Analysis of the Peiting Woman Using Portable X-Ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy

Portable X-ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy was applied to the skeletal remains of 13 bog bodies and their bog burial environments. The objective was to create a better understanding of Northern European bog environmental chemistry and its diagenetic effects on interred bog bodies, determine bog body geographic disparity and/or origin, and identify if post-discovery preservation procedures were applied to the bog body remains. This paper summarizes the findings for one of those 13 bog bodies: the Peiting Woman from Bavaria, Germany. The elements analyzed include Antimony, Cobalt, Copper, Iron, Manganese, Molybdenum, Lead, Strontium, Titanium, Zinc, and Zirconium.