Key Objectives

• Support and Resources: Provide and promote resources and guidance to support a growing community of users and foster best practices across diverse p-XRF applications in archaeology and heritage.
• Exchange of Knowledge: Facilitate opportunities to exchange ideas and knowledge about current and emerging practices through conference sessions, workshops, training, and more.
• Sustaining the Community: Establish a self-sustaining network where specialists, laboratories, standards and reference materials (certified and in-house) can be found and put to best use by all members.
• Guidance and Innovation: Draft, discuss and disseminate agreed-upon guidance on a variety of applications (e.g., soils, metals, glass, obsidian, pigments) to define and implement best practices and drive further innovation.

 Join the Network!

This is an open invitation to join the newly formed Global p-XRF network. In the moment, communication takes place via an email list, which serves as the primary channel until the official network website is launched. Those interested in staying informed about the latest developments, resources, and events related to p-XRF are very welcome to join.

For any questions or ideas regarding the network, the organising team is eager to engage and collaborate with the wider community! Just get in touch via michaela.schauer@univie.ac.at.

 Where to Meet the Network in 2025

The network will be chairing two sessions at major conferences in 2025:

• At the World Archaeological Congress (WAC) in Darwin, Australia, from June 22nd to 28th, 2025, the network will host the workshop "How to Calibrate p-XRF Data for Archaeological Research: A Workshop Hosted by the Global p-XRF Network."
• For the European Association of Archaeologists Conference (EAA) 2025 in Belgrade, Serbia, from September 3rd to 6th, 2025, the roundtable discussion "Recent developments in HH-pXRF studies and the Global p-XRF Network (GopXRF.net)" (Session 119) has been accepted.

 EAA 2025 - Session: Recent developments in HH-pXRF studies and the Global p-XRF Network (GopXRF.net)

Due to the current political situation in Serbia and the resulting uncertainty, the EAA 2025 Belgrade Annual Meeting will now take place online only. While we await further information and continue monitoring developments, we are moving ahead with preparations to ensure the meeting goes ahead in a productive and meaningful virtual format.

We are currently reviewing how best to structure the online event and will share details as soon as possible.

With our session we plan to bring together experts to present their latest research and engage in critical discussions with the p-XRF community on current and emerging initiatives. The session will be divided into two parts: a series of oral presentations of 10 Minutes/each followed by a discussion.

The topics covered by speakers are:

• Introduction to the session topics and to the network: “GopXRF.net" (M. Schauer/L. Dallai)
• Portable XRF: A Powerful Tool in Archaeometry – When You Know the Rules of Physics in X-Ray Analysis (K. Schneider et al.)
• Good practices and recommendations on geochemical soil mapping with pXRF (in the field and in the lab) (S. Save)
• p-XRF in the Analysis of Anthropogenic Sediments: Field vs. Laboratory Protocols (K. Rix et al.)
• Analytical Settings, Calibration. Comparing pXRF Data for Obsidian and Other Materials (R. Tycot)
• Expanding Use of UAV, pXRF and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Multi-scalar Archeology Applications (K. Sharp)
• Portable XRF in the service of cultural heritage: Some cases studies highlighting its merits and limitations (K. Gebremariam)

Please find the full abstracts here.

We plan a structured discussions will be structured around four themes:

• Inter- and Intra-Device Calibration
• Best Practices & Guidelines for Sediment Analysis in Archaeological Soils
• Guidelines for AI Integration in pXRF
• Studies Best Practices for Non-Destructive pXRF Analysis of Paintings

We wish for this session to offer a valuable opportunity to exchange knowledge, refine methodologies, and collaborate on shaping the future of pXRF research.

If you have any queries, please get in touch with us via luisa.dallai@unisi.it, keelie.rix@upf.edu and michaela.schauer@univie.ac.at.

 Colloquia on portable X-Ray Fluorescence

Led by the network and endorsed by the European Academy of Sciences & Arts/STEMAC Expert Group, we are organising a series of online colloquia to explore the use of pXRF in archaeology and cultural heritage. The colloquia aim to provide a platform for knowledge exchange, featuring expert presentations from both the natural sciences and the humanities. Each session will include 30-minute talks by specialists from archaeology and natural sciences, followed by a 30-minute discussion. Topics include:

• Resources and guidance for the XRF community
• Case studies and exemplary applications
• Opportunities for knowledge exchange

Recordings of the colloquia are available.

Participants can submit case study reviews for publication in PEASA (www.peasa.eu).

For more information or to propose a topic, contact Michaela Schauer (michaela.schauer@univie.ac.at), Keelie Rix (keelie.rix@upf.edu) or Ioannis Liritzis (ioannis.liritzis@euro-acad.eu).

Our next lecture on the 30th of April 2025, from 06:00–07:30 pm CET, features:

• Johannes Sterba (Center for Labelling and Isotope Production, TRIGA Center, Atominstitut, TU Wien) & Kai Riehle (Institute for Klassische Archäologie, University of Tübingen): Local pottery production and imports at Monte Iato: a chemical and an archaeological perspective
• Abstract Flyer

The lecture on the 28th of May 2025, from 06:00–07:30 pm CET, features:

• Patrick Quinn (Institute of Archaeology, University College London): pXRf of Ancient Ceramics and Lithics at UCL IoA
• Clive Bonsall (Prof. Emeritus of Early Prehistory, University of Edinburgh): Reflections on Carpathian Obsidian: The p-XRF Revolution

Please join the colloquium here and feel free to share the information!

Lecture Archive:

12th February 2025:

Sofia Soares (with Teresa Pena and Patrícia Jodão): Which Rock is This? - Challenges for pXRF Studies in Raw Material Provenance

Michelle Richards: pXRF for Geochemical Rock Classification in Archaeometry: A Pacific Case Study

The recording can be found here

27th of March 2025:

Robert Tykot (Department of Anthropology, University of South Florida, Tampa): Up-to-Date Assessment of Non-Destructive pXRF Analysis of Obsidian in the Mediterranean

Theodora Moutsiou (Archaeological Research Unit, University of Cyprus): Obsidian maritime connections in the Eastern Mediterranean Prehistory

The Abstract Flyer can be found here, the recording here

 The p-XRF Research Forum

The p-XRF Research Forum is a community event for members of GopXRF.Net only with a strict data protection policy, providing a safe space for discussing unpublished data, draft ideas for papers, projects, fieldwork, and experiments using p-XRF. It is especially aimed at young researchers and those wanting to discuss new ideas. It offers a unique opportunity for feedback on studies, results, and approaches from specialists in a protected environment.

Each Forum will consist of a 15-minute presentation of the research question, followed by 45 to 60 minutes of feedback and discussion.

At the first forum on the 7th of Feburary at 10 am CET via Zoom, Hakan Aycan explored the following topic with the community: Considering a New P-XRF Databank for Roman Tableware: Advantages and Limitations.