlations of Rb and K, Rb and Al, and Sr and Ca are discussed. It is thought that saltpeter was the main flux used to produce potash glasses of different groups. The positive correlation between Rb and Al, and Rb and K indicates that potassium aluminosilicate minerals may be used as raw minerals for potash glasses of group II. The results indicate that the levels of Rb and Sr can be very helpful in subgroup definition and provide useful clues to the raw materials used for glassmaking and provenance study of the potash glass found in Guangxi, China. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.